Time changes
The wood is very sensitive to water and changes in relative humidity. As the weather changes from season to season, so the humidity in your home and even the moisture content of your wood furniture. This situation causes the wood to expand and contract with each change of humidity. The purpose of the surface, is to minimize the effects of changes in moisture and seals the wood. Wood can moderate conditions of around 65-75 degrees Celsius with a relativeHumidity of about 45 percent to 55 percent. Most homes today have ventilation systems that provide a humidifier in winter when the air humidity "dry" and an air conditioner in summer, to remove moisture when the air "wet". If there is no need to maintain this optimal state, but the temperature and humidity constant, even if they are too high or too low, it is much better than frequent changes and / or sudden. Furniture can deteriorate quickly if a basement (high humidity), Penthouse(High Heat), non-air conditioned garages or warehouses or storage units (constant changing conditions). Excess heat and drought can cause split wood and / or crack. Keep furniture away from direct heat such as radiators, wood stoves and air ducts. If you need to make your furniture near a heat source, use a shield or a switch to divert or direct heat. The wood is very likely that checks (cracks), when suddenly the air in your home from hot and humid to cold and dry.Frequent and sudden changes in temperature and humidity are especially dangerous.
Here are some tips for dealing with moisture:
Furniture can better manage variations in temperature and humidity when they occur gradually. Sudden changes such as opening a vacation home, or put items Non-air conditioned storage in warm winter from your home can be a problem to your decor. If an air conditioner at home, it is better to keep out the humid air intake to a minimum.Do not open the windows to "air" to the house in the days of the fair. Add a humidifier or evaporation unit to your heating system to stabilize the moisture during the dry months of winter cold. Use dehumidifiers in damp environments and during prolonged periods of rain to remove excess moisture from the air.
Sunlight
The ultraviolet rays of the Sun damage surfaces including wood and stain and bleach. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can break the surface, sometimesin a model similar to what looks like broken glass. Try to maintain furniture in direct sunlight. If this is not possible, reduce the amount of light falling on each piece of furniture. Operation is subject to the curtains, curtains or blinds to direct sunlight during the day to block the furniture. The use of UV-screening of the movie dramatically reduce long-term effect of bleaching and is well worth the investment. Uniformly expose surfaces to light. Avoid being hit, the sun is only one part of aSurface. Occasionally lamps, doilies and other objects so the wood bleaches uniformly moving. Cover furniture with sheets and blankets if you leave the house for several months at a time. Move the furniture on a regular basis, so that the same piece is not exposed to light all the time. However, some bleaching may be desirable. Antique collectors actually look for the rich, soft tones that can not get faded, especially walnut and rosewood.
Cleaning
Carefully select the wood careProducts. There are a lot of confusion about what to use wood-care products. Store shelves are stacked with countless brands of wax, polish, spray and oil. Clever marketing techniques, tell us where the use of the product because it "feeds" the wood as it cleans and protects well. Unless your system is unfinished, or the destination is worn out and exhausted, when cleaning the furniture they are actually cleaning the surface, not wood. There is absolutely no way for a cleaning product"Feed", "feed" or wood because the wood is sealed and protected from the target. Proper maintenance extends the life of a surface. Waxing makes the surface slippery surface of the furniture so that objects slide along with no scratches and dust do not adhere. The wax protects the surface and protects the wood surface. To clean, simply wipe borrowed freely with a soft, damp (not wet). Be careful with water to clean the wood. Water is the worst enemy of wood. Wood should never get wet or damp.Water can cause swelling, warping or satin, if it enters one end. Most surfaces are water repellent, not waterproof. Use secure coasters, pillows, towels or bishop against spills and water rings. Before you consult a professional cleaning of valuable antiques and heirlooms.
Pollination
What is the best way to maintain my furniture? Ask five different people, and you'll get five different answers. But most "experts" on some basics. First you must always remember is your momRight: Dust frequently. Keep away from feather. Simply move the dust around, threw him into the air from one element to another. Broken springs have sharp edges and was able to scratch the finish. Some types of abrasive powder are so rare dusting can be done, and create a matte finish over the years. Dust can accumulate in carvings, cracks and grooves and see an unattractive "white". The dust collection is ultimately difficult to remove. This "gray" look often copied from finishingwith wax mixed with powdered pumice or rotten, an age considered element (we are not intelligent!).
Use a clean cloth and washable made of soft cotton cloth. My favorites are the cotton diapers, old T-shirt or other soft cotton cloth. Scratch could be sure to use old clothes, all the hooks, buckles, buttons and zippers, the surfaces must be removed. Do not use a cloth to reveal the ends or edges ago. These can be taken into splinters of wood, veneer or loose belts, and pull it out.
Pollinationwith a dry cloth is abrasive and eventually the matte finish. A dry cloth is not really much to remove the dust. Sprinkling a few drops of water on the cloth dust. The trick is, the cloth just enough to moisten the dust attached to them. The cloth should not be so tight that it is the goal (in which streaks water) wet. If traces of water on the wood after you can see, clean up your wet towel. Do not use spray-on dusting aid or polish. Most of them contain water with an emulsifiertake a type of oil, or contain silicones. This type of oil is used in most commercial furniture sprays and polishes.
Remove dust with a soft, oval motions along the grain of the wood. Turn or fold the cloth frequently so you do not just move dust and dirt from one place to another. Lift, not slide, lamps and objects to dust them.
Scratch Prevention
Lift, not slide, objects on finished surfaces. Objects on trivets, tablecloths, doilies or others coversProtect the surface. Use felt the bottom of lamps and other decorative items. Especially ceramic objects, because they are very abrasive. Avoid bright red felt, because its color can penetrate into the wood through the finish. Use glue, water-based glue the felt on the objects. Some chemicals used in self-adhesive strip of felt can cause a reaction that dissolves the finish or soft. Use a tablecloth or placemats to protect the end plates and cutlery.
Chemical exposure
KeepProducts solvents such as nail polish remover, alcohol and solvents away from furniture, because it will damage the finish. Alcohol in colognes, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, as well as wine, beer and spirits. Your sweat and body oils can also damage a finish over time. Plants and flower nectar or pollen, just touching the surface can also cause permanent stains. Over-watering a plant can cause permanent stains if the manure seeps into the water released through the surface of theWood. Placing hot items of furniture, a chemical change in the surface, which results in white rings or spots.
Do not leave plastic objects lying on finished surfaces. Color plastic tablecloths, appliance covers, food wrappers, plastic mats and toys can stain the surface and penetrate into the wood over time. There may be a chemical reaction between some types of plastics processing and idiot, they stick together causing damage to the surface, if it is pulled out. Ionce repaired a closet after the customer places a pair of leather gloves, as on the shelf in spring and could not be removed this fall.
Move
Lift, not slide heavy furniture especially carpets. After a short time a heavy object flattens out the carpet and padding under the legs or base. Pull or a slider with some of his standing in the "crater" is often too slow. Wooden puzzle pieces on the ground can damage the floor. Furniture legs may or may notProtective glides along them. The sliders are used in the factory to make it easier to scroll through items, without the legs on hard surfaces. They are not there to protect in the first place in the production process helps the soil.
To polish brass
First, it is really made of brass? Most modern hardware is a brass plating over a steel frame. Take a small magnet from the refrigerator and see if it crashes to the brass. If so, its not solid brass and nickel. Severe polishing of a plated articleoften removes the lining of steel reveled. Be careful, polished and very easy for this type of hardware.
Some brass, solid gold and was designed to be an obscure "ancient" and should look. A chemical solution is applied, the return to the brass color. This is the most expensive hardware-less plated seen.
Solid brass hardware on furniture and now has a protective matte finish. Probably will not start for a very long time and isonly to be dusted off again. If the brass starts and you want to remove it, polish the brass at first, so that does not damage the surface of brass cleaner. Otherwise your brass cleaner / polish seams to work, it may be that there is an area of protection for brass, which must be removed first. After polishing, it is advisable to apply a new coating opaque. Brass will tarnish rapidly when exposed to air.
Wax Build-up
Ear wax by the growth of the past not often seen today.Since most people were sold on the "benefits" and convince them of oil or spray polishes. Very few people in North America today, real wax.
Construction of wax for a long period of time. Its usually only seen in the cracks and corners where it can not be deleted or if wax is used too much, and then accumulated. In the same areas where there is dust, too. The set is a mixture of dust and wax no actual or potential risk of damage to furniture. There is a problemAesthetics alone. Some people prefer to look at the patina of age.
Remove the old wax with solvents that dissolve the wax is made and then cleaned with a clean cloth. The procedure is often several times in order to get a thorough cleaning before a new layer of wax is applied through out. This method is best for workers who leave work in a well ventilated.
Also read: wax, polish, oil: What's the best?
Drawers
It 'important to monitor your mobileDrawer for utensils and damage every few years, or if you attack or are difficult to open. Pull each drawer and check the runner slides, he stops and guides. Not all the drawers, all systems have these components. Some drawers have metal runners and some other wood, only to slide on the container frame. To lubricate the metal parts with a small amount of grease or petroleum jelly to light lubrication points and bearings. Wood, wood parts with a candle or a block of paraffinLubricate all areas where wood rubbing on wood. Some systems have drawers open center of a forest with a guide sheet of plastic or metal or plastic optical fiber cable only in the left and right sides of the drawer. For this type of wax only wood that goes against the guides. If a drawer is too much in the closet, the drawers are not broken or missing and must be repaired.
Do not crush the extra clothes in a drawer full. Exhibitors can set the weight, but the additional burden ofthe friction can slow down or clothing caught on the edge of the component tray or veneer chipped. Use some discretion in the amount of weight you put in a large tray. You may be able to book a lot, but do not hold more weight. If it is a proper function and greased tray hard to open, it is probably too much weight in it. Drawers, which should have two handles are opened with two runners on and the door to prevent damage. Pull to lose, and replace the screws that hold the missingHardware. Hardware melted mars the surface and the grooves of the wood. All the joints loose and broken parts should be repaired as soon as possible to avoid further damage. Drawers, which swells in the summer months, stick with more moisture in the air. This occurs most frequently in the drawers that are unfinished or sealed inside. They should be adapted to be really fit, then sealed to prevent a recurrence. Try not to open the locked drawer or drawers slamming members, because they are oftenserious damage.
Doors
There are two types of doors for furniture. Sliding and hinged doors. A sliding door may be glass or wood. It plugs into a slot or grove (above and below), which is sometimes lined with a plastic part. These doors require little maintenance. If they can not easily push them need a little 'of fat. Most of the sliding doors, like other drummers can, by increasing the gate in the top slot, so that it clears the bottom slot to remove, then drag the bottomout the door and follow the tip. Lubricate the door openings and edges, which in the slots with paste wax or paraffin for ports that are adapted to fit into a wood timber. A small amount of Vaseline works well for glass doors in a plastic track. Tambour sliding walls are made of small strips of wood with a cloth support that they slide around the corner and trace the shape of furniture (a desk rolltop is an example) in the form of an arch. The best way to lubricatethat is, sliding the plate to the bottom, then lubricate the track (slot / grove). Around a drum, you must remove at least the back and often also to remove other parts. The removal or repair should be performed by a specialist usually drums.
There are a number of things that are not a cause of the door wing proper fit. One of the most common problems is that the cabinet is not level and retain the top or bottom edges of doors or rub on the mobile frame. This is easy to solve.Large wooden cabinets are flexible and will conform to the shape of the floor or carpet. To test whether the leveling problem is the look at the top of the doors when you see two doors, the upper edges of the doors in a straight line with each other and should have the same distance from the frame of the housing gap. A plane from the closet doors have edges that are diagonally (both doors in the same direction), narrowing gap with a distance from one end to another door. To correct aProblem leveling, the thickness of the front leg on the side where the gap is the smallest distance or the back leg, where the distance is by far the largest. I use a piece of cardboard as a liner, folding it on itself several times (trial and error method) to achieve the correct thickness to align the door properly.
A door that is closed will not remain a nuisance. Here is a list of things that cause this problem.
The case is bent forward. Do not laugh, it happens a lot. WhenEnsure a closet in a room with carpet, has not set their hind legs on the walls, the carpet strips. This leads us to bend forward. Check the extended for leveling, which are on his back legs. The case has caused the level of the door does not begin to align. The door is "hinge connected". This happens when the cuts mortis in the door and / or structure of the cabinet to mount the hinges so the hinge of the door to hit the deep endCabinet frame. The hinges must be shown in order to solve the problem. The port is "bound to screw". This is similar to hinge attached to the door can not close the whole way. The screws of the hinges are large or the wrong way (round head instead of a flat head). The heads of the screw (s) to the door near the hinge and the one that hit the side of the frame to another without having to close the door. The door catch broken, missing or worn.
Loose or missing bolts and hingesCauses problems to adapt the door. Double-door meeting at the center, single door cabinets are rubbing against the top of the cabinet and both have to rub or pull on the floor. Often the wear of the paint. To check for loose screws to open a door for a short distance and keep up with one hand and the floor with your other hand. Tilt up and down. If the hinges are loose, it feels to move the door and hears the sound of the bolt strikes the metalHinges.
One more thing. Be careful to open cabinets with doors. The weight of the door (s) in the open position, the body can fall forward! Modern furniture does not come with a warning label, but the old and antique objects. You can secure the cabinet to the wall or the floor with screws or load it with heavy objects to counterbalance the weight of the doors. I have several reports of people injured when he opened the heavy glass doors and listened to his government fell.
Glass andMirrors
There is not much maintenance needed for glass or mirrors. Clean only with your favorite glass cleaner. The proper way to clean glass for furniture, the cleaners on the cloth, not directly on the glass itself, so ammonia spray glass cleaner and alcohol a few times. The over-spray, which is located on the surface of wood panels over the ravages of time.
To consider some thoughts on re-silvering mirrors and beveled glass. And 'much less expensiveReplacing a mirror as re-silver, if the edge is beveled. The rounded edges can be expensive, because many glass shops do this kind of work. Sends it to a third party and the price mark-ups. There are a number of franchise-type restaurant, re-silvering are in-house and some of them dive off the job. The "look" of an old glass, which again has a pretty good silver gilt, which is very desirable antiques. I have seen severalre-silvered mirrors, which have deteriorated in a relatively short time. Find out what is guaranteed with a re-silvering of work before you commit to do the job. Re-mirroring is a good choice if you were an old glass (it suddenly looks "wavy" glass from the old type of work. The molten glass from the oven and stretched to a thickness, as it cooled. Make new glass the same way, but it passes through pairs of steel rollers, so that is a very smooth surface and consistentThickness).
