|

Consumers can spend thousands of dollars on their fine
wood furnishings. Listed below are some tips on how you can preserve your wood
furniture investment for many years to come.
Keep in mind that the number one enemy of wood furniture is moisture. Never
allow liquids of any kind to remain on the wood surface. If your piece has a
veneer top, moisture will cause it to lift and crack. Solid wood pieces are also
subject to cracking and swelling. Further, never use any cleaner with ammonia.
Ammonia will chemically attack the finish.
Wood furniture is manufactured to sit level from side to side and front to back.
If you have doors that do not align or close properly, or drawers that bind, try
to level the furniture with wood shims or something similar. If drawers still
bind, try coating the drawer slide with bar soap or candle wax.
can be distinguished
by the surface sheen (from dull to shiny), and the fact that the texture of the
wood grain comes through the finish (you can actually feel the graining when you
move your hand over the surface). The wood can be either solid or a veneer (very
thin sheets of wood laminated to plywood or particle board.) Quality furniture
polish will nourish your wood furniture. Be sure that the polish you use
contains no silicones and is non- acidic. The polish will penetrate the finish
thus maintaining the natural beauty of the wood. Follow the instructions
carefully listed on the polish container.
can be
distinguished by a high-gloss finish and a very smooth surface (almost like a
glass finish). "Lacquer" finished furniture is usually finished with
polyurethane. Such finishes are primarily sold in white or black. Since the
surface is like glass, no polishes will penetrate the surface to nourish the
wood. Cleaning can be accomplished with a soft damp cloth. If necessary, use a
surface cleaner that does not contain ammonia. Once again, stay away from
ammonia with your furniture cleaning. Ammonia on lacquer will cloud the finish.
There are many types of .
One type is a photograph of wood laminated to a particleboard base. It is then
sprayed with lacquer and should be cared for the same as Lacquer Finish above.
The other type is vinyl, low-pressure laminate, or high-pressure laminate (such
as Formica) that is bonded to a particleboard base. The surface of these
laminates is not sprayed with lacquer, but rather the surface of the laminate is
the finished product. Cleaning this surface can once again be done with a soft
damp cloth.
An t is when an oil type
finish is rubbed directly onto the wood surface with no other type of sealer
applied over it. You can distinguish this type of finish by the lack of sheen
and the fact that the grain is exposed. Clean the finish with penetrating oil
such as Watco Stain Oil. You can then protect the surface with a wood wax or
bee's wax.
|