How To Refinish Lawn Chairs

Instead of throwing out those rusty old lawn chairs, learn how to refinish lawn chairs and turn them into something new.  Even if you've never refinished anything before, you can follow the simple instruction listed below and learn how to refinish lawn chairs.  This is a great project for beginners, as it is fairly simple and inexpensive to do.

Supplies needed to refinish lawn chairs:

• Sandpaper
• Bleach and water (vinegar may be substituted)
• Soft bristled brush
• Soft cloth
• Rust-Oleum spray paint
• New seat cushions

How to refinish lawn chairs:

1. Remove the cushions.  If your lawn chairs have comfortable cushions, remove then before beginning the steps below.  Unless the cushions are new, it is advised to replace them with new cushions to truly give the furniture a refinished look.
2. Remove mildew.  Before you can learn how to refinish lawn chairs, you will need to thoroughly wash the chairs and remove all mildew.  To do this, combine a mixture of warm water and bleach and scrub the furniture down with a soft bristled brush.  If bleach irritates you, vinegar may be substituted.
3. Wash down.  Rinse the furniture thoroughly to remove the cleanser.  Once you are confident that you have removed all the mildew that you possibly can, dry the furniture thoroughly with a soft cloth.
4. Sand.  The next step in learning how to refinish lawn chairs, is to sand away any trace of rust.  You'll want to sand the entire surface of the lawn furniture, as this will help the new coat of spray paint adhere to the surface, but you will want to pay close attention to any areas where rust is present. 
5. Rinse down.  Once you have sanded down the furniture, you'll want to rinse it with plain water.  You MUST remove all loose material.  In order to get a good finish with the spray paint, the surface must be completely smooth.  Be sure to dry the furniture after rinsing.
6. A note about spray paint.  When learning how to refinish lawn chairs, it's important to use the proper spray paint.  Since your furniture is exposed to harsh elements outside, you will need to purchase a spray paint which repels rust.  Rust-Oleum is a good choice, as it provides good protection as is available in many colors.
7. Spray. Begin spraying the furniture evenly, holding the can approximately six to eight inches from the surface.  Work slowly to get an even coat.  When the entire surface is sprayed, let it dry.  Then repeat the process for a second coat.  (NOTE - When refinishing lawn chairs, all work should be done outside in a well ventilated area)
8. Add cushion.  Add a new colorful cushion and you're done!  You can learn how to refinish lawn chairs and have the entire project done in as little as a day.  Good luck!