How to Repair Minor Blemishes on Wood Furniture

Wood furniture comes in all sorts of styles and is beautiful when it’s in pristine condition. Unfortunately, wood can be damaged in many different ways over time, and not all techniques work for repairing every piece of furniture. However, getting rid of minor blemishes is possible if you have the right tools and know-how. You may need to pick up a few items at the hardware store, but the improvement in your furniture is worth the effort.

Dry cloth
Furniture polish
Touch-up color replacement markers
Easy-drying aerosol lacquer

Instructions

- 1
  Dust the surface of the wood furniture using a cloth lightly sprayed with furniture polish.
- 2
  Hide scratches and small blemishes on wood furniture with touch-up color-replacement markers. These repair instruments are available with different shades of built-in color to match your wood piece, whether it’s mahogany, oak, pine, walnut or many other kinds of wood. Some scratches can blend in with the application of a single touch-up color, but in many cases, two or three colors are needed to achieve a more natural-looking repair.
- 3
  Apply the lightest color with the tip of the marker and wipe away any excess with a dry cloth. Allow the wood a few minutes to dry and then apply the next darker shade to the scratched area. If a third color is necessary to look natural, apply that next.
- 4
  Lock in the repair with a quick, light spray from a can of easy-drying aerosol lacquer. The sheen of your wood furniture may be satin, semigloss or gloss, so be sure to use the proper sheen on the repaired scratch.
- 5
  Repair any other areas with minor blemishes in the same way. If a large portion of the piece requires this kind of minor repair, spray the lacquer over the entire piece. Carry the piece to a well-ventilated space if you choose to spray lacquer over its entire surface.

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