Cleaning Antique
Office Furniture
The best way to protect the finish of your antique wood furniture
is to use a good quality beeswax polish. There are other oil based
polishes often containing a stain appropriate to the colour of the
furniture you wish to polish.
The Fiddes Wax Polish For Antique Furniture range for example
is a good quality polish of this type. Their 'Mellow Wax' range is
formulated from a traditional recipe, developed from over ninety years
experience in the manufacture of fine wood finishes.
These waxes can be used for finishing sealed or previously polished
wood. Waxing of antique wood furniture should be done once or twice
a year for heavy use. The wax should be applied sparingly with a soft
cloth and the piece polished with another lint-free cloth.
Before you begin ensure all surfaces are free from dust or blemishes
and apply in the direction of the wood grain using a clean cotton
cloth, sponge or brush. To obtain a uniform colour, always wipe evenly,
blending over the whole surface.
Take care to lightly remove any excess wax immediately with a, clean
absorbent cloth, again following the direction of the grain pattern.
Leave to dry for around 10 minutes, and buff to finish with a soft
cloth.
The application of additional coats will deepen the existing colour
/ shade and significantly enhance the resulting sheen level.A good
shine comes from rubbing rather than lots of layers of wax.
Don't use commercial silicone based sprays for cleaning as they have
a high water content and leave a film that is very hard to remove.
You should clean intricate areas with a soft brush and take great
care not to catch or pull any intricate decoration that could bend
or come off.
Repairing Vaneers on an antique Desk
Repairing antique furniture is a difficult and highly specialized
area. We recommend you contact a qualified furniture restorer before
considering any DIY repairs.
There are a number of surface finishes including: wax, varnish, lacquer
and french polish each of which needs special treatment. Even bare
wood will gradually develop a patina of its own over decades. These
finishes are a sign of the age of a piece and should be preserved.
If moulding's become detached keep these they are generally not difficult
to refit but you do need to take advice on the appropriate technique.
Day to day care
The temperature in your home can greatly affect the condition of
your furniture. Excessively dry conditions can cause furniture to
dry out, shrink and split. Excessively damp conditions can cause veneer
to become detached.
Try to keep your pieces in a stable environment where the temperature
and relative humidity don't fluctuate dramatically.
Don't place furniture near heat sources as heat causes shrinkage.
This can loosen joints and veneers and change the shape of the piece
over time.
Exposure to intense sunlight can cause bleaching and veneer shrinkage.
If you would like advice or help with caring for your antique furniture
please contact us.
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