I have 6 chairs that go with a beautiful Danish teak table that sat in
my dinning room for the last 15 years. Recently we ripped up the
carpet and put down faux tiles and they look great. What we didn't
know is that our prior pets, who got sick and died, used the area
under the table as a litter box. We now have chair legs that sucked
the contaminated moisture out of the carpet.
Two of the chairs are barely affected but the others have a
considerable amount of moisture stuck in them. For the past couple of
weeks I have been using paper towels and weight to draw out what I can
but it is slow and, on a few legs, I'm not certain it will do enough.
So I am looking for suggestions on the best way to get the moisture
back out as much as possible to repair the chairs.
Once the moisture is out, I plan to put something on the legs to
protect the tiles, but I don't want to do that until the moisture is
gone. One leg has a small split starting, which I can repair, but
again not till the moisture is out. At worst, if the moisture has
permanently stained the legs, I may paint/stain them later to
completely eradicate any remaining damaged appearance. Any
recommendation? Suggestions??
`Casper
In article <[email protected]>, Casper
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Any recommendation? Suggestions??
Use a dessicant to remove the moisture. Something like
<http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=48083&cat=2,50560>
--
âThe problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peopleâs
money.â - Margaret Thatcher
In article
<4b0611fb-a870-4c91-a2e2-f39e51784464@y12g2000vbg.googlegroups.com>,
whit3rd <[email protected]> wrote:
> Drying the wood as quickly as possible is a recipe for
> disaster. You want moisture uptake and release over
> many months if possible, or internal stresses will split
> the wood.
Many months?
Nonsense.
--
âThe problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peopleâs
money.â - Margaret Thatcher
Casper wrote:
> I have 6 chairs that go with a beautiful Danish teak table that sat in
> my dinning room for the last 15 years. Recently we ripped up the
> carpet and put down faux tiles and they look great. What we didn't
> know is that our prior pets, who got sick and died, used the area
> under the table as a litter box. We now have chair legs that sucked
> the contaminated moisture out of the carpet.
>
> Two of the chairs are barely affected but the others have a
> considerable amount of moisture stuck in them. For the past couple of
> weeks I have been using paper towels and weight to draw out what I can
> but it is slow and, on a few legs, I'm not certain it will do enough.
> So I am looking for suggestions on the best way to get the moisture
> back out as much as possible to repair the chairs.
>
> Once the moisture is out, I plan to put something on the legs to
> protect the tiles, but I don't want to do that until the moisture is
> gone. One leg has a small split starting, which I can repair, but
> again not till the moisture is out. At worst, if the moisture has
> permanently stained the legs, I may paint/stain them later to
> completely eradicate any remaining damaged appearance. Any
> recommendation? Suggestions??
>
Hmm. Just a hair-ball idea:
Put each of the chair legs in a glass filled with kitty litter. For a LONG
time (couple of months?).
If you're going to refinish the chairs, remove the finish on the legs before
you stick them in the dessicant..
On May 19, 6:24=A0am, Casper <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have 6 chairs... our prior pets, who got sick and died, used the area
> under the table as a litter box.
DO NOT USE DESSICANT.
Drying the wood as quickly as possible is a recipe for
disaster. You want moisture uptake and release over
many months if possible, or internal stresses will split
the wood.
First, wash the chair legs (it sounds bad, but this
water exposure will only last a few minutes). Then
wipe, give it a day to dry a bit, and apply a neutralizing
enzyme (pet stores will have it, "Nature's Miracle" is
one brand I'm familiar with). Again, only a few minutes
of damp, you'll wipe it off. It might take two or three
repeats.
If it's dry this season, you might benefit from wrapping
the affected wood with waxed paper; it'll dry fine in a
few more months, THEN you can address any repairs.
The end grain (bottom of the legs) is especially important,
I'd brush on a bit of melted wax to keep that part from
fast moisture changes.
>Hmm. Just a hair-ball idea:
>
>Put each of the chair legs in a glass filled with kitty litter. For a LONG
>time (couple of months?).
>
>If you're going to refinish the chairs, remove the finish on the legs before
>you stick them in the dessicant..
>
>HeyBub
Kitty litter? I didn't think of that but would it really work? I
assume you mean the clumping stuff and not the regular.
`Casper
On 5/19/2010 6:56 AM, Dave Balderstone wrote:
> In article<[email protected]>, Casper
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Any recommendation? Suggestions??
>
> Use a dessicant to remove the moisture. Something like
> <http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=48083&cat=2,50560>
>
I'd imagine you could find something like that at a craft supply store,
such as Michaels. Sounds like a good suggestion!
Casper wrote:
>> Hmm. Just a hair-ball idea:
>>
>> Put each of the chair legs in a glass filled with kitty litter. For
>> a LONG time (couple of months?).
>>
>> If you're going to refinish the chairs, remove the finish on the
>> legs before you stick them in the dessicant..
>>
>> HeyBub
>
> Kitty litter? I didn't think of that but would it really work? I
> assume you mean the clumping stuff and not the regular.
> `Casper
Try it. Most kitty litter is dried clay* (kaolins, bentonite, etc.) and has
a HIGH (as in "astronomical") affinity for water.
"Clay is a good basic desiccant that works satisfactorily below 120°F
(approximately 50°C). ... The upside to clay is that it is normally the
least expensive desiccant per pound."
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/desiccants_types.html
I know many folks who put a tray of kitty-litter in their gun safes (and
check for the cat before closing the door).
------
* Except for the "environmentally friendly" shit made out of cedar chips,
shredded newspaper, ground up herbs, and the like.
>DO NOT USE DESSICANT.
I hadn't thought of it.
>Drying the wood as quickly as possible is a recipe for
>disaster. You want moisture uptake and release over
>many months if possible, or internal stresses will split
>the wood.
One leg is split about 1-1.5 inches. Most of the other legs only have
maybe a half inch worth of moisture showing. Seems the chair in the
back of the room got the brunt of it.
>First, wash the chair legs (it sounds bad, but this
>water exposure will only last a few minutes). Then
>wipe, give it a day to dry a bit, and apply a neutralizing
>enzyme (pet stores will have it, "Nature's Miracle" is
>one brand I'm familiar with). Again, only a few minutes
>of damp, you'll wipe it off. It might take two or three
>repeats.
Already washed. Is neutralizing enzyme safe on the wood and finish?
I would think only the worst legs would need that done.
>If it's dry this season, you might benefit from wrapping
>the affected wood with waxed paper; it'll dry fine in a
>few more months, THEN you can address any repairs.
>The end grain (bottom of the legs) is especially important,
>I'd brush on a bit of melted wax to keep that part from
>fast moisture changes.
It's been very wet here thus far. I'm not sure I want to wrap the legs
or wax them. I use Anchorseal for my turning wood but that is for
fresh logs. I would think in this case it's better to get that
moisture out and not lock it in. Most of the affected legs are maybe
up to and inch. Two legs are a bit more. Only one is split and no
others show signs of splitting.
I was thinking of taking paper towels, diapers or other similar item
and wrapping it around the leg bottoms, taping them on and letting
them stand with weight on it until the moisture is drawn out. The
finish on the legs seems to be slowing the process except on the very
ends of the legs, but even there I see no cracking, except one leg.
`Casper
On 5/19/2010 9:41 AM, HeyBub wrote:
> Casper wrote:
>> I have 6 chairs that go with a beautiful Danish teak table that sat in
>> my dinning room for the last 15 years. Recently we ripped up the
>> carpet and put down faux tiles and they look great. What we didn't
>> know is that our prior pets, who got sick and died, used the area
>> under the table as a litter box. We now have chair legs that sucked
>> the contaminated moisture out of the carpet.
>>
>> Two of the chairs are barely affected but the others have a
>> considerable amount of moisture stuck in them. For the past couple of
>> weeks I have been using paper towels and weight to draw out what I can
>> but it is slow and, on a few legs, I'm not certain it will do enough.
>> So I am looking for suggestions on the best way to get the moisture
>> back out as much as possible to repair the chairs.
>>
>> Once the moisture is out, I plan to put something on the legs to
>> protect the tiles, but I don't want to do that until the moisture is
>> gone. One leg has a small split starting, which I can repair, but
>> again not till the moisture is out. At worst, if the moisture has
>> permanently stained the legs, I may paint/stain them later to
>> completely eradicate any remaining damaged appearance. Any
>> recommendation? Suggestions??
>>
>
> Hmm. Just a hair-ball idea:
>
> Put each of the chair legs in a glass filled with kitty litter. For a LONG
> time (couple of months?).
>
> If you're going to refinish the chairs, remove the finish on the legs before
> you stick them in the dessicant..
Kitty Litter should work fine for this particular application.
I'm wondering though, if the wrong culprit is getting blamed. That much
pet urine under the table I would expect someone to have noticed. I'd
be looking for a source.
On 5/20/2010 9:52 AM, Casper wrote:
>> Hmm. Just a hair-ball idea:
>>
>> Put each of the chair legs in a glass filled with kitty litter. For a LONG
>> time (couple of months?).
>>
>> If you're going to refinish the chairs, remove the finish on the legs before
>> you stick them in the dessicant..
>>
>> HeyBub
>
> Kitty litter? I didn't think of that but would it really work? I
> assume you mean the clumping stuff and not the regular.
Either one is highly absorbent.
>Kitty Litter should work fine for this particular application.
>
>I'm wondering though, if the wrong culprit is getting blamed. That much
>pet urine under the table I would expect someone to have noticed. I'd
>be looking for a source.
>
>J. Clarke
We had two cats. One we treated for kidney failure for 6+ months until
he was too weak. About a year and a half later our second cat became
ill. Similar symptoms only kidney issues. He grew more ill rapidly.
Both had urinary issues. We figure the first one snuck underneath the
tight spaces between the table legs (central legs) and the carpet
soaked it up unnoticed. We suspect our dog (7 lb. Chihuahua) may have
also used the area once it all started.
There was sheet vinyl under all the carpet so no damage to anything
but carpet. Even the padding was fairly clean. Once we found out, we
attempted to clean it a few times using good cleaning machines but we
wonder if that did more damage than good.
So we decided to include the dining room in our refloor project along
with the kitchen (already planned). Now it will be easier to do more
projects in the dining room and not worry about damaging carpet. It's
a room we hardly used but now that will change.
`Casper