How to Distress or Age Furniture

Distressed wood furniture looks aged.

Distressed furniture is found in all types of homes and establishments. Distressing furniture makes it look aged or like an antique. Distressing furniture can be fun, and is simple to do. It costs very little money to distress furniture. Depending on items used, distressing furniture may cost nothing, just by using simple tools and commonplace household items.

Things You'll Need

• Old newspaper
• Dust mask
• Plastic disposable gloves
• 320-grit sandpaper
• Clean paint brushes
• Chemical stripping agent
• Putty knife
• Paint primer
• Latex enamel paint
• Old bike chain
• Old fork
• Ice pick
• Hammer
• Chisel
• Varnish
• Polyurethane

Instructions

1. Sand furniture to distress it. Sanding will make the furniture look aged. Place old newspaper on the floor around furniture being sanded. Open up windows for proper ventilation. Put on a dust mask and plastic disposable gloves. Take 320-grit sandpaper and sand the surface of furniture in sections. Make sure not to sand down to the wood grain. Sand just enough to dull the finish and remove paint and varnish in sections. Remove wood dust with a clean paint brush.

2. Strip furniture in sections. Apply a chemical stripping agent to the furniture surface with a clean paint brush. Don't strip the entire surface, for that will refinish the furniture, not distress it. Wait for the chemical stripping agent to oxidize. The chemical stripping agent oxidizes when it begins to bubble. Scrape off the chemical stripping agent with a putty knife.

3. Prime furniture with paint primer. Paint furniture with latex enamel paint in the color of your choice. Before paint fully dries, take an old bike chain and beat the furniture with the chain. Make sure not to damage the furniture enough to break, but to leave noticeable welts in the surface of the paint. The chain can also be used to make a design, to give the paint an aged look or a wood-like pattern.

4. Use an old fork to puncture the surface of the wood in sections that are delicate, like table and chair legs. Use an ice pick to chip away at the edge of a table or any surface to take off wood.

5. Take a hammer and use the claw part to gouge sections of furniture. Use the hammer on thick pieces of wood only. Use a chisel to lift up pieces of wood where there are puncture marks in sections. The lifted wood will add a genuine antique look to most surfaces. Antiques are known to be missing paint and have damaged wood, especially if centuries old.

6. Varnish furniture once it is fully distressed and aged. Varnish will seal in the wood and distressed areas, and protect the furniture from insect infestation. Use a waterproof varnish, or coat furniture in polyurethane. Apply two coats of varnish or polyurethane, letting the first coat dry before applying the second coat.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't strike the surface of the furniture too hard with a hammer, or the hammer may split the wood. Don't overdo the lifting of wood with a chisel, just enough to give a piece an aged appearance. Never lift wood around legs of furniture. That is the support of the furniture, and should remain intact.

References

• RepairHome.com: Distressing Wood: Getting the Faux Finish You Want