With Furniture Refinishing, You Have to Go With the Grain

09/05/07 - 09:57 AM EDT

Evan Rothman

"On stripping, you're paying a little bit on labor, more on the chemicals, and a lot more for getting rid of the chemicals," says TNT owner Richard Tanner, 54. "For finishing, you're paying a little bit on the chemicals and a lot on the labor."

The refinishing cost had indeed scared me off at the time, and I ultimately hired our house painters to complete the door: It deserved some measure of professionalism. But I decided I needed to stop back into TNT and talk to Tanner about his life's work -- and, when I would eventually get started, my new hobby.

Tanner opened up shop in 1977 for just $3,500, after a childhood and young adulthood spent finishing and restoring unpainted or found furniture.

"My wife still laughs about the time I went deer hunting and came back with a wingback upholstered chair," says Tanner, whose 8,500-square-foot shop also employs his son, Neal, and Brian White. (Tanner has other good woodworking-related stories, including one about a brush-stealing pet ferret and another about a staffer of client Eddie Murphy warning him not to make eye contact with the actor/comedian should he make an appearance.)

He assured me that I was not alone in my failure to see the job through: Contrary to all the talk of do-it-yourselfers, he says that less than one-quarter of his current jobs are stripping-only, a reversal from 30 years ago.

"Supposedly, people have more time now, but I don't see it," he says. "I know I don't have any more time."

Time is far from the lone hurdle for the DIY-minded. Finding a well-ventilated workspace can be an issue; so, too, is properly disposing of the material you just stripped, especially if it's lead paint. (TNT employs a hazardous-waste hauler, and the paint is later burned in cement kilns.)

Did I mention that the work can require the patience of a saint?

Your Recent Quotes: Quote Up0 | Quote Down0
Dow S&P 500 NASDAQ
Oil*
Gold
10 Yr
0.00%
%
%
%
Data delayed 20 min
Free Newsletters from TheStreet

Cramer's Daily Booyah!
Highlights of Jim Cramer's videos
on TheStreet.com TV & his
"Mad Money" TV show.
Before the Bell
All the information you
need to position yourself
for the day ahead.
Submit
We respect your privacy.

Premium Stock Ideas
Access Action Alerts Plus to find out Cramer’s latest picks now!