Ten Questions about Furniture Care & Maintenance

1)      How do I take care of the finish on this piece?

The saying “less is more” is the best answer for this question. A dusting every other week (or monthly if it doesn’t bother you too much) is about all the regular care you need to give your furniture. One thing we recommend in my shop is to apply a good quality paste wax once a year to protect the finish and give it a good shine. Don’t go using commercial spray waxes and polishes. They do nothing for your furniture and are especially messy if you spray it over a waxed finish. If there is any dried food or dirt residue on the surface, you can use a water dampened soft cloth to remove it and dry it with another soft “tee shirt” type cloth.

We offer an on-site furniture evaluation and maintenance program depending upon your needs. Please contact us to discuss your needs and we can come and give you a free assessment.

2)      How much is this worth?

Many people are always curious what something they own is worth, especially things they inherited. Well, the answer to this is  more involved than you’d expect. For a quick answer I’ll tell you that there are different “levels of value.” Think about it…there’s “replacement cost,” which is what it would cost to replace the item. This is basically the retail value and you would use this for insurance coverage.  Then there is the “fair market value,” which is the price someone would pay for the item if you were to sell it. This is almost a “wholesale” value since no one would likely pay you retail for something you’re selling. They want a “deal.” It gets even more complicated when you discuss the circumstances of the sale, but that’s something you’d need an appraiser for. One way for you to get an idea of an items value is to look on eBay for a comparable item that has sold. Don’t look at the asking price, look for the price of sold items only. This is the fair market value.

We are able to offer value consultations or a full appraisal if you desire. Contact us to discuss your needs.

3)      How do I remove the whitish mark on my table top?

There are several ways to remove the white hazy ring or spot that the hot coffee mug or hot pizza box made on your table. This “blush” or “bloom” mark as it is called, is moisture in the wood that is trapped just under the surface of the finish. The sooner you try to remove this mark after it happens the easier it will be to remove, though it can still be stubborn and take some work to get out completely. The least invasive way is to rub a mild abrasive such as non-gel toothpaste mixed with some baking soda or some cooking oil mixed with ashes. You can rub a small spot using your finger or use a soft cloth on larger areas. Another way which has excellent results is to place a soft cloth or towel over the spot and iron it carefully for 10 – 20 seconds at a time with the iron at a medium setting. Start there and you can always turn the iron up a bit if needed. Always keep the iron moving and check your progress frequently. Another method if the spot is fresh is to use a hair dryer on a medium heat setting and move back and forth over the spot. The warm air will release the moisture that is trapped just beneath the surface of the finish.

If you aren’t successful or unsure about doing this yourself please contact us to come and give you a free consultation and we can usually repair the finish right in your home or business.

4)      Is solid wood better than veneer on furniture?

There is no right answer to this question. Solid wood, especially the quality hardwoods are beautiful in their own right, but you can only get certain exotic wood patterns in veneer.  Modern machine cut veneers are fairly thin between 1/50th and 1/32nd of an inch. Veneers on antique furniture made before the second  industrial revolution (1850) tend to be thicker up to 1/4 inch because they were hand cut.

Many people think veneers evolved as a means to create furniture for less money, when in reality it was quite the opposite. Veneering was and still is a method of furniture construction, that allows for very elaborate decoration. Thin layers of bone, shell, and precious metals as well as wood have all been used to create highly priced and highly prized pieces of work. In many cases, veneers were the only possible way to use certain kinds of wood. Burls, for instance, are too weak to use as furniture components unless they are applied over a stronger wood as an undersupport. Some species of wood are so rare that you would only find them as a veneer.

5)      How do I repair a loose piece of veneer?

If the piece of veneer is loose and lifting slightly you just need to make sure it is clean on the underside by sliding a thin knife or spatula. Blow some air behind it if possible to remove any dirt. Then using the same knife or spatula apply some wood glue or Elmers white glue (unless you have hide glue) to the back side and use a clamp or even a tightly wrapped piece of tape to hold the veneer flat. I recommend that you first try to “dry” fit the veneer into position before applying the glue to make sure the fit is as good as possible.

Remember to have a professional do the job correctly if you are not up to doing it yourself, especially when you have a valuable antique or piece of fine furniture. We’ll come and give you a free consultation.

6)      Can you lighten the color of this piece without stripping?

The simple answer is no. In order to lighten a piece of wood furniture you must remove the finish, sand the wood lightly to help remove any stain color and return to the natural color. If the wood is still darker than you desire, you may bleach it to get a lighter color. Then the finish can be applied.

Refinishing is a difficult and time consuming process which we can do easily for you in our professional workshop and finishing room. To get the best results possible please contact us for a free consultation.

7)      Can you darken the color of this piece without stripping?

Yes, it is possible to darken a finish by applying a “dyed” finish over the existing one. This is not the best way to go about darkening a piece of furniture since it’s not as durable and permanent as stripping off the old finish, staining the wood darker and applying a new finish.

Contact us to have your item professionally colored or refinished.

8)      How do I glue a loose leg on my chair?

Not by just squeezing some glue into the opening of the joint! Many people try this, but it is only a temporary fix at best. It will certainly fail in no time. The best (and only) way to properly glue a loose joint on a chair or any item is to take the item apart as much as possible, clean the old glue off the wood and apply fresh wood glue. The joint should be clamped fairly tightly to close the joint up for the strongest possible repair. Chairs can be very challenging to re-glue since all the joints are interdependent and it can be both time-consuming and difficult to take the chair apart without additional breakage.

If the job is too much for you please contact us and we can do it for you the proper way.

9)      How old is this piece?

Being able to answer this question takes a bit of knowledge and experience. You need to be somewhat of a furniture “detective” to be able to help identify the age of an item  from specific design and construction traits. Knowledge of furniture styles alone is not enough since many styles were recreated at different periods. Construction methods and woods used can tell a lot more. Additionally, if the hardware and metal fasteners (screws and nails) are known to be  original, they can tell you a lot about the age of the piece.

Our knowledge as professional furniture restorers can help you identify the age of your furniture if you’d like. Please contact us to see if we can help.

10)   How can I cover scratches and marks on my furniture?

One of the quickest ways to hide minor scuffs, scrapes and scratches is to use an appropriately colored paste wax over the area. Many times this is enough to hide the marks. Additionally, if you use a wood touch up marker on the spots before applying the wax it will do an even better job at hiding them. As professional furniture restorers we have several other ways to cover and touch up marks with a more permanent material that is appropriate to the age and finish on the item.

Contact us if you need this service. We are able to do much of this right in your home or business.