How to Preserve Your Wood Furniture

Whether it is your beloved dining room table that you paid some serious bucks for or an antique rocking chair that has been passed down in your family, no doubt you want your wood furniture for several years to come. While wood furniture can last for a long time, proper care and maintenance can ensure that it looks good throughout the years. Here is how you can protect your favorite wood pieces:

Things to Avoid:

  • Sunlight: Believe it or not, the sun pouring in from a nearby window can damage your wood furniture over time. Therefore, you will want to avoid placing your favorite pieces near exposed windows where direct sunlight can alter the color of the wood stain. If you have to put a piece of wood furniture near a window, consider adding blackout shades or curtain to help prevent sunlight from affecting the furniture.
  • Water: Try your best to not expose your wood furniture to water even during cleaning. Drinking glasses can leave behind sweat rings that are nearly impossible to remove once they are ingrained in the wood surface.
  • Heating Vents: You probably never thought your heating vents could pose a danger to your wood furniture, but it actually can. Avoid putting pieces near or over a heating vent. Heat can also damage the finish of wood finish and completely dry out the material. Instead, try placing the furniture in the center of the room.
  • Humidity: Heating is not the only natural force that can erode wood finishes, but changes in humidity levels could ruin a beautiful piece of wood furniture. If you can, try to keep humidity levels at 40-60%. Anything above those levels can make a wood piece warp causing the finishing to crack and chip.

How to Protect Wood Furniture

  • Tablecloths: Wood tabletops often take a beating. The best way to protect such a surface is to use a tablecloth because it will protect against stains and marks.
  • Polishing: Depending on the finish of the wood, you should only require polishing 1-2 times a year.
  • Dusting: Dust can easily mix in with the humidity lingering in the air. When it settles onto your wood furniture, it can potentially damage the surface. To prevent this, make sure you dust as often as you can.

We hope you find these tips and tricks useful. For more informative pieces, please visit us at Fulton Homes.