Everyone would like to save some money by learning how to perform their own repairs to their house or ADU. Put off replacing your favorite furniture by fixing minor issues yourself.
Scratches in Wood
No one likes to see scratches on their beautiful wooden furniture. The method for concealing scratches depends on how deep they are. For surface-level scratches, you can use a stain marker. You should buy one marker that is slightly lighter in color than your furniture and one that is about the same shade. This is because stain markers sometimes become darker as they dry. Try the lighter color first by applying a tiny amount to the scratch and removing any extra stain with a lint-free cloth. You can apply the darker color later if that is not sufficient. For a more natural approach to surface scratches, you can use a walnut. Slide the walnut firmly along the scratch, and then brush the scratch with your finger. Use a lint-free cloth to gently polish the scratch with circular motions.
If the scratch is deep, you should buy a putty pencil instead. The directions for applying the pencil are the same as applying a stain marker.
Wooden Drawers That Get Stuck
At some point, everyone has dealt with a cabinet or dresser drawer that just will not slide out smoothly. Clean off any dirt and dust from the drawer and inside the piece of furniture. Then, shop at a craft, grocery or home improvement store for paraffin wax. Apply a thin layer on the bottom of the drawer and the tracks inside the cabinet or dresser. Paraffin wax can sometimes be hard to find. In that case, try using a bar of soap or a candle instead. Spraying the drawer tracks with WD-40 can help as well. You should wear gloves when you use WD-40 to avoid getting it on your hands.
Unsteady Chairs
Eventually, uneven wear will make one leg of a chair shorter than the other legs. One quick solution is to flip the chair over and place hot glue in an even layer on the bottom of the shorter chair leg. Then, flip the chair back over and put the glued leg on a small piece of wax paper. After the glue cools, you can remove the wax paper and your chair should now sit evenly on the floor.
Jammed Locks
If you have noticed that a door or cabinet lock is getting very difficult to open with its key, reach for some WD-40. There should be a red straw with the can that you can affix to the spray nozzle. Put the red straw as deep into the key opening on the lock as you can. Spray WD-40 into the lock until it starts to drip out of the lock. Wait for at least ten minutes, and then see if it is easier to open the lock with your key. If you do not have access to WD-40, you can sometimes overcome minor lock issues by brushing the key’s teeth with a pencil until you can see a layer of graphite on the key.