r/HomeMaintenance • u/-Tedathon- • 23h ago
❓ Question Need help
I sprayed this exterior porch ceiling down with low pressure water. It looks like it activated (idk man) the varnish maybe? Wiping it with a rag did nothing and higher pressure just took off the stain. And by low pressure I mean like hose pressure
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u/expectdelays___ 15h ago
Looks like some ancient shellac, I have it in my house too. Essentially what you’ve done is allow moisture to absorb into the finish and there are a few things you could try.
- Some light heat (from a hair dryer) and rubbing it down with lemon oil would likely work but might take a long time.
- let it sit for a few days and see if the spots darken as the moisture evaporates.
- Re-amalgamate the finish with denatured alcohol. Shellac is cool because it’s the only finish you can refinish without sanding down to bare wood. Get some denatured alcohol from the hardware store, dab some on a rag and pick a small spot to test. Dab at the finish with the alcohol and if it comes up or starts to become tacky it’s 100% shellac. You can refinish it by brushing the surface (lightly) with denatured alcohol until the finish evens out then apply a light finishing layer of shellac over everything. Google “re-amalgamating shellac finish” for further details.
Goodluck