subject: Repairing Water Marks On Your Furniture: Secrets Of The Pros [print this page] The method used to repair water rings on your table top will depend on the type
of finish that is on your table, and what caused the water ring. Often water rings
on furniture can be removed by spraying the damaged area with a product called
No-Blush, is available online or purchased over-the-counter at most commercial
refinishing supply stores. No-Blush works well for laccquer finishes, but not on
most varnish finishes (varnish rarely blushes in the first place). If the finish is
shellac, you can sometimes remove the ring by rubbing the damage with a rag
moistened with denatured alcohol. If the finish is completely removed and the
wood is stained by the ring, it is necessary to strip the top and bleach the
damaged wood.
Repairing Water Rings Requires Little Skill
Professional refinishers state that water ring removal is a simple repair. Often,
their customers state that if they had known how easy the repair was, they would
have repaired it themselves. Sincerely, water ring removal does not take a lot of
skill. What it does require, though, is a basic knowledge of finish chemistry and
the nature of water rings. Once that knowledge is acquired, water ring repair is
quickly done.
First, Understand the Nature of Furniture Finishes
A successful water ring repair begins with a knowledge of the type of finish that
is damaged. There are many types of wooden furniture finishes currently in use,
but to eliminate water rings there are only two things you need to know about
finishes: evaporative finishes and reactive finishes. Evaporative finishes are
easy to repair, and reactive finishes are difficult to repair.
Evaporative finishes are a mixture of solids and a solvent. When applied to
furniture, the solvent evaporates, and the solids dry into a film to form the
furniture finish. An evaporative finish can be re-melted by its original solvent.
Evaporative finishes like Lacquer, shellac, and wax are commonly found on
furniture because they can be polished to a mirror-like shine.
Reactive finishes dry by chemical reaction; as drying occurs, the molecules in
the finish bind together to form a hard and wear-resistant finish. Once dry,
reactive finishes cannot be re-melted by their original solvent. Polyurethane,
varnish, house paint, and epoxies are common reactive finishes.
How to Tell What Kind of Finish is on Your Furniture
Reactive finishes are very resistant to water rings (that's why they are use don
boats). If you have water rings, you most likely have furniture finished in shellac
or lacquer, excessive wax on your furniture, or a finish that is worn out. To
determine what type of finish is on your furniture, rub an inconspicuous spot with
a rag moistened with either denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner. Shellac
finishes will be removed by the alcohol. Similarly, lacquer thinner will remove a
lacquer finish. If the finish cannot be removed by either of these solvents, you
have a reactive finish.
The Nature of Water Rings
Water ring damage comes in two types: blush rings and mineral rings. Blush
rings are the most common and are caused by placing drinks or hot/moist items
(like a pizza box) onto furniture. Blush rings are white, and appear as cloudiness
in the finish.
Mineral rings are caused by water from leaking houseplant pots. Water leaks
through the pot and picks up minerals from the potting soil, which is carried into
the wood. The minerals are absorbed into the wood where they dry into a dark
stain. Such a ring is a permanent stain. The only way to repair mineral rings is
to bleach them, which requires completely stripping and refinishing the furniture.
How to Repair Blush Water Rings
Blush rings are caused by moisture trapped in the finish. The repair can be
made by softening the finish enough to allow the moisture to escape. Begin by
making a smooth-surfaced palm-sized ball out of linen or cotton. Moisten the
ball with denatured alcohol and tamp it into the palm of your hand to be sure that
it is simply moist, not wet. Carefully wipe the pad across the cloudy area.
Repeat as needed, but allow the alcohol to dry between swipes; drying will only
take a minute or two. The majority of the time, this repair technique will work. If
it does not work, I suggest buying a can of No-Blush and spraying the damaged
area lightly. No-Blush will chemically soften the finish, and contains a retarder to
slow down the drying time enough to allow the moisture to escape.
Repairing water rings can be easily accomplished if one knows what kind of
finish is damaged, how the ring occurred and what solvent will soften the finish.
