Restoring a Scratched and Worn Blue Bench

by Eloise

5 Materials

$25

4 Hours

Medium

This blue bench was worn, faded, and had been badly scratched by our cat. The lower shelf was falling out. I restored the bench by sanding away the damage, repainting with garden paint, and reattaching the shelf using wood glue.

restoring a scratched and worn blue bench

You can see that the bench is very faded, with the paint missing completely from certain areas - including the right leg which was a popular scratching post for the cat!

The worst wood damage was around the legs of the bench.

I started by sanding away the worst of the damage on the legs of the bench. This was quick and easy using an electric sander, although it would also be possible to use sandpaper.

I then moved onto sanding the rest of the bench, concentrating on the areas with the most wear and tear.

I used a damp cloth to wipe away all of the sawdust, and gave the entire bench a good clean. It's important not to skip this step if you want a good finish when painting.

Leave the bench to dry completely - this shouldn't take long on a warm, sunny day.

Time to fix the shelf! As you can see, it was completely detached from the slot which is meant to hold it.

I used scissors to clear out the slots which will hold the shelf.

I applied wood glue to the slot which the lower shelf sits in. Using wood glue with a thin applicator nozzle makes this step easier.

I held the shelf in place with plastic ties, which can be removed once the glue is completely dry.

Time to paint! I used Cuprinol Seagrass 'Garden Shades' paint, which is designed to be weatherproof for garden wood. I chose a relatively small can as disposing of leftover paint can be time-consuming - read more here.