It is undeniable that rattan furniture offers a natural beauty that can last for several decades, with proper care of course. Rattan is a plant belonging to the species of palm but live like a vines. This plant is easily found in forests in Kalimantan or Papua and makes Indonesia as one of the rattan exporter country to the world.
Prepare rattan before it becomes furniture
To utilize rattan before being made into furniture, first the fibers are separated and dried into a material that is flexible, strong, and easily woven to be used as furniture materials. In the process of drying, rattan should not be too dry to cause this material is fragile and easy to crack. And if it is still wet, rattan will also be easily tenuous and woven becomes uneven. Wet rattan can also invite mushrooms to grow. Therefore, a proper drying process is needed to achieve the right dry conditions.
Fix and Reclaim old rattan furniture
If you take a walk in the antique shop and find a slightly worn rattan furniture, do not hesitate to take it home for reuse. By knowing some problems on rattan furniture and how to overcome them, antique rattan furniture will be re-used.
Cleaning of mushrooms on rattan furniture:
To remove fungus in rattan furniture, bring furniture outdoors. Clean the fungus that is attached using a fluffy brush to mushrooms and the spores are peeled off.
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the remains of rattan flakes around the furniture.
Wipe the surface of rattan using a scrub brush dipped in a bucket containing a mixture of water and bleach. Make sure you use gloves and eye protection in doing so. Using a small brush, rub the affected area of the fungus to make the mark fade.
Take the sponge and dip it in the water. Use to wipe the entire surface of rattan. Use a dry cloth to dry the surface again and dry it by airing for a day or two to dry the surface evenly.
Fixed loose rattan furniture:
Rewind the rattan furniture so that the loose rattan sofa holder can be seen. If the loose is the backrest, lay the rattan sofa so that the loose area is in a horizontal position.
Dip the towel in water and place the wet towel on the loose sofa. Make sure the wet towel is not framed to avoid damage.
Let this wet towel be on the loose sofa section overnight. Then, raise this wet towel and dry the furniture in a dusky manner for several days before use. The wet rattan will shrink when dry, which will tighten the loose rattan again.
Tighten loose wicker rattan:
If the wicker rattan stretch, tighten each fiber. Use glue type wood glue at the end of webbing. Press the edges together, then tighten again using painter's tape if the wood glue has dried.
You can also open the woven bond first before tightening it. Then, slowly, woven again these rattan fibers but this time while emphasized so that each webbing can meet each other. If it is to the end, attach it with wood glue and apply painter's tape so that the webbing is firmer and not easy to loose again.
Paint rattan furniture to get a new look
If you've done some improvements on rattan furniture then want a fresh and fresh rattan look, use paint or stain. Choose natural colors such as wooden brown or paint colors that resemble the original color of rattan. Use a sponge brush to paint large parts eg on arms, rattan sofa feet, and frames or support on rattan sofas. Then, use a smaller brush to paint the ornaments or webbing.
If all the parts have been painted, let stand for some time until the paint begins to dry. You can use a sealer if this rattan furniture will be placed in outdoor. Or, use waterproof and weatherproof paint for this rattan furniture.
Important Tips:
Besides using paint with brush, you can use spray paint to coat the surface of rattan. After all the surfaces have been painted, then dry briefly and then repeat once more to get a thicker and steadier result. Applying spray paint may be easier than regular paint for rattan chair surfaces. However, this method is quite wasteful considering the surface of rattan is not widespread and there are many nets or space on the sidelines of rattan fiber that makes the use of spray paint is not optimal.
Good luck 🙂
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