Question:
I'll start off by saying that my father owns a painting company and I have a fair bit of experience in the field.. so I need an experts advice.
My girlfriend spilled nail polsih remover on a brand new wood dining room table. This caused the polyurethane (at least I think it's poly) to come off and leave a bare spot. My friend (trying to help) took a clorox (blach) wipe and tried to clean it off. This seems like it soaked into the bare wood and lightened it by a few shades. Also, the edges around the damaged spot are white and dry looking.
What is the best way to fix this? I know I cant just "touch up" the poly becuase it will show. I'm assuming I have to re-poly the whole table. If that's the case, can I just lightly sand down the table and apply poly, or do I need to completely stip the old poly off of the table.
I'm assuming this finish is polyurethane. Is that the most common finish? Could it be something else? It's not a thick finish at all.
Thanks for the help!
Answers:
On the damaged area, you will need to use some common sense in how far you sand down. The optimum scenario would be that the discoloration is on the surface only and that minimal sanding would bring out the true wood and its color, but that may not be the case. Sand gently and in a counter-clockwise circle fashion on and around the marred area at least 12 inches from the damaged area to avoid leaving a dipped appearance once the finish is re-applied.
Now for the hard part. If the discoloration is more than "skin deep", you will need to do some stain work. The only way to do it right, and not permanently destroy a new table, is to buy a new piece of similar wood and do the same damage to it in small test patches; then sand it as you have the table; then test different stains on the test areas until you have a satisfactory outcome. It may get expensive, but I would bet not as expensive as that new table. Ask a qualified wood sales center for advice as to which stain might work best.
I would assume you would know to use a dustmask, gloves, etc. I am a small time wood worker and have friends that do it alot. They always stress no short-cuts! Take your time, and see just how much better you can make that table look than the original manufacturer did. Good luck.
this question is in wrong category, as this is for cars not home repairs. However, in my experience you will have to refinish the complete to including matching the stain to re-do the bleached part.
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