Furniture finishers and refinishers (NOC 9534)

Occupation targeted by the Workplace Apprenticeship Program

Please note that detailed information for each of the occupations under the Workplace Apprenticeship Program is only available in French.

• Wood painter-finisher

Nature of work

Furniture finishers finish new wood or metal furniture to specified colour and finish. They are employed in furniture manufacturing plants, retail furniture stores or refinishing and repair shops. Furniture refinishers refinish repaired, used or old furniture. They are employed in furniture refinishing and repair shops or they may be self-employed.

Main duties

Furniture finishers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Set up and operate finishing machines or finish furniture by hand
- Stain or finish wood to specified colour with stains, paints or other materials using brush or spray gun
- Apply toners, highlights, glazes or shaders to obtain desired finish
- Continued…
- Apply lacquer or other sealers
- Decorate wood surfaces or mark surfaces to create antique or other effects using hand and power tools
- Clean and polish furniture
- Sand metal furniture to prepare for finish and spray with paint or other materials.
Furniture refinishers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Strip old finish from wood surfaces using steel wool, sandpaper and solvents
- Smooth gouges with wood filler and sand wood
- Match colours to obtain original finish and apply appropriate finish to stripped wood
- Polish and wax refinished surfaces
- Sand or grind metal surfaces to prepare for coating, and paint metal surfaces using electrostatic method, spray gun or other painting equipment
- Make minor repairs to furniture
- May perform duties of furniture finisher.

Employment requirements

• * Some secondary school education is required.
• * College, high school or industry courses in furniture finishing or refinishing may be required.
• * On-the-job training is provided.