Removing Water Damage from Wood – Wood is prone to wood damage as a result of soaking up water. Your cup of water may fall down splashing on wooden floors or on your furniture. Despite your efforts to wipe up, the wood might have already soaked water. However, it might be hard to notice water spots on wood immediately.
The good thing is that there are various methods you can apply to get rid of water rings on wood. Wood damaged by water has a series of different marks that get darker as the damage gets worse. For water that has not spread too deep into the wood, the stains, rather marks are light colored.
Wood that has been severely damaged has either black or dark brown marks. The color also differs depending on the type of wood. In some type of wood, the marks will be conspicuous while in others, it will be hard to note.
2 What next after the water stain is gone?
Wood that is not damaged as such is easy to treat. There are various methods you can use including home remedies. However, before that, you would have to determine what caused the marks. Was it plain water? Tea or coffee or juice? For sticky liquid substances, it will require more than one treatment means to get rid of the marks. So, how do you get rid of the light colored marks on your wood?
One of the substances you can treat a water damaged wooden furniture is using mayonnaise. It is an oily substance. The aim is to remove the water marks as the oil in mayonnaise eliminates the water in wood. For this method, you can add ash to improve its effectiveness.
The oiliness in petroleum jelly works with the same concept as that of mayonnaise. Apply the jelly on the affected areas and leave it overnight. Wipe off the petroleum jelly in the morning with a piece of cloth. The water mark will have disappeared.
If mayonnaise does not work for the wood, try toothpaste. The contents of toothpaste have a harsh effect on water, absorbing it from the wood. Using toothpaste on a wet cloth, rub on the marks gently until the mark disappears.
An alternative method of removing water damage from wood is using baking soda mixed with water. It may require that you repeat more than once as baking soda take some time to clear off the marks.
Salt works well with absorbing water. Make a paste of water and salt, then rub it on the water stained wood with a piece of cloth. Rub thoroughly until the stain disappears.
You can also treat your water damaged wood with vinegar. To enhance the effectiveness of vinegar effect, mix it with olive oil. Use a sponge or soft cloth to rub onto the water rings until they are no more.
What next after the water stain is gone?
The above methods of removing water damage from wood will leave your affected floors or furniture with a dull look. To ensure that the wood is sparkling and has a new feel to it, you will need to polish up the wood. Wax off the wood using a piece of cloth. This gives it a shiny and nice finish that will leave your furniture, wooden floors and walls sparkling clean. After the wax has dried off, use a soft cloth for the final touch.
For water damaged that has been present for a while, you will need a bit more of harsh-effective solutions. The two main methods of dark stains include; using sandpaper or bleach. The procedures need a little time to take effect and may require application more than once.
Sandpaper has a rough surface that cleans wood nice. You will need two different sandpapers – the 100-grit and 150-grit – for full implementation. Rub through smoothly so that you do not scrap off the table’s top cover. Use the 100-grit sandpaper first followed by the 150-grit sandpaper. Thereafter, use a piece of tack cloth to remove any wood dust from the sandpaper rubbing. Varnish it up for the final finish and a fine look. Finally, polish up the wood with wax and pass a dry soft cloth once the wax is dry.
Bleach is a softer measure than sandpaper that works miracles on wood that has been deeply damaged by water. Pour the bleach in a bucket, then take a brush and clean the affected surface. Once you are done applying, leave it for a few hours so that the bleach works its way to the core of the wood.
Take a piece of cloth or sponge and water for the final phase. Clean up the wood to get rid of the bleach. Use vinegar to neutralize the wood and prevent the stain from showing up when varnishing the wood. After it is dry enough, apply varnish in several coats to give the wood its original look. Since bleach makes the wood fade, you will need to further treat then it to give it a shimmer look. Finally, wax the wood.
NB: when using bleach, wear gloves to protect your skin from minor corrosion.
Water damage on wood should not stress you out. Even the most stubborn water mark can be removed with the right solution to treat the damaged wood. There is no tough water damage stain on wood that cannot be treated. Using the above measures, you can restore your woods natural color and finish within a few hours of implementation. Hopefully, this will help you with your water damaged wooden floors, wooden walls and furniture around your home.