When To Not Paint Furniture

Remember this post that I wrote back in early November, when I was racing the clock and trying to strip the paint off an outdoor teak table?

I spent hours (and hours) this fall desperately working to strip that paint off.  That paint was stubborn and wasn’t budging.  The weather was growing cold, so I had to table the table project.

This brings us up to speed to now.  The weather has been glorious the past few days, and a perfect reason to work outside.  Only made sense to get back to work on that table.

I got to work, sanding again.  I kept with the 60 grit sand paper, pulled the power sander out of hibernation, and plugged it in.

Again, I sanded.  And sanded.  And sanded.  Finally, the paint was coming off.

And to get in those corners and places where a regular sander couldn’t reach, I used a corner sander.  Although this tool may seem like a luxury to have, it truly is a necessity.  This is the corner sander that I have.  

There comes a time and a place for painted furniture.  I love to paint a piece to bring it a new life and add a colorful charm to a room, just as much as I love to restore and refinish an old, or in this case a newer piece, and bring it back to its former glory.

But this table; this beautiful teak outdoor table should not have been painted in the first place.  Here are my reasons:

1)  The table is made of a hard wood.

2) Teak is regarded as a beautiful, high-quality wood manufactured today.

3) Teak is widely renowned for its durability and known for its resistance to rotting.

4) Teak’s high level of resinous oil acts as a natural insect repellent, giving it a very high resistance to termites.

5) Teak furniture will last for years.  And in time, the patina will become a beautiful silvery-grey.

Out of the gate, the green that this table was painted was a bad green.  Not a pretty green.  It had weird undertones — you get the picture.

With all the time and elbow grease I invested in this table, it was worth every minute of it.  Now with all of the paint removed, this teak table can age and become that beautiful silvery-grey color that I’m after.