Posted by Jim Sutter on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 @ 11:23 AM
After the flood...
Water, flooding and wooden furniture are sometimes a devastating
combination. Dependent upon the construction of the furniture, the finished used and the time and amount of water damage, the furniture restoration may or may not be successful. Water can cause swelling, which leads to loosened joints, finishes ruined, and in worst cases, warping, cracking or rotting.
Dependent upon the extent of the damage and the value of the piece, you may decide to have the furniture professionally restored. Value can be intrinsic or sentimental - but ultimately the value of your furniture is in the eye of the beholder - it’s up to you.
The goal with any restoration is to do the best to preserve the original finish. Especially when it comes to true antiques, even minor changes will reduce the value.
One of the most important factors in restoring water damaged furniture is the drying process. A slow process will help assure that the wood dries evenly and is less likely to result in warping, splitting or cracking. Drying improperly will be uneven and may cause the furniture to shrink. Only when the furniture has dried can you make the determination with regard to the extent of the damage and the extent of the repairs to the furniture that will be necessary. Never put wood furniture out in the sun to dry - the heat of the sun will cause uneven drying and can lighten and fade some wood stains. If in doubt, consult a furniture restoration specialist for the best method of drying your food damaged furniture.
The furniture restoration process may include replacing warped boards, straightening skewed joints, additional word work or carpentry to recreate missing or damaged trim. Special tools and clamps, and industry specific products are used in the process. Having an expert who understands what is available and who uses the right products is critical to your satisfaction with the restoration.
Moldy furniture frequently will exhibit white spots. Because mold can be an allergen and has been linked to health issues, it’s important to have this taken care of. Again, an expert will understand the situation and will use the appropriate products to correct the mold and prevent reoccurrence. Household remedies may initially look like the problem is cured, however when it comes to health related matters, it’s best to have something like mold taken care of by a professional furniture restoration specialist like JC Wood.
Posted by Jim Sutter on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 @ 10:08 AM
Redecorating can make us critical of the wood furniture we own... But before you decide to toss that old worn and scratched wooden 
table, you may want to give it a new life by having it refinished.
Decor changes, such as deciding to renovate and update colors are an inexpensive way to breath new life into old furniture.
Sprucing up an accent piece can revitalize and give a whole different look and feel to a room. By sprucing, what we mean is to refinish furniture or refurbish furniture to give it a whole different feeling.
Wood furniture can be stripped and refinished to the natural beauty of the wood, or colored with a fashionable accent stain. Washes and glazes add dimension to wood, and colored wood stains can be either natural colors or enhance colors in transparant that let the grain show through the wood, or opaque, where the resulting finish is a solid color.
Unlike do it yourself results, which sometimes have a tacky, sticky feeling, professionally refinished furniture is lustrous and resistant to weather related fluctuations. In fact, there are special treatments for different situations and conditions that can extend the life of your furniture. For example, marine situations are exposed to water and possibly salt, and the finishes will be more durable for wood furniture exposed to these conditions than the finish applied to a delicate antique that will reside in a climate controlled and air conditioned environment.
Bottom line, though - it's much less expensive to have your existing furniture refinish done by a professional, and have many more years to enjoy using it, than to buy new. Plus, with the exciting new colors and finishes, you wind up with unique, quality pieces that are matched to your taste and color scheme.