Rules to practice to prolong the life of your wooden Art & Furniture

This article is more for the end-user, but it will be easier for the masters if they also own this information!

Rules to practice to prolong the life of your wooden products:

    Exquisite Art & furniture made from natural wood are wonderful decorations for any home interior. However, despite high-quality impregnation or varnishing, natural wood is subject to various environmental factors. In order for solid wood products to last as long as possible, they need proper care and attention! During long-term storage, wooden products must be protected from impacts, scratches, water, aggressive substances, direct exposure to the sun, fire, as well as sudden changes in temperature and humidity of the surrounding air. Thanks to the observance of such conditions, wooden products will serve you for more than one year.

    Let’s talk a little more about the climate in the room. For wooden products, a room temperature of 18-24C (60-75F) is required, otherwise, there is a high probability of uneven drying of wood and deformation (torsion) of wooden parts. The relative humidity regime in the range of 40-65% is also important. Humidity and immense dryness are equally harmful to natural wood. Under their influence, all the qualities of a tree change, far from being for the better. If the humidity is too high, the impregnation will fade on wooden furniture, and unpleasant stains may appear. On the contrary, with excessive dryness in the room, such furniture may crack over time. The distance from wooden furniture to any external heat source (batteries, domestic heaters, etc.) must be at least 3 feet. Unless it is one of our custom Wooden Radiator Covers. The close location of carpentry structures to highly heated heaters, gas stoves, fireplaces increase the risk of drying out and the formation of numerous cracks. We also do not suggest placing wooden products near damp walls and in unheated rooms! In very dry weather, the use of humidifiers is recommended in some cases. The role of humidifiers can be performed not only by specialized devices but also by various shade-loving plants (for example, "weeping" vines), as well as some home climate controls. Also, try not to place wooden furnishings in areas of the room that are directly exposed to ultraviolet light. Protect solid wood furniture from various types of mechanical impact: strong impacts, careless movements, collisions, etc. Due to such actions, a table, chest of drawers, or chair can be severely damaged - a dent, chip, scratch, or other defective traces will remain on the wood. Arrange wooden furniture so that it does not interfere with movement around the room as much as possible.

    Furniture loosening prevention. Where possible, try to tighten the metal fasteners of furniture at least once a year - special screws, ordinary screws, etc. This will significantly reduce the risk of loosening individual elements of the furniture structure. Also, do not allow water to get into joints or gaps between furniture components, otherwise, the furniture may come apart. For example, in excessively damp rooms, it is better to paste over the back walls of cabinets with special wax paper that absorbs moisture. Or in most cases, during installation, most professional technicians use silicone molding. If you have any question for taking care of your product just hit the link Contact Us

    Rules to apply to furniture and Art while cleaning. Wooden products with a varnished wooden surface must be wiped two or three times a week with a dry, soft, and clean rag or cloth (cloth, velvet, flannel, etc.). It is not practical to use a damp rag to wipe polished furniture models and wipe the wood exclusively with water or soapy water, as moisture “removes” the natural shine of the wood and forms stains. If you still need to wipe the lacquered furniture, then use the essence of ammonia (1 tsp alcohol / 6 tsp water). Wood glory is well renewed with a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice (or wine vinegar) in a ratio of 1:2. Spray the mixture over the surface with a spray bottle and rub it gently with flannel or velvet. One of the main principles of caring for furniture made of wood is to minimize the time of exposure to harmful factors. It is necessary to constantly monitor it, to prevent moisture from getting on it, and if something is spilled, then immediately remove everything, and not leave it for later. Furniture care products have come a long way, some of them have amazing restorative functions. They do get pricy so where conventional methods still stay strong with professionals. When purchasing a special product for the care of wooden furniture in a store, be sure to specify which coatings it is intended for. Do not use chemicals containing any solvents, abrasives, or other impurities harmful to wood, including washing powder or laundry soap. The most popular means for caring for solid wood art & furniture are a variety of creams, pigmented synthetic polishes, special oils (often linseed), as well as wax pastes and aerosols. In any case, do not apply polish too often, but only occasionally, as the wood wears. Try not to use water-based products - because of them, multiple thin nets may appear on the furniture. It is also not recommended to wipe wooden structures with silicone pastes, as they cause the wooden base to age quickly. Another rule is that the most popular synthetic polishes are only suitable for lacquered furniture. So what ever your cleaning needs are here at ArtMillWork Design we know a lot about caring for your wood product! Contact Us for any questions you may have!