Think about furniture refinishing, and what usually comes to mind is chemical strippers.
David Schons, 46, president and owner of CertiRestore, a furniture restoration, refinishing and repair business in Clive, isn't having any of that.
"If I can keep chemicals to a minimum, that's very important to me," he said.
Schons removes old paint and finishes from furniture with a scraping and sanding process, not strippers. Demonstrating on an old rocking chair, he delicately but quickly scrapes the darkened and brittle finish off part of the back. He finishes with a gentle sanding that cleans the oak.
"You don't have the mess or smell with scraping," he said.
The process preserves carving on furniture, he said. To prove it, he pulled out an antique headboard with a raised design. The details of the carving where he'd stripped the finish were beautifully preserved.
"As far as I'm concerned, that's better than any liquid could do," he said.
Chemicals can't be avoided entirely when restoring furniture. Schons applies a lacquer finish in a spray booth that vents fumes outside his building. He doesn't usually use polyurethane varnish, unless he's repairing a piece that already has a polyurethane finish.
He also has hundreds of premixed dye stains, or he can custom mix colors, too. The dyes, unlike the more commonly used pigment stains, are absorbed into the wood to bring out its beauty, he said.
The refinishing process was honed by CertiRestore in Fargo, N.D.
Schons and his wife, Kathy, moved from Fargo to Windsor Heights last year. In Fargo, he refinished furniture in his garage as a hobby. He did that for about 16 years — and he did use chemical strippers.
Before the move, Schons approached CertiRestore about opening an Iowa franchise. The company was open to the idea, and the Clive shop, which opened in January, was its third franchise.
Slightly less than half of Schons' work is residential. The rest is for businesses such as restaurants, bars, hotels and other companies that have quality furniture in need of restoration. He refinishes plenty of tabletops.
"It can save a lot of money to restore furniture rather than replace it," Schons said.
One of the pieces he restored was a communion table — a wooden table with a carved saying along the front edge. Billie Ruth Sucher of Urbandale acquired it when her church was remodeled.
"I love antique furniture," Sucher said. "When I got it, I wanted it refinished back to more of its original, beautiful state and I wanted it a particular color so it would blend with the furniture in my home."
Schons, she said, seemed to know just what she wanted. He invited her to come to the shop every step along the way to see the progress. The refinished table is beautiful, she said, and she was pleased with his understanding of what she wanted.
About 20 percent of his business is from walk-in customers. He can do small repairs of furniture and woodwork on-site, but major work is done in his shop. Refinishing usually takes about two to three weeks. Cost is estimated on a per-piece basis, rather than by the hour. Estimates within the metro area are free, but he does charge for estimates needed for insurance purposes.
"When I give a price, that's guaranteed," he said. "If it takes longer, I don't charge more."
Pick up and delivery is free, unless it's necessary to hire help to move the furniture into or out of the house or business. There's no charge if he can move it himself or if the customer has someone available to help with moving.
Refinishing charges average about $100 to $125 for refinishing a dining room chair, and about $250 to $375 for refinishing a tabletop, depending on the size of the table.
CertiRestore certifies its repair work for 50 years.
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