*Furniture Care, Helpful Tips and Tricks

· Avoid extreme humidity levels in your home, as furniture woods don't take kindly to excessively dry air or extremely high humidity. To protect your solid hardwood furniture, use a humidifier and/or air conditioner to maintain a humidity level in your home between 25 and 35 percent.

· Never place hardwood furniture in direct sunlight day after day. Additionally, do not place it in front of heat runs, wood burning stoves or radiators.

· In adjusting to major changes in temperature and humidity, hardwoods exchange moisture with the air. Solid hardwood furniture will respond to extremely dry air by losing moisture and shrinking a bit. Without affecting the table's strength or sturdiness, tabletop halves may part slightly, but they will close again when it becomes more humid.

· During wintry weather, think about what happens to your skin. These harsh conditions also affect your furniture. When the air becomes very dry, tiny openings may appear on solid wood surfaces. When the humidity rises, they will close again because the wood absorbs the moisture and swells.

· Before they are used in furniture, solid hardwoods are slowly and carefully dried, just enough natural moisture remains to heighten the wood's performance as a time honored furniture material.

· No piece of wood looks exactly like another in coloration or grain variety, as no two trees are alike. This is one of the wonderful qualities of hardwood that gives each piece an air of uniqueness. Therefore, the solid hardwood furniture you saw in the showroom will not be identical to that being delivered to your home.

· When moving your solid hardwood furniture, you should avoid dragging it. Additionally, don't yank or slam doors, drawers or lids. When storing your filler leaves, try to store them as close as possible to the table itself. Perhaps an upstairs closet rather than a damp basement.

· Dust frequently, using a clean, soft cloth. When cleaning or dusting, always clean with the grain of the wood. In order to avoid scratches, take extra care to lift objects and never drag or slide them across the surface.

· While you may use a mild soap and water solution to clean a spill, you should always make sure the surface is completely dry. Avoid the use of strong detergents and never use a glass cleaner to clean your hardwood furniture. Over applying waxes or polishes will create a buildup and actually attract dust and could eventually damage the surface by causing the wood to dry out. Only use products that contain natural ingredients.

· Always use a coaster or pad to prevent damage from hot casseroles, wet glasses, and heavy objects. Avoid leaving rubber or vinyl mats on the surface as this may cause yellowing or may soften the finish.

· Be especially careful of perfume, alcohol, solvents, and nail polish. Blot spills immediately using a dabbing motion. Do not rub.

· Never attempt to make major repairs to any finished surface without the advice and assistance of a professional.

Wood Furniture Care and Cleaning

Heat, Humidity and Wood

Did you know that up to half the weight of freshly sawn wood is water? Furniture is crafted from wood that is carefully dried, retaining just enough moisture for the furniture to properly acclimate to the relative humidity in your home. The wood in furniture continues to exchange moisture with the air, shrinking and expanding in response to changes in relative humidity Like your own skin, solid wood furniture's natural response to extremely dry air is to lose moisture and shrink a bit The halves of an extension table may part slightly or a few tiny openings may appear on a solid wood surface. This will correct itself as the relative humidity rises, and the wood absorbs enough moisture to expand slightly. On the other hand, if you don't have an air conditioner or dehumidifier, your home's relative humidity may get too high. Parts of your wood furniture may absorb excess moisture from the air and expand, perhaps causing drawers to stick. Once again, this will correct itself as your home's relative humidity decreases. The furniture's quality and sturdiness are not affected by these natural changes.

The type of finish on the wood, not the type of wood, determines how to care for it, clean it, and repair damage; so know what kind of finish it has. Finishes may be soft (oils) or hard (lacquer, shellac, varnish or polyurethane), or painted. Ask when buying new furniture.

If you know which finish is on your wood furniture, follow the appropriate procedures. Excessive dampness, dryness, heat, or cold can damage wood furniture. Sunlight can change the color. Rubber or plastic mats should not be used unless marked safe for wood, since some may soften or stain the finish. Wipe up spills at once to prevent spots that require refinishing.

Polish not more than 3-4 times a year unless it gets heavy use, with a polish recommended for the kind of finish. Too much polish may build up a cloudy film; wipe off polish before it dries completely.

Do not mix types of polish. Oil causes wax to become gummy. Clean the furniture surface thoroughly before changing furniture care products.

Regular Cleaning

Vacuuming with a dusting brush attachment gently removes dust from furniture surfaces, preventing buildup. If no vacuum cleaner, use a clean soft cloth, turning it often, or soft paper towels to pick up dust. Dust furniture before vacuuming floors. If the finish is water resistant, a barely dampened towel or cloth will pick up dust.

Pads, mats and coasters on furniture, mats under vases, glasses, cups etc. protect them from spills and stains, and from heated objects. Do not use plastic or rubber on natural wood surfaces as they may soften and damage finish. Use felt under objects set on top of furniture that could scratch it.

Caring For Upholstered Furniture

With upholstered furniture it can be hard to see what is underneath the fabric. And that is too bad because the hidden items make your upholstered furniture comfortable. It takes many steps and a lot of time to make a quality piece of upholstered furniture.

About fabrics... We know that fabrics are the pizzazz. They look great and feel wonderful, and truly make upholstered pieces come alive. Take your time with fabric selection and enjoy that process. Do not even limit your fabric selection to those options offered by furniture manufacturer. Upholstered furniture can easily be custom made with fabrics you select from anywhere. Furniture manufacturers should be happy to work with you in telling you how much fabric you need for specific pieces of furniture, what type will hold up best and how to get the fabric to them. (By the way, if you do send your own fabric, make sure you clearly identify what side of the fabric you want showing! We often receive fabric that looks good on both sides and we get nervous if we have to guess which side to use.)

Here is a checklist of quality features to look for.

1. Frames should be made of five-quarter, kiln-dried hardwood. They should be machined to follow the contours of the furniture.
2. Major joints should be reinforced with corner blocks that are glued and screwed to the frame.
3 All joints should be snugly fitted, glued, screwed, and double doweled for lasting rigidity.
4. Individual steel coil springs should be connected to each other with twine. 8-way hand tied is a quality standard that requires a skillful worker to tie correctly.
5. Steel bands, in addition to coil springs, provide extra support for seating areas.
6. Webbing, which serves as a base for coils, should be nonabsorbent and odor free (polypropylene is good).
7. Covers for the springs should also be nonabsorbent and odor free.
8. Layers of fire retardant polyester fiber should be under the seat deck.
9. Edge roll provides a firm shape to the seat edge.
10. Cushions should have high-density, top-quality polyurethane foam as the core.
11. The back of the furniture should have a woven polypropylene base support to the coil springs.
12. The back needs coils springs as much as the seats do, for support and comfort. Woven polypropylene should cover the back springs.
13. Finally, cotton or polyester fibers should be layered around foam for the ultimate in back comfort.