General
-Donnotplacethefurnitureatpositionwherethesunlightradiatesitdirectly,ifitisplacedatsuchpositionforalongtime,thepaintmembranewillbeinfluencedbyUVraysofsunlight,resultinginfadingandevencomingoff.Meanwhile,awayfromairconditionerandheater.
-Severalpotsofflowersoraquariashouldbeputintheroomwithair-conditionerequipment,theycankeepindoorhumidity,topreventfromabsorbingwaterfromfurniture.
-Whenputtingsomearticlesonthefurniture,itshouldbeplacedasoftmembranelayerbetweenthem,andverticallyliftthemupanddownlightly,toavoiddestroyingpaintmembrane,ifthepaintmembraneisdamagedafterbeingslidedoffit,aprofessionalstaffshouldbecalledtorepairit.
-Thefeetoffurnitureshallbenailedintorubbercushioninordertoavoiddamage,don'tdrag,pull,haulwhenbeingmoved,
-Theragusedforwipingfurnitureshallbeclean,softandappropriatelywet,thefurnitureshallbewipedtobewithoutanywatersprayormark.Moredetailsviewhere.
-Theclassicalfurnitureshallbemaintainedperiodically,underthenormalconditions,itshallbewaxedeveryquarterforprotectingthepaintmembrane.Ifthefurnitureisinlonguse,youcanaskfortheprofessionalstafftorepairthepaintmembrane,enablingittrulyprotectthematerialandthestructureofthefurniture.
PreventingSurfaceDamage
Themaincausesofsurfacedamageare:
Liquidsofallsorts,excessiveheatandscratchesandbruises.
Unlessthereisamatprovidingsofteningunderaheavyobjectorvaseneverslideit;itwillscratch.Ifthematisabsorbentitmaytrapspiltwaterunderavase.Adampseal-polyurethaneperhaps-needstobeputbetweenthematandthewoodensurface.
Spiltwaterandwaterbasedliquidsshouldbewipedofftopreventthemspreadingandthesurfacerubbeddry.Spiritsandothersolventsmustbedabbedofftopreventthemspreadingandshouldnotberubbeddry,lesttheyhavesoftenedthesurfacefinishwhichcouldthenbedeformed/marked.Acommonandverydefacingbruiseiscausedbydrawingwithapencilorwritingwithaballpointpenonpaperwithnosofteningbetweenitandthewoodensurface.
Removinganybruisesfrompolishedwood,withoutremovingthesurfaceisseldompossibleandanyprocesscarriesconsiderableriskofdamagingthepatinaandchangingthesurfacecolour.Notonlywillthedirectsun'sraysoverheatfurniture,theywillcauseseverebleachingofthewoodandmakethepolishcloudy.Drawingthecurtainsuntilthesunhaspassedisthesimpleremedy.Itmaybearguedthattheopaquepolish,causedbythewatersoakingintothetop,orbytoomuchlocalheat,andthescratchesandbruisesarepartofthehistoryoftheobject.Realisticallytheseareelementsofhistorythataregenerallybestforgotten,eveniftheexperienceoftheiroccurrenceisavaluablelesson.Ineachoftheseaccidentsitisbestnottocompoundtheproblemwithtrialanderrorremedies,butseekhelpfromaconvenientBAFRAMember.
Thesethenaretheprimecausesofdeteriorationoffurnitureandwiththem,afewsuggestionswhichmayhelptoretardtheinevitableagingprocess.
EnvironmentalConditions
Humiditywillvarybetween"TooHigh"ataRelativeHumidity(RH)of70%to"TooLow"at30%RH.Itisimportanttominimizethefluctuationsasmuchaspossiblebecausewitheverychangeallthewoodenmembers,thattogethermakeapieceoffurniture,willmoveindependently.Woodexpandsinitswidthandthickness(acrossthegrain)butmakesnosignificantadjustmentinitslength(alongthegrain).Rapiddailychangesareverymuchlessofaconcernthanarethosecreatedseasonally,especiallysincetheadventofcentralheating.
Museumandotherownersoflargecollectionsoffurniturestrive,withtheaidofhumiditycontrolmachines,tomaintainanevenRH.Peopleintheprivatesectorshouldalsotrytoemulatethe"professionals",butonlyifthequalityoftheirantiqueswarrantsboththeexpenseandtroubleofmaintenancethathumidifiersanddehumidifiersdemand.Inperiodsofextremedrynesswetclothdrapedoverradiatorsorpurposemade"humiditywicks"hungonthem,maymakeamodicumofdifference.Itwouldbemoreeffectivetolowerthebackgroundtemperatureanduselocalheatonlywhennecessary.
ColdOutside+WarmInside=DryConditionsShrinkingtimbercausingopening-upofthejoints,warping,splitting&crackingandtornveneers.
WarmOutside+CoolorWarmInside=DampConditionsExpandingtimbercausingWarpingandCompressionStresses-internaldamagetothecellstructureofthewood,whichadds,intime,toadditionalshrinkage.
Awarmanddampenvironmentaccelerateschemicalaction.Materialswhichbecomechemicallyunbalanced,suchasleather(particularlyofthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturies),paperandtextilesareatrisk.Adampenvironmentwillcausedust-coveredmetalstobeseverelydamaged.Marbletoocanbecomestainedfromdustinsimilarconditions.BronzemountsaresusceptibletoBronzeDisease,theappearanceofblue/greencopperonitssurface,inawarmdampacidenvironment.
Alllightanddaylightinparticular,containsUltravioletlight-thewavelengthoflightthatismostdamagingtocoloursofbothdyedandnaturalwoodsandtextiles.Directsunlightalsoheatsupthepartsofobjectsitfallsupon.Thiswarmdrymicroclimateisevidencedindamagetosurfacecoatings,veneersandtheunderlyingadhesive.TheexposureofOrientalLacquertodaylightshouldbekepttoaminimum,whilethewhitenessofivorymaybeenhancedbyshadeddaylight.
BiologicalConditions
Thecommonfurniturebeetle(Anobiumpunctatum)is,orhasbeen,moreresponsibleforrenderingfurnitureunsafethanperhapsanyotherfactor.Fortunatelytoday,eradicationofthepestisrelativelysimple.Therearethreesystemscurrentlyused:
Brushed,sprayedand/orinjectedliquidinsecticideEnvelopingtheobjectinagas,eitherasadirectpoisonorasameansofexcludingoxygen.Morerecentlyaheatedhumiditycontrolledenvironmenthasbeenusedwithexcellentresults.Occasionallyfurniturehasbeeninfestedbythedeathwatchbeetle(Xestobiumrufovillosum).Theinsectneedsdampwoodwhichsupportsafungalgrowth,whichinturnmakesthewooddigestible,beforeitcansetuphome.
Theprolongedcausesofdampnessinbuildingspermitstheonsetoffungalgrowth.Iftheseconditionsarepermittedtoextendtothefurniturewithinthem,thesetoowillbecomesusceptibletofungalattack.Fungus,inthissituationwillcausestainingandalsoweakentheadhesives.Afinewhitish"growth"issometimesfoundonorinfurniturewheredampconditionsmaynotbesuspected.Thiscanbeamildtypeoffungusbutismorelikelytobesomeformofcrystallisation.Inbothcasesthedepositmaybebrushedoffandwipedawaywithadrycloth.
HumanIntervention
Eventsoveraperiodoftimeimpartauniquequalitytoeachpieceoffurniture,anditisprimarilypeople'sinterventionthathasandisgoverningeachitem'sacceptability.ItistheRestorer'sprivilegetomakeacceptablethoseitemsthathavebeensubjecttounfortunatecircumstances.
Theaimofthecustodian,forthatiswhatwearewhenwehaveantiquefurniture,istomaintainitsgoodhealth.Furniturethathasbeenwiththefamilyforadecadeormoreandnotcausedconcernisunlikelytopresentproblemsprovidingitspasttreatmentisunchanged.However,anewlyacquireditemmaybesubjectedtoaconsiderablechangetoitsenvironment,thereforeweshouldnotbesurprisedifmovementoccurswithinthepiece.Unlesstherearealreadysignificanttensionsbetweenthestructuralunits,damageresultingfromthemovemaynothappenforseveralmonths.Converselythenewenvironmentmaybeakinderplace.
MovingFurniture
Muchdamageoccurswhenobjectsaremoved.Thiscanbeavoidediftheitem'sconstructioniswhollyunderstood.Failingthatthereareafewsimplerulesthatwillhelpavoidembarrassingmoments:
Furnitureshouldbeliftedbyitsstrongestunitsorrails:chairs,includingarmchairs,bytheirseatrails,tables,bytherails/friezebelowthetoporbythelegs.,cabinetsandchestsbytheirlowestrailsorat"footlevel"andnotbythetop.
InprincipleNEVERDRAGfurniture,notevenforaninch/centimetre.Inpractice,ifthereisnoalternative,thenthedraggingforcemustbeasclosetotheflooraspossible.
Restoration
Honestandsympatheticrestorationisquiteacceptableforantiquefurniture.However,itshouldonlybedonebyreputableprofessionalrestorerswhowillusethecorrecttraditionalmaterials.Chippedorliftedveneersshouldbeprofessionallyrepairedassoonaspossible.Onlywater-solublewoodglueshouldbeusedforminorrepairsundertakenathome.Smallchipsofwood,veneeretc.canbeheldinplacewithmaskingtape(notsellotape)whileglueissettingorpriortoprofessionalrestoration.Drawersanddoorswhichstickcanbeeasedbyrubbingcandlewaxonthesurface.Dry,crackedleatherondesk-topscanberevitalisedwithalanolinandbeeswaxpreparationafterspot-testingasmallareatoensureitdoesnotstain.Clearneturalshoecreamorleathercreamcanalsobeused.
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