Get matched with top furniture refinishers in Tripp, SD

When water penetrates wood, the wood swells, causing the wood and veneer to separate. This separation creates bubbles on the surface of your furniture. If water spills on wood veneer, it needs to be dried ASAP. Surface spills can cause minor damages like white spots and blushing, but if you’re slow to action, you’re looking at more work—and spending—to restore your wood veneer.

If you recently splashed paint on the wrong area of a wooden object, remove it with a solvent or caustic paint stripper. Some paint that has yet to dry may be removable by hand with coarse sandpaper or a plastic scraper. Another trick for removing dried-on paint is rubbing a dab of nail polish remover on the paint to remove it, but avoid touching the bare wood surface.

Restoring furniture generally takes less time because the fixes involved are mostly surface-level cosmetic repairs. In most cases, a project like this will be completed in one to two days at most. By contrast, refinishing can take anywhere from several days to a couple of weeks because it requires sanding and treating damaged wood, adding a new stain, finish, or layer of paint, and drying time.

It can take as little as 30 to 60 minutes for wood filler to dry, but some products take up to four hours. Always read labels to ensure you're following the manufacturer’s instructions. Water-based wood fillers typically take longer to dry than oil-based or epoxy-wood fillers, especially when applied to large areas or deep cracks. Wood putty won’t dry completely, remaining slightly pliable.