The way to Retouch Stained Molding
January 25, 2020
Moldings, especially across the ground, around windows or on the bottoms of door jambs can observe some real abuse from shoes, vacuum cleaners and pets. This type of damage is localized in small areas and can be repaired without sanding off the finish. There are a couple of commonly used methods employed by professionals and homeowners alike to touch-up stained molding that do not involve sanding. It only takes moments to repair the most common issues.
Clean any loose fibers or splinters in the scratch, gouge, abrasion or damaged area with the hint of a utility knife. Blow the region clean with air in the cheeks.
Rub a color-matched putty crayon over scrapes, gouges and seams hard enough to scrape off the end of the crayon flat. Immediately rub off the crayon residue using a soft, dry cloth until shiny and smooth.
Color small abrasions or light scratches in the lacquer or varnish using a cotton swab dipped in acrylic stain that matches the existing stain. Allow the stain to stay on the surface for 3 minutes. Wipe it off using a soft cotton cloth. If the scratch is lighter in color than the existing stain and it is still possible to see it, apply another program of stain, then wait three minutes and wipe it off. If you can still find the scratch, then use the putty crayon.
Color hairline scratches or stains using a color-matched stain marker. This kind of marker works nicely as borders and at straight-line cracks that aren’t severe. Use stain markers once the harm is upwards higher or even above your head.
Spray a fine coat of aerosol lacquer onto abrasions on the finish. This can appear to be a scuff mark that will not go away, or possibly a sanded location. Gently spray above the abrasion holding the can about 10 inches in the scratch. Cover it gently with lacquer. It is OK if the lacquer overlaps the hurt. Enable the lacquer to dry for 15 minutes.
Rub the lacquered area hard. Use a bit of denim with authority to vigorously rub off all the lacquer particles. Also known as burnishing, you can also rub very light scratches using denim without lacquer. Rub hard using a circular motion until the finish is warm to the touch and gleams with a new-looking glow.