Water damage advice? A damp cat!

[Lillith S Rael]

Hi guys! I recently got a few older, damaged pieces and have been reading through the forum here for advice on chips etc. However one of the damaged pieces is a real challenge. It’s a Good Cat candle lamp that’s been left outside in damp heat and probably rain for quite some time. She has a lot of chips from your usual mistreatment. It also seems like some of the paint is simply sloughing off in tiny bits, and also, there’s a waxy white something that seems to either be growing in or coming out of the cracks.

I’ve read she’s mostly gypsum so I imagine this is really the gypsum itself absorbing/reacting with the moisture she’s been exposed to?

So I guess my question is what’s the best way to make sure I get the moisture out of her and clean her off before I try repairing and repainting her?

Any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks. <3

[Ela_Hara]

I have no idea, but they say putting a cell phone or other electronics in rice (uncooked) will draw out moisture – you might try that?

However it sounds like it may be a lost cause if the ‘waxy White’ stuff is mold or something growing in/on the gypsum. I don’t know how you would clean that up.

Good luck!

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[Lillith S Rael]

I didn’t even think of that. I bet trying the rice trick for a while would help a lot. I’ll give it a shot.
Whatever I end up doing, I’ll follow up in a few months and let you guys know if I could save her or if the cause was lost. 😉

[Melody]

I don’t know exactly how to fix this cat, but here are some tips that might help:
Gypsum is waterproof, but easily dissolved by acids. If the cat was out in the rain, he will probably be etched by the acid rain. You’ll need to take something, like a toothbrush, and scrub off any loose gypsum.
Gargoyles do like to look old and beat up.
We often dry our larger pieces in an oven set at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. You could try leaving him in your oven, set at that temp ( no higher!) overnight.
We don’t do this to painted pieces so I am not sure how long it will take for your cat, but if you have an accurate scale of some kind, weigh the cat before and after. If it weighs less the next day, you’ll know you removed some moisture. Leave it in for another four or five hours and re-weigh it. If it doesn’t change weight, you know its dry as you can get it.

Then you’ll need to rinse him off with water again! ( I am assuming the pad on the bottom is hopeless) This is to remove any salts that have formed on the surface from evaporation. Minerals on the surface will bleed through new paint, making white crusty spots. Let the cat sit out to dry again for about a day at room temp, then try repainting using acrylic paint and clear coat.

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