You probably know the feeling all too well. You get a piece of furniture you can sell for a great price, then see it has some type of damage. What do you do then? Mark it as clearance? Throw it out? You don’t necessarily have to do any of the above. You could repair the item, and still potentially earn higher profit than you would on a discounted sale.

Here’s what you need to know about “when” you should repair versus mark down. First, identify the type of damages. Are they finish defects, minor scratches, nicks, gouges, loose legs, rub marks, color variation on legs, small crushed corners, minor structural repair, cabinet door adjustments or drawer glide replacements?

Second, it’s important to understand the type of materials used in making the piece. Today, furniture is made of numerous materials such as thin wood veneer attached to medium-density fiberboard (MDF), painted MDF, photofinished film over particle board, laminate and solid wood. With the wide variety of materials used by furniture manufacturers today, it is becoming more difficult for the average person to identify stained wood finishes from computer generated materials that give the appearance of wood.

One of the most popular materials used for making furniture today is MDF. Furniture manufacturers use MDF instead of solid wood because it’s less expensive and more stable when exposed to different climates. MDF usually has a wood veneer laminate, giving it the illusion of solid wood. Solid wood has a predisposition to warp and crack when exposed to hot, dry, high humidity and cold temperatures. MDF will not warp or crack from temperature fluctuations in climate. It is also much easier to cut and shape since it doesn’t chip like solid wood and can also be colorized to match stained wood or painted finishes.

Third, know if the damage is cosmetic or structural. Occasionally factory finishes will have finish defects such as runs, sags, fish eye and dried over spray. Finish defects and minor scratches fall under cosmetic damage and can usually be addressed fairly quickly by a furniture repair professional onsite. Structurally damaged wood is normally repaired by gluing and clamping, or using additional wood reinforcement (dowels). However, MDF is not repairable when broken or cracked in large sections providing support to the piece. A thorough inspection is required to determine if a repair is feasible.

Furniture legs that are severed or fractured can be mended back together, or in some cases completely replaced with a custom color matched leg. Most of the time, a loose wobbly leg may be a matter of just tightening a few bolts or gluing back a joint. Crushed corners on MDF can sometimes be repaired using special bonding materials and special color touch-up techniques.

Precision repair burn-ins can be performed on most veneered panels, laminates and solid wood surfaces. However, photo finished film covered particle board construction does not repair well and usually has to be thrown away when damaged. Cross grain scratches can be repaired but not without being able to detect where they are located. For this reason, it is best to put these items on clearance. Most furniture can be repaired; however, a professional furniture repair person will help guide you in your final decision.

So before you throw out that piece of furniture or put it on clearance, follow the above guidelines to see if it can be repaired.

(Source: furninfo.com  Author: Gina Moss, training manager, Furniture Medic, A ServiceMaster Company)