WOOD CARE & MAINTENANCE

PRECAUTIONS, CARE AND MAINTENANCE - recommendations applicable for all finishes

Though we find each finish to be durable as well as acquiring the sheen we desire for our products, no finish is indestructible by any means and requires care and consideration to maintain its lifespan. With responsible upkeep and proper care of your table or other furniture item, it will last generations.

There are a few natural enemies for your table’s finish, including direct sunlight. Direct exposure will cause mild color fading over time, and in very extreme circumstances twisting/cupping of the wood that can lead to further issues. It’s recommended that during certain times of the year you drop your shades to avoid direct light. 

The wood has been both air and kiln dried to a suitable moisture content before being milled, surfaced, sanded, then sealed and final coated. When exposed to high or low temperatures the wood may swell or shrink accordingly where moisture will be reintroduced or taken away. This is a common occurrence called “wood movement” and expected with any wood furniture, no matter the manufacturer or finish applied. Wood movement is essentially expansion and contraction with temperature and seasonal changes in climate/humidity. Due to the nature of materials, they may change in appearance slightly over time. In rare circumstances, especially when the wood is not properly cared for or maintained, wood movement can lead to minor warping, cupping or twisting. These occurrences cannot be completely prevented during production, but with proper care will happen at a minimum and in most circumstances go unnoticed. Regulated temperatures in the home are recommended: 60-75F and 30-60% humidity is ideal. Slight wood movement will happen naturally with the changing of seasons to every piece of wood furniture you own as well as with wood flooring, however generally it’s entirely unseen.

Also please DO NOT use plastic/polycarbonate covers as this has proven to mar the finished surfaces.

If your furniture was finished with Osmo Polyx Oil (our recommended finish for desired sheen, DIY maintenance ability and traditional woodworking methods), please take note that it’s best to be extra cautious for the first 1-2 weeks after it arrives in your home to allow the finish to fully harden prior to cleaning or placing anything on the surface. Though the finish has cured for a minimum of about 72 hours in our shop prior to us shipping your furniture item and is solid to the touch, the finish benefits from additional time to cure and absorb into the pores.

To further protect your wood tabletop, we recommend using protective precautions for the longevity of the finish. Using coasters under glasses will prevent water/liquid "rings" from disturbing the finish. Though setting a glass atop the wood will not cause water rings to form instantly, leaving glasses for several hours or overnight can cause water stains or rings to form from precipitation on any wood finish. Placemats and hot pads will also prevent heat from compromising the finish as well.

Dust/debris can also cause minor scratches in wood or steel if anything is dragged across or ground into the surface by pressure applied on top of it. Dusting your wood furniture regularly will help remove debris. Stonewear or ceramicware, for example, can have abrasive undersides where they are unglazed, and have been known to cause scratches in wood. This combined with dust, crumbs or small debris can easily cause surface scratches, which further supports the recommendation to keep your tabletops clean, and to use coasters and placemats to reduce the risk of damages.

CLEANING WOOD SURFACES AND UPKEEP

Clean spills promptly, and avoid leaving liquid on the surface for prolonged amounts of time. Cleaners with harmful bleaches and chemicals can compromise the finish on the table so we recommend avoiding using them on any wood furniture at all cost. To clean spills on an oil-finished wood, we recommend using Osmo Spray Cleaner which is specifically designed and formulated to work with the finish we use on our products.

If you do not have a specific cleaner for oil-finished wood, you can sparingly use a diluted soapy water on spills/problem areas. You may also try a diluted solution (25-50% product / 75-50% water) of a non-toxic cleaner. We recommend non-chemical, plant-based cleaners such as Mrs. Meyers or Method products. Though please note, repeated use of soapy water or a diluted non-toxic cleaner can cause the finish to dry over time. You can read more about Osmo’s spray cleaner in the following link: https://www.mezworks.com/wood-care-and-maintenance-products

Avoid using sponges, especially the abrasive side, no matter which finish has been applied to your furniture. Using a clean microfiber cloth is recommended. Never scrub spills, which can cause a disturbance to the finish.

WOOD MOVEMENT - STANDARD VARIANCES AND EXPECTATIONS EXPLAINED

There are certain standard variances and some predictable expectations when working with any wood. Wood will almost always move differently in accordance with the wood type, the level of dryness, the level of surrounding atmospheric moisture, and other variables that can effect the original condition of your furniture (and other home items, such as wood flooring and wood cabinetry). It may ‘move’ by unpredictable amounts in unpredictable ways no matter the precautions taken during the wood’s drying, milling, and processing. Science helps tremendously, in which we use tried and true ways in our methods and processes to significantly reduce the amount of future wood movement. In dimensional wood projects, we use things like dominoes between the boards to strengthen and secure the joints, and in slab wood projects we reduce the amount of future wood movement significantly through the drying process as well as our “slow leveling” process that allows the wood to acclimate to our area before finishing it. However it’s what science cannot predict that influences our efforts on the worksop. For example, if we ship a finished product to an area outside of where it was built, there are always going to be considerable differences in climate that may enhance the likelihood of wood movement. Factors/variables such as elevation, dryness or humidity in the climate, sun exposure, or unregulated temperatures in the home can enhance the amount of wood movement your wood will experience. Though wood movement is normal and a certain amount can be expected, it is not generally noticeable to the eye. However in some cases, it may be more noticeable in certain designs. For example, if you have one of our dimensional lumber tables that uses a steel frame where the wood and steel have sections that are aligned/flush (for example, our ‘Martis’ table with a steel stretcher beam that runs through the length of the tabletop), during certain times of the year when the temperatures or humidity changes, you may notice the wood has slightly expanded or contracted (shrunken/swollen) and isn’t completely flush where it meets the steel (but just micro-measurements, which will not compromise the integrity of the design). In a similar fashion, if you assembled your furniture and crank the hardware down too tightly (forcibly), that may not allow the wood to move freely when it expands/contracts seasonally, which can potentially cause things like misalignment, or on a more serious level could even cause cracking in those areas or affect resin-filled cracks/knots/etc (or create new ones). Furthermore, resin-filled areas on dimensional lumber or slab wood projects, such as cracks or knots, can change in appearance from many post-delivery factors. When wood ‘moves’, resin does not expand/contract at the same rate. You may notice this if the resin seems slightly protruded at certain times of year, or if it seems to recede. The wood may also slightly pull away from the resin, which can cause differences in appearance in resin filled areas. These variances are normal, and some people may or may not experience them. In most circumstances, you will not be able to see wood movement and it will not change the appearance of your furniture, and the circumstances explained are on a more extreme level. In general, when choosing solid wood furniture, it’s important to understand the variables and to embrace the potential changes as the wood ‘ages’ in place.