After we have used our home for many years, we suddenly realize one fine day, that the house has lost its original charm. Well, this situation can be pretty disturbing, especially if you love your house. One of the best ways to economically restore the old charm of the house, is to polish and again paint, all the hardware with the help of restoration paint.
One of the basic reasons for your house starting to look odd, dull and unwelcome, is the fact that the hardware that is in the house, has lost its charming coat of paint and polish. Most of the hardware in the house such as door knobs, kitchen cabinets, tables and even chairs, have painted and polished surfaces. It so happens, that after a number of years of constant usage and weathering, the paint and polish wears off.
While handling the hardware, the sweat from our palms, causes the coat of polish and paint to deteriorate. Moisture from our palms, usually wears off the paint and polish, as they either erode or penetrate through the paint coat. Hence, after constant use, the paint and polish, start wearing off. Due to this, the surface that they cover starts showing, which does not look nice at all.
Wall paint as compared to the hardware paint, does not wear off that quickly due to the fact that it is not subject to constant handling. On some occasions, the paint on the doors or walls can come down on to the hardware and ruin its look and polish.
To elaborate on this process, I chose the hardware as the doorknob and actually restored its previous charm and shiny look. Me and my parents have been living in a large house, that was built by a sugar trader from the Imperial era. The house has a Portuguese cum Spanish styled door. When we moved in, the interiors of the house were restored with help of interior painting and some interior designing.
The door frame was also given a coat of beautiful brown paint and polish, which for some reason had slopped over the existing door knob and lock. One day it suddenly struck me to restore the paint on the knob? After all when visitors visit, the first impression is indeed is the last impression.
Requirements
The material I needed was very simple and I availed it from a simple neighborhood hardware shop.
- The most important of all requirements – restoration hardware paint
- Small blade or Cutter
- A bucket of water
- Small-sized brush
- Wax
- Standard tool kit
Procedure
The procedure to use this kind of paint is straight forward and easy. If you are planning to use the paint, just use the following procedure.
- Cutting off: The first step is of cutting off the paint, that sticks on to the door knob. Be very careful while cutting off the paint and do not scratch off the paint on the door.
- Remove the knob: After you have removed the paint with the cutter, remove the door knob piece by piece, with a screwdriver.
- Washing: The next step involves washing off the remaining paint. If the knob is a metallic product, also consider washing it in hot water, which gives it a very good effect.
- Painting: Let the knob dry off before using the paint on it. While painting, remember to use the brush in a very delicate manner. It is also advisable to use the paint and the brush to make even and equally placed strokes.
- Drying and Polishing: After you are done with painting the knob, let it dry completely. Then use some polishing wax and make the knob shine.
- Replace: After you are done with the polishing, let the knob dry once more and then put it into place once more, using your tool kit.
I also painted a top of the chair, (that almost no one in the house uses) and got some brilliant results. My younger sister (who almost never does any work that involves dirt or paint), rushed off to the hardware store to get some paint colors, on witnessing my success with the chair and door knob. She repainted her whole bedroom and also did the door of the bedroom. Watching her do so was certainly entertaining, as she forgot to use the primer for the first wall that she painted. Later on, after some fun-filled hours, I offered her some help like a ‘Good Samaritan’.
A note to all the all the brothers and sisters who are having some unnecessary but serious, fights and arguments: using restoration paint can be a great bond-developing activity for siblings.