Even though many people think that most furniture is ever-lasting, it isn’t the case in reality. Furniture is actually susceptible to damages, so specific methods should be taken to protect your furniture from damages with minimum effort.
Furniture can be protected from damages by applying a coat of oil or varnish or any commercially available sealant. This will protect from most kinds of damage to the wood. When storing furniture for a long time, you might want to ensure that the storage is climate controlled to ensure that mold doesn’t form.
6 Methods to Protect Your Furniture from Damage
We’ve covered the six methods you should follow to protect your furniture from damage.
Method # 1 Maintain Optimal Temperature and Humidity Levels
Furniture should be preserved in a climate-controlled location to avoid high moisture content. Because excessive levels of humidity can result in swelling, decaying, mold and mildew, and drying out. The wood may split or splinter as it dries.
So, if you’re going to store furniture in a storage facility, be sure it’s climate-controlled. If you’re preserving furniture, ensure the area is well-insulated and well-ventilated, and it neither gets too cold nor hot.
If you’re keeping furniture in storage, you can also wrap it in a shelf liner to protect it from damage. We know what you’re probably thinking, most people use shelf liner for pots and pans, but they can also be used to wrap wood.
Method # 2 Keep Your Wood Clean
Dusting may not be enough, and you’ll need to wash your hardwood. We recommend that you don’t use any of those all-purpose cleaners as they can ruin the finish of your furniture. Soak a towel in water with a mild dish detergent to clean a badly dirty or sticky spot.
Squeeze it out wherever you can and gently clean the affected area. Follow up with a wash with a wet towel comprising only water, then rub with a soft dry cloth. Following the above method, you can take proper care of wood and wooden furniture.
Method # 3 Apply Lacquer
Lacquer is a hydrocarbon substance that contains nitrocellulose glue, allowing the lacquer layer to melt into the prior coat. As a result, lacquer is tolerant and straightforward to paint, polish, and fix any dents or slight discoloration.
Due to its dissolving chemicals, it has an amazingly quick drying period, resulting in an outer layer that offers furniture an exquisite glossy surface and strong, long-lasting durability. However, it should be avoided on coarse-grain woods like oak and especially soft woods like cedar.
Method # 4 Treat Wear and Tear
Wood furniture can sustain accidents even with the utmost care. It can also suffer from damages when moving houses despite all the steps taken to prevent ruin and breaking. We recommend using the Old English Scratch Cover solution to cover tiny dings and blemishes. This liquid polish conceals deep gouges while maintaining the natural beauty of the wood.
If the devastation is too severe to be repaired with varnishes or touch-up sticks, and you aren’t ready to part with your prized possession, you may need to turn to something far more radical.
Restoring a part of damaged furniture will give it a new identity and many more years of service. The painting also allows you to save time by avoiding sanding, which is not possible if you choose to re-stain.
Method # 5 Applying Polyurethane
Polyurethane is simply molten rubber. It is available in water- and oil-based formulations and satin to glossy finishes. Water-based polyurethane is transparent, easy to implement, and has minimal side effects, but it is twice as expensive as oil-based equivalents.
While oil-based polys give the wood a warm amber hue, they are hazardous and take significantly longer to dry. Both types are long-lasting and exceptionally durable, providing scratch and abrasion resistance and making them a popular choice among DIYers. However, polyurethane can break when exposed to heat and unexpected stress, making it unsuitable for delicately curved furniture or spontaneous indoor baseball games.
Method # 6 Apply Varnish
Varnish is typically used as a protective coating created from resins, oil, and chemicals. Varnish, like paints, is available in many textures, including flat, eggshell, semi-gloss, and high-gloss, and it provides excellent resistance to UV light, heat, water, and everyday usage.
Varnish can be applied with a paintbrush and is non-toxic. Unfortunately, it is also one of the slowest drying: approximately 24 hours. Contemporary liquid varnishes are suitable for indoor upholstery because of their short drying time, longevity, and transparency.
How to Fix Damages to Wood Furniture
Mistakes can occur even if you take the finest care of your furnishings. A spill could go undiscovered, a glass could leave a stain, and pets and children could scratch or destroy your wood. Fortunately, most damage is easily repairable. Here’s what you should know.
In the case of partial bumps and scrapes, a sharpie, shoe polish, or a furniture ink color comparable to the finish of your furniture can be used for a quick touch-up. Simply apply it to the affected region to make your imperfection less visible or non-existent.
We’ve all experienced those moments when we neglected to use a coaster and white circles formed on the wood. Watermarks, also known as white rings, are caused by moisture from a glass or bottle penetrating the outer surface of the furniture’s covering. These problems are readily resolved by following the methods outlined above.
- Rinse the ring gently with isopropyl alcohol. As the liquid passes, it may attract moisture from the surrounding region, diminishing the surface covering.
- Use a blow dryer set to less than 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Mild heat may help remove the exterior surface dampness.
- Iron the white ring using a cotton cloth on medium heat. The heat may aid in the removal of the outer surface moisture.
We hope the steps mentioned above help with fixing damages to wooden furniture that you may have.
Final Words
Wood furniture and antique furniture that has been passed through the generations have a special place in our hearts. The craftsmanship you see in wooden furniture is no longer evident in most things in the modern world. So to protect it, specific methods need to be followed. The article above discussed six ways to get the work done in detail.
That’s everything you need to know about protecting your furniture from damage with minimal effort.
