Restor-A-Finish

Imagine coming across a gorgeous wood sideboard, cabinet or table that’s the perfect size for your new space. Since it is pre-owned, there are some scratches and watermarks on the topside of the table.  To quickly restore wood furniture, look no further than Howard’s Restor-A-Finish. With simply a lint-free rag and this magical wood care product, you can restore wood furniture with just a few swipes!

It will not remove or soften the existing finish this is why it is very popular to use on antiques. Howard’s Restor-A-Fishing preserves the original wood finish as well as helps preserve its authenticity and value.

Restor-A-Finish was created in a garage

Originally designed by Douglas G. Howard in 1969, this wood finishing product is incredibly easy to use and takes no time at all to restore wood furniture! Mr. Howard set out to solve the dilemma of eliminating blemishes in wood finishes without removing the existing finish.

Since the answer was not at his local hardware store, he went to work in his garage to create his own. His goal was to make something that would be much more than a surface treatment. Yet he wanted nothing like a stripper or a refinisher. The idea was to develop a formula that could penetrate the finish with stain and leave the original finish. The end result was Restor-A-Finish.

Essentially, Restor-A-Finish enhances your wood finish to do away with visible blemishes such as minor scratches, heat marks, watermarks, you name it. Restor-A-Finish was Doug Howard’s first in what would become a complete line of wood care products. Since their beginning, Howard Products has continuously come out with innovative new products to enhance their existing product line.

What makes this wood care product stand out from its competitors is its simplicity of use and how well it performs long term. Plus it comes in just about every major shade of wood finish out there so you are sure to find a color to match the piece of furniture you are working on.

What is Howard Restor a finish?

Restor-A-Finish is a unique finish-penetrating formula that restores the original color and luster to your finish while blending out the blemishes and minor scratches. It cleans the surface and restores the finish in one step - without removing any of the existing finish. Restor-A-Finish penetrates faded lacquer, shellac, and varnish finishes to bring back the original color and luster. It restores the depth of grain in wood finishes, going much deeper than temporary “scratch cover” products.

Restor-A-Finish should soak in, taking the stain with it – restoring the finish to its original color and luster. It works best on shellac, lacquer and most other finishes. Harder finishes such as polyurethane will absorb less of the stain/restorer, but will still look much better after Restor-A-Finish is applied.

One may also ask, can you put polyurethane over restor a finish? A polyurethane finish should NOT be used over Restor-A-Finish as it will not let this type of topcoat finish dry. Regardless of what Howard's says in their literature, you can put a lacquer topcoat over it with no problem.

Determining The Best Color

Available in nine colors to match almost any wood finish tone; Neutral, Maple-Pine, Golden Oak, Cherry, Walnut, Mahogany, Dark Walnut, Dark Oak, and Ebony Brown

As you read this, you may be asking, “How do I determine what color I need for this piece?” When using Restor-A-Finish, it’s best to use a color that matches your original finish. An exact match is not always necessary so if the piece you want to restore seems to be between colors, start with the lighter color.

Restor-A-Finish is not designed to darken your piece in any way so when it is first applied, let it dry to really see the result that you are looking for. This goes hand in hand with testing the enhancer in a small, inconspicuous spot so you know what you are working with. Your final result will not leave a waxy feel on it similar to other products on the market.

Is restor a finish permanent?

Restor-A-Finish is a unique finish-penetrating formula that contains a small amount of stain combined with just the right amount of solvent and restoring oils, giving it the unique ability to penetrate and permanently restore most existing finishes without removing any of the existing finish.

Keep in mind that the purpose of Restor-A-Finish is to restore an EXISTING finish. If your goal is to improve the shine, we recommend following up with our Restor-A-Shine products. If you are looking for added protection, we recommend following up with our Citrus Shield Paste Wax products or Feed-N-Wax.

How do you bring back a wood finish?

The first step to restoring old wood furniture is to give it a good cleaning with an orange or lemon-oil cleaner. Don't waste your time with furniture polish, go straight for the good stuff: Murphy's Oil Soap. Spray or wipe on, let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes and then wipe off.

Can you use restor a finish to darken wood?

We recommend using Restor-A-Finish in a color that best matches your finish. The stain in Restor-A-Finish is used to help restore some color and depth of grain to the finish, but not concentrated enough to use as a stain; or change a finish from Golden Oak to Dark Oak etc.