Because of window treatment options and blinds, water damage to window treatments is often out of sight, out of mind. When water damage is noticed, how do you fix it? Today we are talking about repairing water damaged wood and how to find it and fix it.
Repairing Water Damaged Wood
Understand how to repair water damaged wood in your bathroom and kitchen is important. It is also a question that commonly gets asked. Humidity, leaking windows, excess water, and poor ventilation are more often than not the cause of the damage to wood. And when the water damage is noticed it is often too late to do anything with it. So it is important to check all of the trim on your windows regularly for water damage so that you can get it fixed earlier rather than later.
To help you remember to check your windows place a reminder on your calendar twice a year to check on all of your windows in your home. But specifically, check the windows in the bathroom and kitchen. If you do happen to notice excess water or wood beginning to either appear darker or more worn down than it typically is. Then you definitely have some issues happening. When you find the problem, then you can address what is causing it and fix it. And it really is just a matter of repairing water damaged wood trim. If you repair the wood trim fast enough, then it will not be an issue. In the event you wait too long, you could have to repair the wood pieces all together.
How To Fix Water Damaged Wood
When it comes to repairing water damaged wood, there are several easy steps to follow. The first step is checking for loose paint or stain. This is because loose or flaking paint or stain is the first sign of water damage on window treatments. But it is one of the simplest problems to fix. To determine if paint or stain is flaking or loose check the window to see if there is a leak that lets in water when it rains or freezes. If there isn’t a leak, then the loose paint is caused by humidity from the inside.
Water stains and mold are two more items that are caused by water damage to the wood. When working with removing mold, it needs to be appropriately treated to remove it. With water damage, it looks like a dark stain on the wood. To remove it, start by sanding the trim down and then use a good wood bleach to lighten the woods. Doing this often does the trick. But if the damage is severe, then using bleach won’t work, and the wood will have to be replaced.
Treating Damaged Wood And Humidity
If the bleach treatment does work, then once the wood is dry and clean from the treatment, you should put a good stain, sealer, and a top coat on it. It is best to treat the parts of the window trim that really need it. Doing this before applying the stain, sealer and top coat helps give it a more even and consistent look. This also adds ten more years of life to your windows.
Monitoring the humidity in your home is important. Especially if you have experienced a problem with it in the past. During the winter, make sure you keep an eye on how much the water is condensing on the glass in the window. If there seems to be a lot of water on the glass, then you will need to turn down the humidity. During colder temperatures, if your home is not well insulated, then it is important to keep the window trim in mind. This is because the condensation might be freezing around the window, especially in the corners if the temperatures get below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lots Of Logic
If you or someone that you know has this happening to the windows in the kitchen or bathroom. Then it would be worthwhile to take a look at the damage and determine what the damage is and then follow these techniques to take care of it. It will also help to prevent it from happening again in the future. Because if you catch it quick enough then it will be fine and if it goes too long, then the wood trim will need to be replaced completely. The same goes for having a wood fence in your backyard.
Don’t forget, if you need an estimate on repairing water damaged wood, give me a call. My team and I have been serving St. Charles, Warrenville, Wheaton, Winfield, Geneva, Batavia, and all of the Chicago area for 30+ years.
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