How to Get Antique Dressers Free or Cheap

Dressers are a necessity in life. Larger families need several dressers to hold all of the clothing that is owned by each family member. Many people love the old fashioned look. Many also crave and collect antiques. Buying an antique dresser from an antique dealer can be quite costly. There are ways to avoid paying so much. One of those ways is to search out a dresser that is in need of being refinished.

Buying an antique dresser that has already been refinished could cost you an arm, a leg, and a finger too. Maybe even a toe. However, many people successfully find free or very low cost antique dressers to refinish.

Refinishing a dresser is not that difficult. Neither is finding one that is free or low cost. The places to look are as follows: On the side of the road, yard sales, thrift shops, used furniture stores, and flea markets. Auctions also often have old dressers in need of repairs or finishing dirt cheap.

When you find your dresser and get it home it's time to doctor it up. First wash it down. Use Lysol and scrub it clean. Make sure to use clear water and a cloth to wipe any cleaner residue that is left behind.

Next sand. If there are nicks and dings in the wood you can sand them out. If there are scratches or dents you can sand them away as well. Use an electric sander for the best results. Make sure to have a mask on, and to do this outside or in the garage. Old paint should not be sanded off in your house.

Once you have your dresser sanded you have the choice of either painting it or staining it. Either will make it look beautiful. Older dressers often have hand carved wood details. These can be accented in a different color when paint is used. Varnishes and stains also leave a remarkably attractive finish.

The drawers of your dresser may need a bit of repair. Tack them back together using finishing nails. They often come apart over the years and may simply need to be tacked back together. Just looking at them carefully will tell you where a nail should be. Remember to put the nail in very gently as wood can split. Use wood glue where needed. Shimmy drawers that stick. Replace knobs or handles with new. Make sure that all of the drawers are set on their runners properly. If they are crooked, or off their runner the drawers will not fit properly.

Once you have done all of this your dresser is refinished. There you have it! That's how to find a dresser cheap or free and also how to refinish it! Thanks for reading J