Furniture Care Tips & Restoration – Mosden’s, Longview WA, 98632

We are often asked about the care of furniture after refinishing and just in general. The following are some thoughts on the subject.

We use, as much as possible, water based environmentally friendly stains and finishes. We have done extensive testing and found that the products we use are equal to and usually better than less friendly finishes. However, this type of finish does require a longer cure time. It is currently completely dry and usable but extra care should be used for the first 30 days. The care of this finish, like any fine finish, involves dusting as necessary and waxing with a good quality paste wax 2 or 3 times a year. Please don’t use any of the spray waxes or products like Liquid Gold as most of them contain silicone. If you need tips on applying wax, please don’t hesitate to ask! The use of coasters and hot pads is also recommended. Never leave a flower vase full of water on a table. It may sweat and leave a ring or be knocked over by a cat, child, earthquake, etc., and not be discovered for days or even weeks. We get many calls a year where this has damaged an otherwise good finish - whether an older finish or a new one. Again, a good coat of paste wax will help protect the finish. There is no need to use paste wax on other parts of the table. We use “Howard’s Feed and Wax” or “Finish Feeder“. Never leave plastic or vinyl on a table because in time it will “melt” into the finish. Most wood fades with time and particularly in the presence of strong sunlight. If this is a dining table in a sunny room, rotate it every 6 months and/or keep the blinds/drapes closed when the room is not in use. If blinds/drapes aren’t used, consider a sun blocking film on the windows. This will not only protect the finish of the wood but also help keep the joints of the wood from drying out and splitting or cracking.

Much has been made of Antiques Roadshow and not refinishing furniture as it may lower the value of the piece. While this is true if you have an antique by a known cabinetmaker (Hepplewhite, Stickley, Duncan Phyfe, etc.), pieces from the Victorian and later years were essentially mass produced and are fine to refinish. Interesting enough, antique cars are just the opposite: A restored car is worth far more than an unrestored one!

Chairs take a lot of abuse. Some chairs are, frankly, best used for sitting your favorite teddy bear on or occasional use by adults. Reserve your sturdier chairs for your heavier friends. NEVER allow anyone to tilt back on two legs of a chair. Not only is it bad for the chair but it is also a good way to get a broken neck! To care for chairs and other small pieces we use Beeswax based products like “Howard’s Feed and Wax” or “Finish Feeder." Lemon oil polishes are ok if you prefer. Please don’t use any of the spray waxes or products like Liquid Gold as most of them contain silicone.

If something is broken, have it repaired! If you leave it broken for historical reasons (unless, perhaps, Winston Churchill sat on a chair and broke it while signing documents at the end of World War II!), all you really have is a broken chair that is likely to get broken further or discarded. Be sensitive to the age of the piece and repair it using methods and glues of the period. Be particularly sensitive to making repairs that can be reversed in the future if necessary. (This can be beneficial if better methods of repair are discovered.) A set of chairs is always worth more than the individual chairs priced separately. So do whatever you can to keep an entire set together.

Antiques can be found anywhere! If you find something you like and can afford it, buy it! Furniture bought at department stores is worth about half its value as soon as you leave the store and will not gain in value. An antique (a piece that is over 100 years old) or a semi-antique (a piece that is 70 to 100 years old) will generally retain or increase in value (often dramatically). Even pieces from the 1950s, although not by definition antiques, have become collectable and command high prices.

The value of antiques and collectables can be likened to the stock market. What is in vogue now is not later or earlier. When Barbara Streisand was collecting Mission Oak, it's value soared. When she sold it, it dropped somewhat. Styles go in and out of fashion. Prices usually, but not always, go up. But if you like a piece, buy it not for its intrinsic value, but for the value it gives your home. If it increases in value, great! If not, at least you've enjoyed the pleasure of a well made piece of furniture. Who knows? It may be next year's hot buy!