Taking Care of your Wood Furniture
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by: Tonton
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Hardwoods, heat and humidity.
I just found out recently that up to half of the weight of freshly sawn wood is water. Actually, hardwood is made from a carefully dried wood. It retains just an enough amount of moisture so that the furniture can properly adapt to your home’s relative humidity.
Like our own skin, hardwood furniture’s lose moisture and shrink a bit as its natural response to air that is extremely dry. Therefore, the hardwood surface may have few tiny openings and its halves may slightly part. However, there is no need to worry when these things happen since it will correct itself when the relative humidity rises. As this correction happens, enough moisture will be absorbed by the hardwood thus causing it to expand slightly.
On the other hand, parts of the hardwood furniture may absorb excess moisture from air as your home’s relative humidity gets too high. This may cause the wood to expand and the drawers to stick. But just like before, it will correct itself as the relative humidity decreases. In short, these changes do not affect the strength and quality of your hardwood furniture. They are just natural changes.
Here are some tips to ensure your furniture’s lasts:
1. Use an air conditioner during summer and humidifier during winter. This will help keep a 25-35 percent of relative humidity.
2. Try not to place your hardwood furniture in front of radiators, fire places or heat runs.
3. Draw curtains occasionally so as to avoid exposing your furniture to direct sunlight.
4. Clean hardwood surfaces with a non-alkaline mild soap and water. Use damp sponge or cloth but be sure that you have tested first the solution on a small section of your furniture to make sure that it won’t damage the finish. Afterwards, dry it immediately with a soft cloth and buff.
5. Paste waxes can also be applied every six to twelve months since hardwood finishes benefit from these. However, be sure to remove the old wax first before applying a new one. You can use a non-alkaline mild soap and water solution to remove the old wax.
6. Though wood furniture’s benefit from waxing, you must know that urethane-finished furniture is an exemption. Instead of repelling dust and dirt, these surfaces gather them when they are waxed.
7. Minor solid hardwood damages can be easily repaired using the right materials. However, major ones should be left to the hands of experts.
Hardwood furniture are meant to be used and enjoyed. However, we can’t deny the fact that accidents also happen. And when these accidents occur, we can read so many guidelines that can help us restore or fix the damage that has been done. But if you really want your furniture to be in good shape, just keep in mind that all you have to do is to be extra careful in handling it. Just like persons, our furniture also needs a tender loving care.
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