Wood Category
If you happen to have a lot of wooden furniture, you probably love the way they look with the vein of the wood showing through either varnish or oil wood stains. But if you have little kids running around, there is a great possibility that some of your wooden furniture will have to succumb to chipping, whether from accidental bumping with the sharp edges of toys or intentional: kids love acting out what they see, and if your preschooler has ever seen you use a hammer and chisel on something, he will likely imitate you and give you a headache at the looks of your wooden table or other furniture. But relax, all is not lost, as it is quite easy to restore the smooth finish of your wooden furniture:
Step 1. Examine the extent of the damage. You will need to see if the chip is quite minimal or is large enough to require you to find the missing piece. For the latter, it will also help for you to see what kind of damage was done: if it was a child that caused the damage, it is possible that the huge chip might not be found at all.
Step 2. If there is a minimal chipping, head on over to the local hardware store for some wood putty. The directions are usually straightforward; you will need a flat piece to spread it evenly, preferably metal. If the chipped off piece is rather large and you have the piece at hand, use some wood glue to set it back in place, and then apply putty to cover up any gaps. If the chipped off piece is missing, you can opt to find spare pieces of wood to cut into shape into its place, or cover the whole thing with putty.
Step 3. Apply the putty on the chipped are according to directions and also follow the set time for it to dry.
Step 4. Once it is completely dry, use some fine grade sand paper to smoothen off the putty. This will also make it more like a part of the wood.
Step 5. Proceed to treat that portion with the same finishing treatments that the rest of the parts of the furniture have. If the table is painted, it is easiest, as the putty will virtually disappear under the paint. If it is varnished, be sure you buy the same shade of varnish.
Step 6. If the table happens to be oil stained, you will need to consult catalogs to match the color of your table. This is because the tone of oil wood stains go by different names for different brands, so if you are unsure of the shade, be sure to buy only a little amount from the hardware store and test it on a spare piece of wood. However, staining will require several coats, so if you can find an exact match on the catalog to the color of your table, you might well be on your way.
Learning to deal with rot is essential especially if most of your fixtures at home are made out of wood such as frames, sills, and even thresholds. While wood can both be a stylish and a very strong material to be used at home, you can’t deny the fact that it can be exposed to heat and moisture, which gradually causes it to rot. The key to dealing with wood rot is to act on the problem immediately as soon as it is discovered. When left ignored, the damage done to the wood can become serious and leave you with a bigger problem. Wood rot can easily be dealt with, and by following the steps below, there will be no need to call a professional when faced by such situation.
Step 1. When dealing with wood rot, you will need to prepare the following tools and materials: hammer, chisel, reciprocating saw, screwdriver, wood scraper, crowbar, epoxy filler, stain or sealer, sand paper, and replacement wood material.
Step 2. Once you discover that there’s a problem, examine the damage first and evaluate how much work you’re going to need. Wood rot is usually characterized by flaking, splitting, splintering, and discoloration. If these signs are present, you would want to examine the wood and find out how deep the damage the fungus had done by poking the wood with a long metal object such as a screwdriver.
Step 3. Any damaged portion of the wood should be completely removed immediately. If only a small portion has been impacted and you observe that the damage is a minor one, then you will only need to remove those parts. However, if the damage is serious and has been present for a very long time, the best thing you can do is to remove the entire piece whether it’s a door frame, a window frame, or a floorboard. Use a crowbar when prying off wooden frames. Smaller pieces on the other hand can be chiseled out with a hammer and chisel.
Step 4. After removing all the part that has been damaged, you will need to perform some repairs on the rest of the wood that’s left. For instance, if there are small holes on the surrounding wood, you can repair them by filling them up with epoxy fillers. You can also sand down the wood and stain it. If, however, the damage occurred in a large piece of wood such as an entire door or window, you will need to replace the fixture entirely.
Step 5. Once you’ve replaced damaged wooden fixtures with new ones, you will need to make sure that it doesn’t acquire wood rot again. By this, regular maintenance will be required. Generally, wooden fixtures should be stained or sealed annually to prevent fungus from damaging it. It is also ideal to inspect wooden fixtures such as doors, windows, and posts for signs of rot in a regular basis. This way, you will have huge chance of anticipating such problem before it gets worse.
