HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE
Care, Placement & Maintenance
CARE
CLEANING
The finish is durable and resistant to most household spills. However, spills should be wiped up promptly to avoid potential problems. For most routine cleaning, a soft cloth dampened with warm, soapy water will do the trick. The use of well-formulated cleaning products, without abrasives, can be effective for those tougher cleaning tasks. If using these products, a follow-up with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth will help extensively. Remember that it is important to frequently refold the cloth to a clean side as it becomes dirty. A soiled, damp cloth can redeposit soil on the finish.
FABRIC CARE
Remove dust and dry stains with a vacuum cleaner or a soft brush attachment every 10-15 days. Dab spills with a soft, clean, white cloth or absorbent paper towel. If possible, do not let spills dry.
APPLY WAX TO HEAVY USE AREAS
The tops of tables and arms of chairs can take a good beating during use, try to apply wax to these areas every 2-3 months. Applying the wax will keep the furniture looking its best for longer.
Don’t stress about waxing constantly, we use quality hardwoods and a good finish that will do 90% of the work. The wax is just a good added protection layer. Our Redridge Board Butter works great for this!
DUST AND CLEAN OFTEN
This will prevent scratches and any dirt or grim getting ground into the wood grain.
You can use most commercially available dusters or dusting sprays, products like pledge are good to use because they prevent the dust from scratching as well as add a light layer of protection.
USE COASTERS OR TRAYS
Your parent’s always told you to do it, but now that you’re paying for the furniture it’s up to you to remind your guests. White rings from cold glasses or burns from hot plates are very hard to repair so the best option is to avoid them.
PLACEMENT
KEEP FURNITURE AWAY FROM HEATERS, VENTS, AND UNCOVERED WINDOWS
You want to make sure that warm air is not constantly being blown over a single area of your furniture. The warm air or radiant heat will cause the wood to dry out and crack. In some cases the wood will begin to contract and expand erratically, quite literally ripping the piece apart from the inside.
Similar effects can be caused by having your furniture in front of a window where it is constantly heated by sunlight.
Some furniture can be placed over heater vents but these pieces are usually designed with a lot of airflow in mind to avoid the above issues
AVOID PLACING IN AREAS WITH CONSTANTLY CHANGING HUMIDITY (BATHROOMS, POOL ROOMS, ETC.)
Humidity is the enemy of straight wood, you might notice that when it rains some moving components on your furniture tighten up. Generally when the rain ends the pieces will move back into their proper position. If you place solid wood furniture in a bathroom, it never gets a chance to dry out properly, and eventually, all the components will move enough to damage the piece.
If you are looking for furniture for a bathroom please make sure to specify that.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR FURNITURE OUTSIDE
(UNLESS IT’S OUTDOOR RATED)
If it’s a nice day and you want to carry your furniture outside to sit on your patio, go ahead. Any piece of furniture can be taken outside when the conditions are dry and it won’t be in direct sunlight for more than a few hours.
A common misconception is that “because wood grows outside it can be kept outside”. Sadly a tree is much different than a piece of furniture made with milled lumber and intricate joinery. Most woods when kept outside will begin to rot and deteriorate which leads to your beautiful piece of furniture breaking.
MAINTENANCE
SEIZING HINGES
Simply apply a small amount of light-duty oil like 3-in-1 oil to the top of the hinge. Be careful with the amount of oil as excess may stain the surrounding wood. Let the oil penetrate for 2-3 minutes then slowly open and close the door.
CUSHIONS
I do not apply any protective coatings to fabric items on my furniture. If you want extra protection you can use Scotch Guard or similar products following the manufacturer’s guidelines.
RE-FINISHING
Every 12-15 years you’ll want to re-finish your furniture in order to keep it looking its best. You’ll know it’s time to refinish if the wood looks raw or flat in color.
Re-Finishing is an easy process with my furniture though and should be a fun one-day task rather than a stressful experience.
Before you do any re-finishing please email me with pictures of your furniture.
First, you’ll need to purchase the right oil,
Cheap Option – Boiled Linseed Oil from any big box store
Best Option – Tried & True Original or Varnish Oil
Tried & True Oil is what your piece was finished with initially, it can be bought at most woodworking stores or Lee Valley. One can will last you a long time, just make sure you store it following the instructions on the can.
Start by lightly sanding the entire piece with 220 grit sandpaper, always following the direction of the wood grain. When you contact me, I will point out areas that may need extra sanding work. The important thing to remember is that you are not trying to sand the piece you are prepping for the finish, if your piece is damaged see the next section.
Clean of all dust with compressed air or tack cloth.
Lightly apply oil to all areas, let the oil sit for 60 minutes, before wiping off any excess. Do 2 coats for lightly used areas and at least 3 coats for heavily used areas.
Safety: If you decide to use Boiled Linseed Oil from a big box store make sure to wear gloves, clean any oil off your skin quickly and re-finish in a well-ventilated area as these oils generally contain dangerous chemicals.
If you use Tried & True Oils, use gloves for comfort. Tried & True doesn’t have any dangerous chemicals so you don’t need to worry about getting it on your skin or using it inside. No matter what oil you use make sure to soak all rags in water outdoors for at least 12 hours before disposal. All oil finishes release heat as they dry and have the potential to spontaneously combust.
REPAIRS
If something breaks on your pieces of furniture please contact me, in most cases, I can offer at home repairs. If the damage is serious I can bring the piece back to the shop for repairs, please note depending on the damage you may be charged for the cost of the repair.