7 Steps to Restore Wood With Water Damage

Wood and water don't mix all that well. If a piece of wood in your home has water damage, this post by Daniel's DKI in Indio will teach you how to restore it properly. 

How to Repair Water Damage to Wood

For a free estimate on professional property restoration in Indio, call Daniel's DKI at (760) 320-2128.

Get the Tools You Need to Do the Job

Once you read the rest of the tutorial, you'll likely come to the conclusion that this is a fairly easy restoration job to get through. Still, even if it is the easiest, you won't be able to work on it effectively if you don't have the necessary tools by your side to do what you need to do. For that reason, the first step is to get the tools you need to do the job effectively. Those tools are: a towel, putty with hardening cream (auto filler) and a putty knife, sandpaper, primer, paint for wood in the color you need it, and paint brushes.

Get the Wood Completely Dry

There are a few things to keep in mind regarding this next step. First, is that there's the possibility that the damaged wood is still humid and wet. Next, is that if it remains damp for some time, the damage can be made even worse. Lastly, you should know that the solution you'll use won't work if the wooden piece it's wet. For all of these reasons, it is imperative that you dry the affected area thoroughly. Grab a towel and dab the wood over and over until you get most of the moisture out (just don't do it too eagerly if the piece is fragile). To finish drying it, ventilate the area so that fresh air can get to it.

Evaluate the Damaged Area

In order to do a proper job at restoring the piece (or knowing if you should even try it at all), you need to evaluate the damage done on it before you being. Upon your evaluation, be sure to notice how much of the wooden piece has been damaged by the exposure to excessive moisture. Likewise, take note of the areas where you will have to work the most. As mentioned above, you can use this opportunity to decide if the wooden item is even worth spending the time, effort, and money to salvage. Or, if during your inspection, you decide that you'll require professional help for the restoration, this is your chance to call an expert team.

Remove Loose Chunks

Part of the restoration process is ensuring that you have healthy wood to work with. To that end, you will need to remove the rotten, damaged parts from the rest of it. During the inspection process, it's likely that you saw some some chunks of wood that were a little bit loose or that were damaged beyond repair. Those are the ones that you need to remove to continue restoring your wooden belongings.

If you require professional assistance to restore your property after a mishap, know that you can trust in Daniel's DKI. Call (760) 320-2128 for property restoration in Indio.

Refill the Wood

To continue with this job, you should refill the wood. This is done with the putty. Spread a thick layer of it over the damaged area with the putty knife, making sure that it holds on to the healthy wood. Before you begin with this part of the process, you should read the putty's instructions thoroughly, to ensure you're using it as intended.

Allow the Putty to Dry

Before you finish restoring the wood, it is necessary that you allow enough time for the putty you just applied to dry fully (or else, everything you just did would have been for nothing). Luckily, the putty dries fast. So, basically, you don't have to do anything. However, if you want the drying process to go even faster, you can ventilate the area with fans or by opening windows and doors.

Finish the Restoration

Finally, you just need to take care of the aesthetics of the wooden piece. For starters, you need to grab the sandpaper to smooth any lumps or unevenness on the surface of the wood. Next up, you will have to repaint it. Apply the primer first to ensure that the paint will stick to the wood nicely. Then, you'll just have to paint over it and allow the paint to dry to make the wood piece good as new once more.

For professional property restoration in Indio, call Daniel's DKI at (760) 320-2128.