Your woodwork looks dull. It doesn’t need stripping — it needs Perk Up & Protect.
A maintenance coat for wood with a sound finish. Three steps. No strip required.
Is this the right service for your wood?
Perk Up & Protect is a category-creating service — no other wood refinisher in St. Louis offers this as a named standalone maintenance option. It works when the existing finish is structurally sound. It is not a substitute for a full Strip & Refinish when the base is compromised.
When Perk Up & Protect is the right call
- ✓No bare wood showing through the finish
- ✓No peeling, flaking, or film failure
- ✓No water damage or deep wear through the finish layer
- ✓The wood looks dull and dark — not damaged
When it is not the right call (you need a full Strip & Refinish)
- →Bare wood is showing at wear points
- →Finish is peeling or flaking
- →Paint layers over original stain
- →Water rings, deep scratches, or checking in the wood surface
The three-step process
Wet sand
Light mechanical prep of the existing finish surface. This opens the old topcoat just enough for the new coat to bond properly — without cutting through to bare wood.
Color refresh (if needed)
Where stain has faded or worn through at edges and high-contact areas, color is touched back in before the topcoat goes on. Not every piece needs this — Sue assesses at the estimate.
New topcoat
Fresh polyurethane over the prepared surface. The dullness is gone. The haze is gone. The piece looks like it has been cared for — because now it has.
What we work on
Perk Up & Protect is suited to architectural woodwork where the finish is intact but has aged out of looking its best.
Kitchen cabinets
Sound finish that just looks dated and dull. No delamination, no bare patches — just a finish that has lost its life.
Interior doors
Intact but aging finish. The door is holding — it just doesn’t look like it is.
Built-in hutches & bookcases
Finish is holding but tired. The joinery is fine — it’s just the surface that needs attention.
Stair railings & newel posts
Clear coat has hazed from years of handling, but the base is solid. A new topcoat restores clarity without a full strip.
Sue determines which service your piece needs.
You don’t self-select between Perk Up & Protect and a full Strip & Refinish. Sue does, when she sees it. The difference matters — applying a maintenance coat over a failing finish produces a bad result. Stripping a piece that didn’t need it costs you time and money you didn’t have to spend.
The estimate is free. She’ll look at the piece, tell you which service it needs, and give you a straight answer on why. No upselling. No guessing from photos.
Not sure which service your wood needs?
Free estimate. Sue will tell you straight — Perk Up & Protect or full Strip & Refinish. No obligation.