We recently were over in Indonesia and got some furniture shipped over (hey, it was really cheap and looks cool, worth the risk!); the furniture was wrapped in cardboard, then in a wooden crate. Somehow it got wet and mouldy during shipping. Where the cardboard was agaist the furniture, the finish got damaged. Basically, it looks like the stain washed out or got bleached out. I saw the stain they use there, it is a commercial product, comes in a can, is some sort of oil based stain they rub on with a cloth. Unfortuantly, I didn’t write the name down (it was in indonesian!)
Any thoughts on what would be the problem and how to fix it? Do I need to re-stain the damaged areas, or can I put something on to bring the “stain” back out and get rid of the damage. It kind of looks like how you get water marks/rings from wet cups with some kinds of finishes. Oh, by the way, it is “rustic” style furniture, but the finish damage is a bit too rustic. Thanks for any thoughts!
Replies
Good luck figuring this out, Forest. Asian furniture has been a headache for as long as I've been around it. The woods used are different and the finishs can be almost anything.
I remember several friends buying asian furniture in the early 70's. It looked great and the price was definitely right but within a few months it was falling apart. Most of the problems seemed to result from their use of green lumber which warps, splits, cups, twists, and/or checks as it dries. Even if it was "stable" when it was built, the changes in temperature & humidity here can cause problems.
If your stuff is truely water damaged, you may have a claim against the shipping company. Don't be surprised, however, if the damage resulted from airtight packaging trapping moisture inside the boxes.
I would recommend that you have a good furniture refinisher look at your problems and suggest solutions.
It could be a reaction of the finish to acid-based cardboard while wet. This could dissolve the finish and then leach out the stain.
I'd get it dry then sand with fine paper, then stain to match and coat with a protective finish.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled