How to Restore Flood Damaged Wood Furniture

Get your flooded wooden pieces back to their former glory

Due to the recent devastation hurricane Harvey caused in Houston, many families may be forced to throw out all of their damaged belongings and restore their homes. This process is not only heartbreaking but extremely costly. In most cases, furniture and valuables will be damaged beyond repair, but you might want to think twice before throwing your wooden furniture pieces to the curb. In order to keep your losses to a minimum, we’ve come up with a few restoration tips for your wood furnishings.

Clean

The cleaning process is crucial when restoring flood damaged wooden furniture. In addition to removing the unpleasant odor, you’ll be able to prevent mold or fungus from forming. To clean, gently rub down the piece with small amounts of dish soap and water. Once done, try your best to remove as much moisture as possible by wiping it down and blotting any excess water. You then need to start the drying process immediately. The less time your furniture is exposed to moisture, the better.

Dry 

To prevent your furniture from becoming further damaged, it must be dried as quickly as possible. If the weather is clear outside, consider putting it out in the sun, but refrain doing so if there’s still a lot of moisture in the air. Dry, arid areas work the best. You can also speed up the drying process by disassembling your wooden furniture. Depending on how long your furniture was exposed to water, it may have become warped. If this is the case, consider gluing displaced joints or veneers once it has fully dried. 

Remove the Mildew

Despite these preventative measures, mildew may still form. If so, its white blotches can be easily identified. To remove the unwanted growth, douse a towel in turpentine or with a mixture of equal parts water and ammonia. Once finished, immediately wipe it down with a dry towel.

At Bel Furniture, we also call Houston our home, and we were overcome with emotions when witnessing our beautiful city come together and selflessly help one another during a natural disaster. Indeed, we are truly blessed to live in such a wonderful place. For over 17 years, we’ve offered affordable Houston furniture and we are proud to call ourselves Houstonians. Together, we will keep Houston strong! For more furniture care tips, check out other informative blog articles.