Ah, the heartache! When you see your favorite wood furniture piece bubbling up. You can instantly realize that you have water damaged wood furniture… And the culprit is Water. Even if not in its pure form. Perhaps milk or any other liquid. Good thing that there is something you can actually do to fix this. And we’re telling you that.
How to Fix Water Damaged Wood Furniture
Perhaps we shouldn’t even mention that it is best to avoid any water coming in contact with your wood furniture. Because you already know that. But sometimes it is impossible. Especially if the piece of furniture under consideration is the dining table. You can only wish that no one spills a drink on your dining table. Ever! Many of our customers who have got one of our dining tables Apex, ask what precautions they can take. That’s the basic piece of advice we give them. That is: Wipe clean a liquid as soon as possible. However, when things go out of hand and the table is swollen, you may still be able to fix it. So, let’s learn how to fix water-damaged wood furniture.
Why Does Water Damaged Wood Furniture get Swollen
Why does wiping the liquid quickly help because wood furniture is coated with a sealant. The sealant keeps the water from getting absorbed by the wood. Which is a natural process. If the water manages to break through the sealant and reach the wood. It gets absorbed. The moisture causes the wood to expand. The air gets a chance to get into the expanded wood causing the surface to bubble up. But this is treatable.
Try the following tips on how to fix water damaged wood furniture. They have been tried and tested. And proven to work.
1. Let it Be!
The first thing to try is to let your furniture dry naturally. You may have heard that you can dry it using a blow dryer. But we do not recommend these hacks. They may work for you, but they aren’t ideal. This is because the wood may crack when you are trying to speed up the drying process. Think about it. The furniture has bubbled up because of trapped air and you are blowing in more air. It may get rid of the moisture but crack the wood while doing that. Because we all know that wood that’s too dry, breaks apart!
The best way to dry your furniture is to place it in a warm and dry place. Choose a room with zero humidity if you can. Be patient while your furniture takes its time to dry out completely.
2. Sand it
The next thing you want to do is sand the surface of the water damaged furniture. Use fine-grit sandpaper. Because you don’t want to go too deep into the finish. It is best to use the sanding tool as it applies equal pressure. However, you can also do it manually. If you are using your hands, you can do it with an easy tip. Use a sponge and wrap the sanding paper around it. This will ensure that you are applying roughly equal pressure on the surface. So, you will not end up with more and less sanded parts.
3. Oil it
When the surface is smooth and more importantly even, you are ready for the next step. Dust off the residue from sanding. Wipe it clean before oiling it. Use high-quality furniture oil and apply generously to the affected area. Rub it in so it gets absorbed. Then wipe the excess oil. Remember to make sure that you have removed all the excess oil. Because you want to get rid of any kind of moisture, even if it is furniture oil.
4. Iron it
Once you have made sure that the oil is absorbed. And that there is no residual oil remaining on the surface. It’s time to iron the surface. Place a wet towel on the damaged area. Set the iron to the lowest heat setting. Make sure the iron is warm and not hot. Swirl the iron on the towel gently. Do not apply too much pressure. Also, don’t keep the iron on a spot for too long. You may cause further damage to the furniture if you apply too much heat. Remove the towel and see if it has worked. If not, you may want to consider where do you want to start repeating the process.
If your furniture has discolorations and heat stains, this step can help you get rid of them. You don’t need to sand or oil the furniture. Simply place a wet rag on the stain. Set the iron to the lowest temperature. Gently swirl the iron on the rag. See if the first attempt has worked. If not, you can repeat the same step until the stain goes away completely.
5. Get Help
Now, you know how to fix water damaged wood furniture. However, if the piece of furniture you are looking to repair is in a very bad shape. It may be worth replacing it. Rather than wasting time and energy and not getting desired results. You may have to make this decision before you start the process.
Water Damaged Wood Furniture? Get Honest Advise First
It may be a good idea to ask a professional if the furniture piece you are looking to repair is worth the effort. At Woody’s, we are always at your service. Feel free to contact us if you need help with making the decision. Even if you haven’t bought it with us. We will be happy to help you. Pop in our store with the furniture piece (if possible) or bring in a picture of the damaged good. Our experienced staff will advise not only advise you if the water damage to your wood furniture is fixable. But also, answer any queries that you may have on how to fix water damaged swollen wood furniture.