How to care for your antique furniture
What is the best way to look after your antique furniture and how much restoration should I do ?
The patina on the surface of antique furniture builds up over many years and even with old marks and damage, it is part of the character and value of a piece of furniture and should be preserved. Try not to strip the old finish away, instead try to revive it using restoration products.
Before waxing if the piece is dull and lifeless you can use a polish reviver which will gently clean the surface. Waxing antique furniture with a good quality natural beeswax (not spray polishes as over time this builds up a bad finish), brings out the colour and grain of the wood and provides protection. We recommend a good quality furniture wax like fiddes wax. Put a small amount of polish on a soft cloth and rub the piece until the wax on the cloth shines which will burnish the surface and evaporate any solvent. Then polish with a clean duster. Try to apply the wax at night to allow it to nourish the wood and polish the following day but make sure there are no smears in the wax as this makes it harder to buff the next day. If the wood has become very dry, the wax will soak in rapidly and should be applied several times until a good patina has developed. Normally wax polish need not be used more than once every few months as too much wax will cause dullness and absorb dust. However, frequent dusting is important using a clean, dry, soft duster. This will encourage a hard skin to form which enhances the patina. If you have minor scratches you can use rustins scratch cover and this can also be used as a polish.
Brass mounts and handles should not be polished with metal cleaners which can harm the wood around them and remove any water gilding. It is best to leave the brass the nice aged look.
The gold finish on ormolu (gilded or gilding ) is very delicate and should not be polished. It should be handled as little as possible, as the acid in fingertips can damage gilding and it breaks very easily, but it can be dusted gently with a soft brush. Upholstery should be vacuumed regularly to guard against a build-up of dust and pests and on some fabrics you can use a protective spray but always test a small area first..
Sunlight and humidity as well as central heating and pollutants in the air can affect organic materials like wood, fabric and leather. The heat can shrink wood and the light can cause fading. Therefore it pays to give a little thought to the environment in which furniture is kept and to examine it from time to time to check for damage and always try to nourish the wood with antique furniture wax.
Do not to keep fine furniture in strong sunlight which will fade its colour. Roller sun blinds cut out rays of the sun without darkening a room and it can help to use waxes with a tint of coulour.
Restoration
Honest and sympathetic restoration is quite acceptable for antique furniture. We would recommend the use of a good antique furniture wax to clean the surface. If the piece needs to be fully restored, it should only be done by reputable professional restorers who will use the correct traditional materials. Chipped or lifted veneers should be professionally repaired quickly as it is very easy to loose and then harder to find matching veneers. Only water-soluble wood glue should be used for minor repairs undertaken at home like a PVA wood glue. Small chips of wood, veneer etc. can be held in place with masking tape (not sellotape) while glue is setting or prior to professional restoration. Drawers and doors which stick can be eased by rubbing candle wax on the surface or sides. Dry, cracked leather on desk-tops can be revitalised with a lanolin and beeswax preparation after spot-testing a small area to ensure it does not stain. Fiddes wax can also be used but always test a small area first.
Moving and Handling
Antique furniture should be treated with care and respect. Never tilt back on a chair as this loosens joints, never open a drawer using only one of two handles or drag furniture rather than lift it as this will cause unwanted damage. Do not lift a table from the top surface but from the lowest part of the main frame to stop the top coming away from the base. Chairs should be picked up from under the seat and never the top rails.
With any purchase from driscolls antiques ltd we send a two man fully insured professional delivery team who will carefully handle and assemble your goods.
So to sum up be mindful of the area you put your antique furniture, do not over restore items, instead try to keep your antique furniture as original as possible.
If you would like to view quality antique furniture why not visit driscolls antiques.
