Archive for the ‘wood finishing’ category

Black Discoloration on Wood Windows

July 13th, 2010

QUESTION:

We have a black discoloration occurring on the wood part of the windows in our house. Do you know what it is and how to get rid of it? The windows are double-hung and the house was built in 1995. I assumed it was mold and moisture-related because I noticed it first in the bathroom, but now I have found it in small patches on other windows. I have tried many cleaning solutions including TSP and a bleach-water mix, but none seem to work. It occurs both in winter and summer, with windows open or closed.

ANSWER:

If the stains are a dark discoloration that cannot be removed from the surface, you have water damage in the wood. If the TSP removes the stain it may be dirt or mold. Once the surface finish is damaged by water, the water will discolor the wood. If the finish is gone and you have a dark stain, you have water-damaged wood.

The fix is to refinish the wood by sanding, bleaching, and more sanding. Then stain and varnish back to the original finish. It’s not an easy job. Don’t get too worried about the “mold” word. Issues related to mold have been greatly exaggerated by many folks in recent years. Go to the State of Wisconsin or university websites for accurate information about mold in a home – not testers or contractors who make money on mold.

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Posted in moisture, mold, stain removal, water, windows, wood, wood finishing

Improve the Look of Woodwork

May 27th, 2010
QUESTION

I am looking for a product to make our woodwork look better. This includes trim boards, cabinetry (bathroom and kitchen), and the log walls. All I really know about is Scott’s Gold; it looks good short-term, but not long-term. Is there anything better, or maybe different products for different places? Just thinking that I should begin to perk the place up for a spring graduation and a summer wedding.

ANSWER

Scott’s Gold is basically a solvent with a nice smell. It is a wood cleaner. It does not really improve the clear wood finish.

If you really want improve a wood finish, I would consider adding a very light coating of a wipe-on oil finish. I like General Finishes, Royal Finish the best because it sticks to all other finishes, comes in gloss and satin, and goes on with a rag. It is also low odor, dries quickly, and easy to control. Extra coats give you extra depth and shine.

Other options would be a wipe-on Tung Oil or Minwax Antique Oil Finish. The key here is to select a finish that is compatible with the existing finish, and one that will stick with minimal preparation.

For preparation, you need to make sure the existing finish is clean and free of any sticky or worn finish. You can often clean by scrubbing with a sanding eliminator solvent. Unfortunately these solvents are flammable and have a strong odor. You will need ventilation, and you have to follow all label safety precautions. This type of cleaner will also dull the existing finish – good to make the new top-coat stick.

Light sanding may also be required if the finish is chipped or flaking. Sanding with fine sandpaper will dull the surface and remove damaged finish.

When working with cabinetry, you will need to remove the hardware and carefully clean around all handles. The areas around the handles tend to become sticky and dark as the oil in our skin breaks down the finish overtime. For really sticky, dark areas you may need to use a refinisher chemical like Homer Formby – furniture refinisher. This introduces a new level of preparation work as you scrub with steel wool and basically strip the surface of the damaged finish.

Sorry – no easy fix here. On my website, you will find a complete article about refinishing kitchen cabinets in the Free Articles section. This addresses refinishing without stripping.

Kitchen Cabinets – Replace, Re-Face, Refinish or Paint

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Posted in cleaning, stain removal, wood, wood finishing

Rules For Stripping Trim and Wood Doors

March 20th, 2010

What is the general rule for stripping wood trim and wood doors? When is it best to use a heat gun or chemical stripper?

Answer:

Stripping? Just don’t do it. Seriously, it is a lot of work to strip and refinish wood. I think you need to evaluate the existing wood and doors for their value. Inexpensive pine molding should just be replaced, along with Luan veneer doors. Older, intricate moldings and doors should be saved. Oak and other hardwoods will be much easier to strip and refinish.

Whenever you strip paint from a surface you need to be aware of possible lead content in paint, so don’t strip lead paint without the proper precautions.

The process is messy and tough to do. Heat guns and scrapers work well in some cases, along with chemical strippers. Success depends on the type of paint, number of layers, physical access, shape, and contours. I would try both methods. There are also many types of paint strippers. For a large project, you should test several types and brands. Any doors or parts that can be removed should be stripped outside on saw horses. You need lots of ventilation to play it safe. Good luck!

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Posted in paint, ventilation, wood finishing

Touch-Up Marker Stains on an Unfinished Door

March 3rd, 2010

My 2-year-old grandson became an artist with a furniture touch-up marker on a hollow, unfinished wood bathroom door. I really do not want this door painted. Is there any way to get this off? Some of the marks are from a permanent marker.

Answer:

You will need to prime with a stain killer such as BIN, then paint the door. You will not get the stain out of the bare wood.

Hollow core doors are inexpensive and not worth the effort to try and remove the stains. Since the stain is in bare wood, it will not come out. Replace the door or stain it a very dark color.

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Posted in doors, stain removal, wood, wood finishing

White Rings in Wood Finish

February 13th, 2010

At Christmas dinner, my son placed a basket with hot rolls on the dark wood china cabinet. That evening, we found a white cloudy area under the basket. I assume the steam from the rolls caused this. What are my options?

Answer:

A white ring on a wooden coffee table is caused by moisture absorbed into the table’s clear finish. Professional re-finishers call this effect blooming. Most blooming can be removed by rubbing with mild abrasive to remove a thin coat of finish in the white area. Use automobile polishing compound, rottenstone and mineral spirits, 0000 steel wool, or even cigar ashes and mineral spirits.

Carefully rub the area with the abrasive until the white bloom disappears. Be careful, and go slowly; It may take quite a bit of rubbing. Since this removes a fraction of the surface finish, you must re-wax the surface to touch up the gloss. You may even need to touch up the finish if the bloom is deep. Consider using an oil finish for a touch-up.

The good news is that a white bloom is usually only in the clear surface finish. A darker stain indicates wood damage below the surface finish. This could require complete refinishing.

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Posted in stain removal, wood, wood finishing

Removing Mildew from a Cedar Deck

January 19th, 2010

How do you remove mildew from new cedar deck boards? Some of them were just installed. I can’t believe mildew would appear that fast! I would like to seal the deck, however I can’t do it until the mildew is removed. Thanks.

Mike

Answer:

You can remove mildew from a wooden deck with any deck cleaner. You can also use a product called JOMAX – it’s a great cleaner that you mix with water and laundry bleach. Spray it on, let it soak for 15 min, then hose it off. Scrub if any residue remains.

The mildew was probably on the lumber when it was installed, and was activated by the exterior moisture. Cleaning will help remove the dirt that the mildew loves to grow on. You do need to seal the deck soon, as it is dry in the spring.

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Posted in cleaning, decks, moisture, mold, wood, wood finishing

Cabinets Got The Rub

December 15th, 2009

Question:

I have original kitchen cupboards in my home. When I open and close the drawers it actually creates sawdust that lands on the items in the cupboard underneath. Is there anything I can put on the cupboard to prevent the friction and still be able to open and close the drawer? Thanks for your help!

-Janis

Answer:

D006You have some older cabinets if you have wood-to-wood contact. I do have a simple solution. Buy some “V-Seal” or “V” shaped vinyl weather stripping for doors and windows. This weather stripping is very thin vinyl and has an adhesive on one edge.

Place the “V” seal on the frame of the drawer with the adhesive on the rail that supports the drawer bottom. You will now have a wood drawer that is gliding on a smooth vinyl surface. The “V” seal is inexpensive and can be cut with a scissors. A wax paper covers the adhesive strip.

-Tom

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Posted in wood, wood finishing

Accidentally Sanding Through the Finish

December 10th, 2009

Question:

I have just started my own cabinet business. I am a good carpenter, but struggle at refinishing. I have a stain called fruitwood. It is not an easy stain. When I sanded my door, I accidentally sanded through the finish (into the stain). When I try to touch up this burn-through, it seems like it repels this color. Then I resorted to stripping back down and starting over. Do you have a suggestion?

-Jerry

Answer:

I am old fashioned when I finish wood. I like oil-based stains like Zar or Miniwax. I sand the surface smooth with fine sandpaper and remove all dust with a vacuum and tack cloth.

I apply the oil stain with a rag or lambswool, and even it out in corners with a dry brush. After the stain is dry I apply the first coat of clear finish – normally a wipe-on oil. Then I sand lightly and apply two more coats.

I would not sand the stain because you may cut through the finish. When you try to apply finish to patch the area, any wood that is partially stained will reject the new finish.

Hope this helps. I would buy a good oil-based finish and follow the directions.

-Tom

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Posted in wood, wood finishing

Removing Deep Scratches in Woodwork

November 25th, 2009

Question:

When we moved into our new place, we had some friends that scratched the woodwork while moving furniture. The scratches are quite deep and you can see white wood under the nice, dark stain. How can we fix this?

Answer:

Lightly sand or steel wool the area to remove any loose wood fibers. Stain the light colored scratch with an oil based stain that will match the color of the finish. Use a very small amount of stain on a rag and scrub the oil stain into the scratch. When the wood in the scratch is the right color, is will almost disappear.

Several companies have simplified this repair process by putting oil based wood stain into marker-like containers. You just rub the stain marker on the scratch. I suggest you start with a stain color that is lighter than the original finish because torn and scratched wood fibers will absorb stain quickly and darken quickly. You can always apply a second coat if the first coat is too light in color.

To make the finish look like new, you can apply a wipe-on oil finish over the stained scratch. Use a small paint brush or Q-Tip to apply the clear finish to the damaged area only. Several coats can be used to build up a shiny finish.

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Posted in wood, wood finishing

Removing Light Scratches on a Wooden Table

November 19th, 2009

Question:

The top surface of our wooden table has several scratches. None of them are very deep. What is the best way to remove these scratches, or at least minimize their appearance? I do not want to refinish the surface.

-Richard

Answer:

You can try to rub a wipe-on oil finish such as General Finishes, Minwax Antique Finish, or tung oil into the scratch.   I would try to apply a very small amount into the scratch with a very small artists brush.

If you can hide the scratch, you will need to sand the complete finish to remove the scratch and roughen the surface.  The apply a thin coat of a wipe-on finish.

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Posted in wood, wood finishing