Flood damaged furniture: how to treat it

Words: Stuart and Daniele Bywater

Here’s some timely advice for how to initially treat flood damaged furniture.

1. Clean the furniture with clean water

2. Wash with soapy water (washing up detergent is just fine)

3. Wash all parts evenly, that includes chest of drawers, cabinets etc

4. Rinse with clean water

5. Once clean, furniture can be dried with a towel

6. Remove any puddles in the area

7. You may see some coloured water coming out from the timber, that will most likely be stains and tannin from the timber

8. Rinse concrete areas and driveways from these stains as they will be hard to remove

9. Let your furniture dry

10. Do not place your furniture in the direct sun (as tempting as that may be)

11. Do not place a fan near your furniture. Drying out too fast can cause splits in the timber and can result in warping or twisting.

12. Timber furniture may take up to two weeks to dry, longer if it is in a damp condition, but it will dry and then be able to be repaired or repolished if needed.

Stuart and Daniele Bywater are furniture designer makers and restorers based in Brisbane. Learn more at bywaterdesign.com.au