It's a bad day in the life of a home filled with solid oak furniture began when the family dog decided to sharpen his digging skills on the solid oak extending dining table, knocking over a vase full of water in the process. It continued when the television deliverymen dented the bookcase in their hurry to take a rest and it ended when several young guests at a 3 year olds birthday party decided to scribble on as much high quality solid oak furniture as they could find. That's not to mention the undiscovered wine stains on the coffee table! Unfortunate, yes. Irritating, yes. Disastrous? No, you’ll be surprised to hear.

While solid oak furniture - or any hardwood product for that matter - is by its very nature strong and robust, it is by no means immune from the odd accident – and, as we all know, accidents do happen. However, hardwood furniture is designed and crafted to a very high standard and this repairing hardwood furniture is not a difficult task.

Repairing Hardwood Furniture Scratches

In respect to the dog's unwelcome act, shallow scratches, deep gouges and water damage require different solutions when repairing hardwood furniture. A temporary fix can be applied to the shallowest of scratches by rubbing them with the inside of a walnut, the oil from which should darken the area. When repairing hardwood furniture with deeper scratches, a wax furniture patching stick of a colour matching the hardwood finish can be employed to similar effect. After application, excess wax can be removed with something like a credit card. When the area has completely dried, a hard paste wax can be buffed into the area to apply the final touch.

Repairing Hardwood Furniture Gouges

When repairing hardwood furniture with deep gouges a little more work is required, as the damaged area must first be filled with a wood filler or putty, which can take up to 3 days to set, before it is carefully sanded down until flush with the undamaged hardwood. The filled area should be cleaned of any dust or residue and then polished and waxed in order to completely restore the gouged area.

Repairing Hardwood Furniture Water Damage

Water damage can create a number of problems when repairing hardwood furniture. Most commonly, white spots, rings or hazing can form on or in the wood's finish. If Danish oil is unable to remove these water stains, an ethanol solution and subsequent polishing may do the job. If further attempts fail, the wood must be re-finished in order to restore its natural look. If black spots or rings emerge, the best course of action when repairing hardwood furniture should be to strip down the oak furniture until the finish is removed, after which the wood should be bleached and then re-finished.

Repairing Hardwood Furniture Dents

Interestingly, it is possible, when repairing hardwood furniture, to remove a dent in oak furniture by applying water and allowing the wood to absorb it, the aim of which being to localise the wood's natural expansion process. Crayon or alcohol stains can be removed using the application of ammonia treatment by cloth. If the stain is from ink, it is quite likely that chemical and paste solutions will fail. Consequently, the hardwood must be stripped and re-finished. While these repairs should be effective, unfortunately there is no known cure for the common accident.









Please note that all these remedies are undertaken at the owners risk. Oakfurnitureland take no responsibility for damages that occur as a result of a failed attempted repair. If in doubt, please ask a qualified furniture repairer.

Related Articles

As well as this article we also have articles providing information on Oak furniture, Ash furniture, Mahogany furniture, Birch furniture, Pine Furniture,and Indian Furniture. If you like these articles you may also find our article on the characteristics of hardwood furniture article invaluable.

If you already have a range of hardwood furniture in your home, our articles on treating hardwood furniture, repairing hardwood furniture, joinery and specifically mortise and tenon joints will help you get the most out of your furniture, and spot quality when shopping in furniture.

Other articles on offer at Oak Furniture Land include our rustic furniture, teak furniture, wood and hardwood furniture, classic traditional furniture and contemporary modern furniture will also help you differentiate between the different styles of hardwood furniture available.