Popular woodworker Will Kirk shared his concerns during an episode of The Repair Shop. The hit BBC programme has been airing since 2017, and showcases family heirlooms as they are restored for their owners by numerous experts with a broad range of specialisms.
A repeat episode was aired on Thursday (August 20), where Will and Sonnaz Nooranvary met Roger Parsons. Roger brought a pair of old chairs to the barn, which had belonged to his twin brother, Chris. Sadly, Chris died of cancer back in 2022.
Guest shares emotional story behind chairs
"Growing up, [we were close]. We were born 17 minutes apart. Chris was born at 10.10, I was born at 10.27," Roger shared. "We played rugby, played sport together. Chris was always one step ahead, you know? So, I kind of hung on to his shirt-tails."
Roger found the chairs when he was emptying out his brother's home after he moved to Florida. Roger then put them in storage, but it was a "damp storage". The guest explained that the chairs had been gathering dust under tarpaulin, alongside many other items in his lock-up. He then pointed out some of the damage, including various fractures, water damage, and loose joints, before admitting: "I'm just ashamed, actually, that they've ended up in this condition."
Roger added: "Now that Chris is gone, you know, everything that was attached to him is of greater significance to me. If they can be repaired, to be sat on, that would be something. Just be another reminder of Chris, really."
Will Kirk's restoration challenges
Later, as he got to work on the chairs, Will shared his concerns about the base of the items, which had crumbled away. He admitted: "I'm not too sure how I'm going to fix this."
"Dampness has really got inside the wood, and they've become incredibly mouldy as well. The arms have almost gone to a black colour, and that's where mould and water has got inside. So, if that won't come out, it's going to look really odd," Will went on.
Will began by removing as much of the surface dirt from the wood, but soon encountered another problem after sanding back the twin chairs. "I was really hoping that a lot of water damage would be on the surface of the wood. So, I kind of thought a lot of that would disappear, but unfortunately, that's not the case," he explained. "A lot of that stain is deep inside the wood, so I've decided to bleach the chairs."
Guest delighted with final result
It seemed as though the bleach had done the trick, as the chairs were unrecognisable when Roger returned to the barn to collect them. "Wow, that's incredible. Absolutely amazing, amazing," the stunned guest said.
The Repair Shop is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
