Restoring Mahogany Paneling -Need clear & concise advice
I am trying to restore the original mahogany paneling which has become 'shadowed' and faded in various areas (where pictures were previously hung on the wall) due to sun fading and time.
The good news is that the panels are in great shape, the only problem is the inconsistent appearance due to the fading. Can anyone offer advice on the easiest and quickest way to restore the panels to their original splendor?
I've looked through every single posting on the forum related to restoring paneling and haven't really come across any solid tips for "off the shelf" products that can help restore the paneling. All of the tips presented involve prepping, sanding, mixing a custom concoction using 2-3 different stains, sealing, etc.
Because most of the previous discussions regarding this issue are older (and I know that new home improvement products are introduced daily), im wondering if anyone can share any recent success stories and specific "off the shelf" product recommendations that might be able to help me achieve my goal of restoring the paneling.
p.s. I don't want to 'flip' the paneling...I just want to make what i'm looking at now look better.
Hi,
I'd love to offer an easy, straight forward, no-risk solution to your common problem (unevenly faded mahogany walls), but I can't honestly as I haven't dealt direclty with this problem myself yet. And, being a brute for punishment, I'd do the sand, strip, stain, seal process to increase the chances of a good result.
Having said that, here's a couple of thoughts geared to your request.
Possible treatment for mildly uneven fading
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Howards makes a product called "Restore-a-Finish" which claims to treat things like water rings and mild discolorations. A neighbor said she had used it on a short entrance wall where a picture had hung and it worked. However, I didn't see the severity of the original discoloration and the neighbor didn't do the work herself (a handyman did it along with some other jobs) so I'm not sure if that was all that was used. She said he had sanded and then applied the product but, if you read the instructions, that's not part of the standard process. I'd be inclined to simply use the product with steel wool on a discolored scrap or inconspicuous place first.
http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm
Prevention
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I'm trying to avoid the picture shadow problem (where the panelling is faded by sunlight but areas covered by pictures/furniture are not) by treating my panels with Howards Citrus-Shield Premium Color Paste Wax which contains stain and UV inhibitors. It doesn't have the sheen of the liquid Feed-n-Wax but that isn't a problem for me.
Note: you need the *color* paste wax as their *natural* paste wax has no stain color or UV inhibitors.
http://www.howardproducts.com/pastewax.htm
Good luck.
Jake
