I'm a housecleaner who found some serious mold and water damage on a client's wood countertop. The wood is warped, and she wants to know if there's any way to fix it without cutting it out and replacing it. Given her budget, DIY solutions would be ideal. Besides suggesting orbital sanding, what other options should I recommend? It's really at a point of being a lost cause, or can it be salvaged?
3 Answers
You might salvage it by taking out the faucet and plugs, sanding down to the clean wood, and resealing it. Just be cautious—if you sand too much, you could lose more wood than you want. After all this, it’s likely that the issue could come back if not properly maintained.
You could consider using wood hardeners that are safe for indoor use. They generally help stabilize the wood and can be a permanent fix. I’d suggest removing the faucet, sanding the surface down, applying the hardener, and then finishing off with a food-safe poly finish to seal it up.
One approach is to sand it down thoroughly and treat it with a product called Concrobium. After it dries, you can stain or finish as desired. Just make sure to figure out if the wood is finished or raw, as that will affect your next steps.