How To Fix Water Damaged Swollen Wood Furniture? [Step-by-Step Guide]

Are you trying to figure out how to remedy the water damage that has caused the wood furniture to swell?

When restoring water damage, how long does the process take?

Your bloated wooden furniture may seem beyond repair, but if you follow these five simple procedures, you may return it to its former beauty and save it from the scrap heap!

Allowing the furniture to dry completely is the most critical step after cleaning it.

You can accomplish this by placing it in direct sunlight or in a location with adequate ventilation and using electric fans to blow on it.

VIDEO: How To Fix Water Damaged Swollen Wood Furniture?

In Just Five Easy Steps, Here’s How to Repair Swollen, Water-Damaged Wood Furniture

Let the furniture that was damaged by water dry out.

Drying out water-damaged, swollen furniture is the quickest and easiest way to cure the problem.

Given that water is the problem, removing it from consideration is the only course of action that makes sense.

Leaving hardwood flooring out in the open air to be sun-dried by the sun is the most common method.

Put it in direct sunlight and wait for the water absorbed into the water damaged wood to evaporate.

Removing some of the moisture from swelling hardwood furniture is possible by using a dry towel made of microfibre to wipe down soaked wooden furnishings.

However, to properly use this method, you will eventually be required to rotate the wood.

This is because extended exposure to sunlight causes the wood floor to dry out too quickly, which results in the wood contracting, cracking, and warping.

Electric fans are another tool that can be utilized to remove moisture from wooden furniture.

Put the furniture in a room with plenty of ventilation and electric fans running for at least twenty-four hours.

After the water has been completely removed from the space, a dehumidifier can be positioned in the middle of the room to bring the relative humidity down.

Apply heat to the bloated wood with an iron.

You can use an iron to press out any water bubbles that have formed on the surface of the wood, even if it is still wet.

To accomplish this, lower the heat on your iron and place a clean towel over the area where the water bubbles are.

Hold the iron over the towel for around fifteen minutes or until the water can be seen being absorbed by the gentle fabric.

It is important to remember to keep the iron moving to prevent the wood from being scorched.

After that, give the furniture a few hours to air dry in a well-ventilated area before moving on to the subsequent step.

You may need to carry out this procedure more than once before the water stain bubbles are removed, and the wood is dry.

You can also use a hair dryer on its lowest heat setting instead of iron if you don’t have access to one.

Keep it approximately a foot away from the surface of the wood and move it around frequently to keep any one area from getting too hot.

Continue doing this until there are no more water bubbles and the wood is completely dry.

When removing water damaged wood furniture with bubbles on wet wood furniture, hairdryers are equally as effective as irons in doing the job.

Both of these instruments function by first heating the water, which then causes the water to evaporate.

To protect the wood from harm, it is essential to utilize the lowest heat setting possible.

The water-damaged wooden furniture can be repaired using a needle or a printer.

If you look closely at the surface of the wood and see that there are water bubbles on it, you can get rid of them by using a needle or a printer.

Puncture a hole in the bubble with a needle or a piece of paper to release the trapped air and enable the water to escape.

By poking holes in the water bubbles, you can help release the air and water trapped in the swelled wood furniture for drying process.

Continue doing this until there are no more bubbles on the water exposure and the wood is dry.

This technique is comparable to using an iron but does not call for heat application.

It is a fast and straightforward method that will remove water bubbles from the wood without causing any damage to the material.

However, after the water bubbles have been removed from the furniture, you must wait until it has dried completely before moving on to the next step.

Cleaning, sanding, and applying a finish to the wood furniture.

After the furniture has had enough time to cure, you can sand it and apply a finish to the enlarged pieces.

Before you start, you need to ensure that you have a dust mask, safety glasses, and rubber gloves.

Sandpaper with a coarse grit should be used to remove the swelling portion of the wood if it is still there.

If you sand the surface too much, you risk creating an uneven surface, so be careful to do it only a little.

Sand the entire surface of the piece of furniture using sandpaper with a finer grit once you have completed the previous step.

The wood will be ready for finishing after this has been done since any rough spots will be smoothed down.

After sanding the wood, you can add a stain or sealant of your choice to the surface of the sanded wood.

Before you use the furniture again, ensure it has had ample time to dry thoroughly.

Make the wood into a plank.

After the piece of furniture has been allowed to dry and given its final finish, you can use a wood flattening tool to repair any water damage that may still be present.

Be sure to put on protective gear such as a dust mask, safety glasses, and rubber gloves before beginning this project.

This will assist in restoring the solid wood to its natural shape and preventing any additional damage from occurring.

When attempting to repair swelling wood furniture damaged by water, one of the most crucial steps is to flatten the wood.

To repair any water damage that may still be present, use a tool for flattening wood.

This will assist in restoring the wood to its natural shape and preventing any additional damage from occurring.

If you give your repaired furniture the attention and care it needs, it will reward you in kind.

However, because you do not want to deal with a bloated wood table ever again, it is essential to protect the wood grain from future water stains.

This is why we discuss how to safeguard your wood furniture further down.

It is essential to use the proper wood furniture cleanser (white distilled vinegar is an excellent option) and a scrub brush only when necessary to protect the entirety of the surface.

Get in touch with the trained experts at Restoration Done if you need more time to complete this task.

The Best Ways to Prevent Water Damage to Furniture Made of Wood

Water damage may make any wood appear unattractive, so we have outlined some procedures for you to follow to repair swelling wood furniture affected by water damage.

However, it has been said that prevention is both cheaper and more effective than treatment.

So, to avoid water damage in the first place, here are some preventative measures you can take.

Applying finishes made of oil

Oil treatments are highly beneficial to wooden furniture.

They not only enhance your wood’s overall aesthetic but also protect it from being damaged by water.

In addition to treating the wood, an oil finish will help prevent water from penetrating it.

Linseed and tung oil are two of the most prevalent types of finishes made from mineral oils.

These oils are also available in various combinations as mixed products, which can be used for finishing various types of wood.

To apply an oil finish, you need only soak a clean cloth that does not contain fibers in the mineral oil and then rub it on the wood.

After it has dried, you could also use mineral oil to give it an additional polish.

In addition, depending on the piece of furniture, you can apply oil to your wooden furnishings as frequently as once per week or as infrequently as twice per year.

If you’re searching for a finish for your workstation, drying oils are the way to go.

Sealing

Sealing wood furniture is an excellent technique to protect it from water damage in the future and preserve its natural beauty.

Sealing serves to shield wood and protect the paint from damage caused by the sun, including scratching and fading.

Additionally, sealing helps to repel water, grime, and mildew.

Polyurethane, varnish, and lacquer are some wood sealants with good water-proofing capabilities.

Other examples include lacquer and varnish.

First, thoroughly clean the wooden surfaces of the furniture, then lightly sand them, and finally, give them another thorough cleaning.

Applying a second coat of sealant using a clean paintbrush is also effective.

After resanding and washing the wood a second time, you should allow it to dry completely before using it again.

When sanding, wear protective eyewear and a mask, and wait until the wood is completely dry before resealing it.

This will help prevent air bubbles.

Utilizing compounds that act as stain-sealants

Combining wood sealants with different color pigments and binders that are oil-based, water-based, or alkyd-based are known as stain-sealants.

The ultimate result after using a stain-sealant product can be transparent, opaque, or somewhere in between, depending on the pigment concentration used to make the product.

The sealer in the product makes the wood furniture water-resistant and protects it from damage and discoloration.

As a result, the stain enhances the natural beauty of the wood while also shielding it from the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

It is recommended that stain-sealer products be reapplied to outdoor wood annually to protect the wood.

Threats Posed by Wooden Furniture That Has Been Exposed to Water

Because it is made of biological matter, wood is naturally subject to rot and other forms of degradation caused by microbes.

On the other hand, if the wood has been damaged by water, then the growth of mold and mildew on wooden furniture will proceed much more quickly.

The initial effect of microbial and organism growth on wood is general weakening.

This is the first noticeable effect of the growth.

After that, the wood will lose some of its physical features, turn a different color, become stained, become scratched, and even start to smell.

In the end, the wood gives out altogether, and there is no hope for the furniture.

You will save a lot of time, money, and stress by acting quickly to repair water-damaged and swollen wooden furniture.

You can do this repair work by utilizing any of the methods we have demonstrated to you, or you can hire a professional to do the work for you.

The process of treating wood furniture that has been harmed by water is also beneficial to your health.

Mold on wood furniture can be hazardous to your health and your family’s health, in addition to having an unattractive appearance.

The moldy and moist surroundings will give off a musty odor, and this odor, depending on the type of mold present, can cause coughing, allergic reactions, and asthmatic disorders.

What Causes the Wood on Furniture to Swell?

Hygroscopy is a property of wood.

This indicates that when the air is dry, wood loses its moisture content and contracts; when it is humid, wood absorbs the moisture in the air and expands.

Wooden furniture can expand when exposed to water because of its porous nature.

Wood will begin to swell and warp when it is subjected to high moisture and humidity levels, such as those that might be present after a rainstorm or flood.

As the moisture content of the wood shifts in reaction to the daily and seasonal shifts in the relative humidity of the atmosphere, the wood will first swell and then shrink.

These variations are a natural part of the wood’s aging process.

The quickest way to deal with furniture made of swollen wood is to let it dry out.

In addition to these approaches, you can flatten the wood by ironing it, using a needle and printer, sanding it, and finishing it.

FAQ on How To Fix Water Damaged Swollen Wood Furniture