Customer Service It’s a bit more difficult to determine if stained floor trim, door frames, doors, window or windows frames have water damage. Water damage on stained surfaces are not immediately present like painted trim surfaces. When painted surfaces have water damage, the paint will bubble, flake off or show discoloration. None of those are immediately noticeable on stained surfaces. You will notice some discoloration (graying or browning) over time but by then the wood might be rotten and would need to be replaced.
To avoid rotten wood due to water damage look for areas on the stained surfaces where the sealant / polyurethane has started to flake, bubble up a bit or separate from the stained surface. This is a sign there might be an area around that surface that is leaking water. Inspect the area to identify the leak, repair the leak and then restore the wood.
The following process will restore stained surface due to water damage:
- Completely remove the existing sealant / polyurethane with a chemical remover. Wear protective gloves.
- Sand the stained wood surface with 100cc sand paper to remove or level out the existing stain. If you are unable to remove the stain with sanding use the chemical remover.
- Clean with a tack cloth.
- Stain with one or two coats depending on stain depth preference.
- Apply one coat of sanding sealer.
- Apply two coats of sealant / polyurethane.
Drying time between coats if using an acrylic based products is typically between 3-4 hours. If using oil-based products the drying time between coats is typically 18-24 hours.
