Water damage can happen at any time at your home or business. Whether it is caused by floods, natural disasters, or a simple leak, it can cause major damage to your belongings. One of the items that are vulnerable to significant water damage is wood furniture. It may seem like wood furniture cannot be saved after experiencing damage from water or flooding, however, most furniture can be repaired with the proper methods and a little elbow grease.

If you’ve experienced water damage to your wooden furniture, here are some tips you should follow so that you have the best chance to restore them and get them in great shape again:

How Do I Know if My Wooden Furniture is Salvageable After Water Damage?

Determining if wooden furniture is salvageable after water damage depends on the extent of the damage. For minor water damage, the furniture is typically salvageable. This kind of water damage can be addressed with proper drying techniques, refinishing, or surface cleaning. Moderate damage shows the wood as slightly warped or discolored, even though it is still structurally strong. For moderate water damage, sanding or refinishing may be necessary but may require professional help.

However, long exposure to water allows for deep saturation and may not be salvageable. More specifically, if the structural integrity is compromised or if mold is beginning to appear, restoration could be difficult. To determine the extent of water damage, a thorough assessment of the damage will help determine if the furniture can be fixed.

7 Tips to Repair Water-Damaged Wood Furniture

After experiencing water damage, repairing wooden furniture can restore its appearance and extend its lifespan, even following exposure to moisture. When wood is exposed to moisture, it can warp, smell, develop stains, or show signs of mold growth, which may be overwhelming at first. With the right approach, many pieces can be salvaged and returned to their original state. Here are some helpful tips to restore your wooden furniture after water damage.

1. Dry the Wood

If you’ve experienced damage to your wood furniture, you can help dry it by putting it in the sun, or you can use fans and dryers to speed up the drying process. Always check the weather before drying furniture outside to make sure you do not put it out in humid conditions and possibly cause mold growth, or in too dry weather which can cause cracks in the wood.

2. Use More Fixings

Once the furniture has dried, you will need to visually examine it and determine what needs to be fixed. You can always add more nails, screws, bolts, brackets, and frame fixings to provide more support to the furniture.

3. Utilize a Sander

It is a great idea to use a belt or finishing sander to sand the furniture after it has dried. A belt sander is best for straightforward sanding such as a tabletop, however, a finishing sander is best for getting an ultra-smooth surface in the end. You can also use a combination of both to get the best results.

4. Apply a Marine-Based Polyurethane Coating

Marine-based polyurethane is a coating for boat exteriors that helps protect the surface from water and sunlight. It also works well on furniture, railings, tables, countertops, and more.

5. Treat White Spots

White spots are usually created due to contaminated water seeping into wooden furniture. However, it can be treated very easily with a spoonful of baking soda and toothpaste. You can dip a damp cloth into this mixture and scrub the spots. Once the furniture is spot-free, you can shine it further with a dry cloth.

6. Clean Black Mold Spots

When wood absorbs too much water, it will form white spots, but these spots will turn black which means that the water has gotten into the deep pores of the wood and has damaged its finish of it. This could also indicate that there is mold growing on your wooden furniture. To remove the black mold spots from the furniture, you will need to first remove the upper finish clean it with a peroxide cleaning solution, and then put on a new coat of finish. However, if you have an extensive amount of mold, you should call professional mold remediation companies.

7. Fix the Furniture Veneer

Usually, when there are white spots and black mold on your wooden furniture, this also means that the furniture veneer may also collapse if it contact with water. You can soak it using a moisturizer so it can become flat once again. When it becomes flat, make sure you clean and dry it. Next, you should fill it with veneer glue and make sure to inject the glue slowly inside. The needle should be pointing between the furniture and its coating. Once you see the glue going into the wood, you should remove the syringe and put something heavy over that surface so that the veneer sticks. Do not remove the heavy object off the veneers too quickly as the glue will need to fully dry out first.

What Types of Wood are Resistant to Water Damage?

Certain types of wood are more resistant to water damage due to various factors. Depending on the wood’s density, oil content, and overall durability, it has properties that can prevent water absorption. Hardwoods such as teak, mahogany, and oak, are among the most water-resistant due to their high oil content. Wood with high oil content provides natural moisture resistance, making it ideal for areas with high humidity.

Other woods, such as cedar and redwood, are known for their water resistance due to the natural oils they contain. Applying a sealant or protective finish can enhance the water resistance of any wood type to prevent damage.

Should I Hire a Professional to Repair Water-Damaged Wood Furniture?

Hiring a professional to repair water-damaged wood furniture is a good idea, especially if the damage is severe or if the item is of high value. Professionals have the expertise, materials, and methods to properly assess and restore furniture from water damage. Additionally, if mold has developed, professional technicians can remove it from the source and prevent it from spreading.

Our professional technicians at RestorationMaster are highly trained in restoring water-damaged furniture, ensuring that your valuable furniture is handled with care and precision. Whether it is removing deep water stains, repairing structural damage, or refinishing the surface, our team can help.

If you’ve suffered major water damage at your home or business, we can help with our professional water damage restoration services. Whether the water damage was caused by rain, flooding, burst pipes, or sewage backups, we can help save your building materials and your belongings.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.