Wooden furniture has the ability to give the interior of any home a charming and impeccable look. Unfortunately, maintaining the appearance of wooden furnishings is something a lot of furniture lovers tend to struggle with. If your wood furniture has started to look faded and old,
Below are some of the ways you can revive and maintain its appearance.
Refinishing
Refinishing is one of the most effective ways of breathing new life into a dull and worn-out piece of furniture. The process involves stripping, removal of old lining, sanding, stain removal, re-staining and coat application. Refinishing wood furniture is a process that is quite labour intensive, but when done right and by a reputable furniture restoration company, it leaves your furniture with a finish that is nothing short of perfect.
Protection Against Environmental Conditions
The elements to consider here include sunlight, humidity and temperature (heat).
1. Sunlight
Home interiors can be affected by sunlight, but when wood furniture especially, is exposed to too much sunlight, its surface may begin to look patchy and discoloured. Sunlight exposure can also dry up the finish of the furniture and speed up the aging process of the wood resulting in the wood being brittle. Apart from sunlight, intense exposure to other kinds of bright light can also damage the surface of wood furniture.
Light damage can be permanent, and in cases where it’s not, restoring your furniture to its original appearance may be tricky. In order to ensure that your wood furniture is not exposed to bright light, here are some of the things you can do.
- Keeping your curtains drawn or using a furniture cover to protect your furniture from direct sunlight.
- If the furniture is not currently in use, keep it covered or let it stay in the dark.
- Using dimmer lights instead bright ones to minimise light damage.
2. Humidity and Temperature
To put things simply, humidity and wooden furniture do not go together. This is because wood tends to absorb moisture, so a humid atmosphere can severely damage wooden furniture.
The absorbed moisture causes swelling and shrinking of the wood, and it is especially worse for furniture that is in parts, as the expansion in different directions can cause the pieces to no longer fit well together. Some of the ways you can protect your wooden furniture from the effects of humidity include; improving ventilation by opening up the windows, investing in a humidifier with humidistats to maintain relative humidity levels, and using naphthalene balls to help with moisture absorption.
Extreme temperature is another thing you need to keep away from your wooden furniture. You can do this by improving ventilation and keeping furniture away from air vents, fireplaces, and heating units.
Waxing
Although very old, waxing is a technique that has proven to be quite effective in not only maintaining the beauty of wooden furniture but lengthening its lifespan. The process simply involves the application of a wax solvent on the surface of the wood. The wax then leaves a result that is pristine and lustrous. It also serves as a protective coating that preserves the beauty of the wood.
Protection Against Spillage
Remembering to incorporate simple practices that help protect your wooden furniture from substances that cause deterioration or decay is a great way to maintain its beauty. Spilled drinks and foods leave behind residues inside the internal parts of wood (even after wiping) and these residues can attract bacteria which speeds up the decaying process inside the wood.
To prevent this from happening, it is highly important that you take all necessary measures to prevent spillage on your wooden furniture. Invest in some quality furniture covers, placemats, and coasters to serve as a first line of defense for your furniture when accidental spills happen.
Protection Against House Pests
Another thing you will need to protect your wooden furniture from is the stains and holes caused by house pests. Pests like cockroaches can very quickly fill raw wood surfaces (drawers, undersides) with their excrement and this can cause stains and foul smells.
Termites and powderpost beetles are also pests that can eat their way through the insides of wooden furniture and if left ignored, the damages they cause can be irreparable. Try to incorporate different pest control measures to get rid of these pests and if those measures don’t work, hire the services of an exterminator immediately.
Regular Cleaning
Cleaning your wooden furniture on a regular basis prevents dirt from building up on its surface.This is by far the easiest and cheapest way of maintaining the appearance of your wooden furniture. On occasion, try to make the cleaning more intensive and deep by using a good cleaning agent or formula. This is necessary because it will help get rid of all the bacteria that can cause decay in the wood.
Conclusion
A proper maintenance routine is necessary for protecting and preserving the beauty of wooden furniture and the more regular you are with this routine; the easier it will be to keep your furniture in great condition for a very long time.
Regular cleaning, waxing, refinishing and protection against sunlight, humidity, temperature, house pests and spills are some of those effective ways you can maintain your wooden furniture.
