One of the worst things that can happen is to have your favorite (and perhaps most expensive) piece of wooden furniture getting stained. It can make your heart sink, especially if it is a sentimental piece.
The good news is that there’s something you can do about it no matter how powerless you might feel at the moment.
Read on for tips on how to remove stain from wood no matter how bad it looks!
Prepare Everything
A vast majority of the wood strippers on the market and even some paint strippers are made for varnish. This means that they’re equipped with harsh chemicals that can be damaging to your skin and your lungs.
So, it’s recommended to work outdoors to minimize the chances of breathing in the chemicals. If you can’t move the wood furniture piece, then make sure the area you’re working from is well-ventilated.
Be sure to place a drop cloth on the work area to protect it from any fallout.
Organize Tools
The second step to learning how to remove water stains from wood is to get your tools, including the plastic scraper, stripper, and paintbrush ready.
Wear protective clothing including closed-toe shoes, long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and safety glasses before you open the stripper. Thereafter put on a respirator to minimize lung and skin contact and contamination.
Pour the Stripper
You should only ever utilize a container that’s made to handle corrosive solvents. This includes a metal bowl or an aluminum pan. Gently put the stripper into the relevant container so that it doesn’t spill.
Apply Stripper
Get a paintbrush and dip it into the stain stripper which you’ve poured onto the container. Gently brush a generous amount onto the wooden surface so that you get the entire surface. Make sure you layer it in thick and even layers.
Leave the Stripper to Soak
At this point, you should leave the stripper to soak for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on what the label instructions say.
For best results, check on it every few minutes and apply more stripper if you see any dry areas already forming.
Scrape the Stripper
Scrape the stain and varnish off using the plastic scraper. Begin from the edge of one side while making sure to gently scrape it along slowly and smoothly.
Remove the debris with the scraper before moving onto the next spot. Keep going until you’ve removed all the stain from the wood.
Wipe Down Everything
Get a steel wool pad and dip it into the stripper so you can use it to wipe the surface down while making sure to follow the surface of the grain.
Get into all the different nooks and crannies so you don’t have spots that look out of place when you’re done.
When you’re happy with the results and are sure that the entire surface has been freed of the coating, you can proceed to wipe the area with a wet rag. Wait for about 24 hours for the wood to dry completely.
Sand the Wood Surface
.jpg)
When you’re sure that the wood is completely dry, use medium-grit sandpaper to sand the surface down. You’ll need to keep sanding until the entire stain and varnish has been removed.
The first inklings of the stain will fade away so the raw wood underneath can come through.
Tip: Electric hand sanders are great for when you’re working with larger surface areas.
Conclusion
Well, that is basically it! Now you know how to remove white water stains from wood.
The great thing about water stains on wood is that it’s one of the easiest things to remove and it doesn’t take much time or resources to get the job done, just a few basic tools and a couple of hours of your time.
Contact a local carpenter to request a free quote and help you repair a wooden furniture!
