Furniture care

Wide stave raw wood furniture requires a little more care than machined tables/engineered wood furniture so it is important to follow the advice here. Think of the furniture like a cast-iron pan, which is the best for function but requires oiling to keep it in good condition for regular use and prevent it from rusting!

Each piece of furniture is quality checked at every stage of the making process before leaving the workshop, your order has been made by hand to a specific industrial decor style with a luxury touch finish.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR FURNITURE

The hardwax treatment of your furniture will fully cure in 14-days, for this curing period, you should be more careful with it as the wax component need to harden to be resistant to stains. During this period the furniture will be more susceptible to absorbing stains and liquids and being marked. The hardwax finish is a mixture of natural oils and waxes which is durable and hardwearing and suitable for everyday use. For the curing period, be sure to use placemats, coasters and trivets for hot items.

The hardwax finish will be touch-dry and usable on receipt.

Your furniture should be dusted and wiped with a wrung, damp cloth and you should not use physically or chemically abrasive cleaners. Avoid scourers and any cleaners which contain silicones or bleach as these can spoil the surface of the furniture through single or repetitive use.

Make sure the furniture is protected where possible from liquids, heat and writing pens. Spills should be wiped up immediately.

For cleaning the Fiddes Wood Surface Cleaner is recommended, this is designed specifically for your furniture. It is a water-soluble cleaning concentrate which is PH-balanced and solvent-free. This can be purchased in both 1L containers and a 500ml spray. Please follow the instructions on the containers for application.

Your furniture doesn’t require further treatment immediately, going forward you can use Fiddes Clear Hardwax, your furniture is a satin finish. This can be done periodically as needed. An easier-to-apply and cheaper option is Rustoleum Clear Wax.

REGULATING YOUR FURNITURE

In most cases your furniture can just be left in your space, the wood and treatment is great for most environments.

The core principle of wood is that you want the moisture content of the wood to remain the same, while some wood movement can occur, regulating the relative humidity of your space is important.

Wood does best in moderate temperatures of 20-22 degrees and 50%+ relative humidity, so it is recommended keeping your space within this range to prevent wood movement. Prevention is better than cure for keeping the furniture conditioned.

GENERAL ADVICE for woodcare

Do not cover the furniture with tablecloths or table runners for extended periods, the wood needs to breathe and they can disrupt the Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) of your wood. This can stress the wood fibres causing the wood to move. They can also cause discolouration. Tablecloths and runners are fine for short periods when in use.

Extreme weather, heating, air conditioning/extractors, direct sunlight and big fluctuations in room temperature and humidity can cause and exacerbate wood movement so be careful with what your furniture is exposed to. Colour changes are a natural phenomenon of wood, wood changes colour with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

CAUSES OF DRYING - Wood Shrinkage

<> Central heating

<> Direct sunlight

<> Cold weather (air holds less moisture)

<> Lack of insulation/older homes

THIS CAN CAUSE THE WOOD THE CRACK AND SPLIT

CAUSES OF HUMIDITY - Wood Swelling

<> House plants

<> Rising damp

<> Boiling water/running baths

<> Drying clothes

THIS CAN CAUSE THE WOOD TO WARP, BOW & CUP

HOW TO PREVENT WOOD MOVEMENT

Preventing extreme wood movement is nice and easy.

It’s all about regulating the actual room, and its relative humidity. In the UK, wooden furniture tends to dry out. There are several methods to prevent this. FIRSTLY, a Room Hygro-Thermometer tells you precisely the relative humidity of your room. With this, you know whether your wood will be drying out or not. This is an ESSENTIAL (BUY IT!) bit of kit which will stop you from buying items you don’t need! Keeping your room above 50% humidity is what you want, if it drops below this for extended periods, you know action should be taken.

Parker & Bailey LEMON OIL

Lemon oil cleans, renews and penetrates fine wood finishes, replacing the wood’s natural oils and also prevents sun/UV damage.

This is a wonderful oil to have in any case to periodically nourish the wood, as well as being a good preventative measure to stop your wood from drying out.

Leave the lemon oil to sit for 10 minutes before wiping away the excess, it’s better to use less and not need to wipe away any excess.

Lemon oil gives a temporary boost to the moisture content of the wood, it can’t alone combat an extremely dry room though:

If your space is too dry, you can use a humidifier to pump moisture into the room. There are a few ways to do this:

Electric Home Humidifier (Best)

Radiator Hanging Diffuser (GOOD!)

Electric Scent Diffuser (Will add some moisture)

You can also boil water, dry clothes and have plants in the room to add moisture!

If you are unsure what impact the lemon oil and humidifying techniques are having you can check the wood with a Wood Moisture Meter, a healthy content is around 10%

If your space has high levels of humidity for extended periods, and you see this negatively impacting the furniture you can:

Open windows and doors to allow through air in

Add Charcoal

Use a Dehumidifier

If you are ever unsure, always get in touch! Each space is different, with the above information you are fully equipped but questions are always fine!