All it takes is a bit of oxalic acid to dramatically transform the wood's appearance from drab and dated to light and fresh.

A weak solution of oxalic acid (wood bleach) will remove most of the enzymatic stain on the surface of dry lumber or parts, rough or sanded. Hackberry has 7% shrinkage from green to 6 percent MC.

Q: Water leaked into our below-ground, wood-paneled den and seeped into the wall and baseboard. We fixed the source of the leak, and the wall is dry now. But the wood is heavily stained.

Instead, use a cleaner containing oxalic acid (wood bleach), such as Flood Wood Cleaner or Behr Premium All-In-One Wood Cleaner. In most cases, apply it with a paint roller, paintbrush ...

Kevin Patterson, VP of institutional sales, explained it this way: “(1) The oxalic acid reacts with alkaline buildups like calcium, lime, rust stains, and hard water stains like iron deposits ...

First try to lighten the dark stains by applying a solution of three-parts water and one-part Clorox bleach with a new ... get some oxalic acid crystals from a paint store and mix them in hot ...