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Whether it is your grandfather's rocking chair or your mother's chestnut hope chest, enjoying family heirlooms means taking care of them over the years. Fighting the inevitable wear on older furniture or even on new furniture, may seem like a daunting task, but with a little bit of attention and care, you can help prevent wood age-lines. These heirlooms can be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Taking a few simple precautions and care when handling your furniture can help prevent needless damage. There are two main reasons wood surfaces begin to show age over time: environmental factors including light and moisture, and neglecting to clean and treat surfaces.

Like sunlight, the amount of moisture in the air can have devastating effects on wood furniture over time. Changes in humidity can cause wood to shrink and swell as the content of water in the air changes. This movement slowly distorts parts of furniture and may lead to warp-age.

Storing furniture in damp places such as basements or sheds can cause this warping to occur at a faster pace. Keeping humidity at a stable level is best achieved by using a de-humidifier in the summer and humidifying in the winter.

Enjoying your favorite rocking chair while a stream of sunlight shines through your window may be an ideal resting-place for you, but it may not be healthy for the chair. Light damage can cause bleaching and other forms of discoloration to wood surfaces.

To prevent needless wear, and keep it looking great over time, the following tips are recommended:

• Approximately once a month, moisturize unsealed wood with an oil. This can help protect wood against drying and cracking. It also helps to preserve the genuine beauty of your wood.

• To clean, shine and protect finished wood surfaces, use a furniture polish once a week. When used regularly, your furniture gets better protection with no residue build-up.

• Utilize a scratch cover in a color that closely matches your wood. This will help restore damaged wood surfaces and hide nicks and scratches.

• It is best to use leather or felt coasters under objects that will be standing for a long period of time, as well as under any liquid containers.

• If discoloration due to exposure to sunlight or dampness appears on the wood, apply a polish as soon as possible. If the discoloration is left too long, you may have to sand the wood before reapplying oil and wax.

• Maintaining the beauty of wood is a task that demands attention, but keeping family heirlooms and family heirlooms to-be in good condition, will be worth the effort now and in the future.

(Based on Net resources)

Published on 13/3/2002

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