To protect wood furniture from humidity, it is important to keep the moisture level in your home as consistent as possible. Solid wood naturally expands and contracts as humidity changes, which can affect its appearance and condition over time.
Amish hardwood furniture made from oak, cherry, elm, maple, and other solid woods is built to last. By controlling indoor humidity, avoiding extreme temperatures, and following a few simple care habits, you can help your furniture remain beautiful for decades.
How Should I Protect Wood Furniture from Humidity?
Properly caring for your solid wood furniture can help it last a lifetime, and luckily, it’s easy to do!
Part of caring for hardwood furniture is keeping it clean. A quick daily dusting with a soft cloth or a cotton Guardsman® Dusting Cloth, made specifically for wood furniture, will do wonders. For more information, read our article about Spring Cleaning for Your Furniture.
In addition to keeping your furniture clean, it’s helpful to monitor the environment in which it’s kept. The environment in your home includes temperature and humidity, both of which can be easily measured with an inexpensive digital thermometer.
Monitoring Temperature
What temperature changes should you look for to keep your wood furniture in the best condition? Usually, you only need to be mindful of extreme temperatures. Keep your furniture a safe distance from heating or air conditioning vents, as there is often strong hot or cold airflow there. It’s also a good idea to keep wood pieces from getting too close to fireplaces too often.
Another place where the temperature often changes is near windows that receive direct sunlight. A healthy practice for solid wood furniture is to make sure it’s protected from excessive sunlight. Simply drawing a curtain can be a great way to protect against sunlight.
Monitoring Humidity
Humidity in the southern U.S. is usually slightly higher than in the northern U.S. due to the higher temperatures we typically see. With a little planning, the higher humidity won’t bother you at all.
As mentioned previously, if you don’t already have one, you can easily measure the humidity in your home with a digital thermometer that displays the information. Humidity is usually expressed as a percentage. The best number to keep your home at is from 30% to 50%.
So how do you keep your home between 30% to 50% humidity? A quick online search can provide plenty of different options! If you live in Texas, where humidity can be high, get a dehumidifier to lower the humidity in your home when it gets too high. If you live farther north, a humidifier can help increase humidity when it falls below the ideal level.
Enjoy Your Solid Wood Furniture!
To protect wood furniture from humidity, start by keeping the surrounding environment stable. Regular dusting, steady indoor humidity, moderate temperatures, and protection from direct sunlight can all help reduce unnecessary stress on the wood.
With the right care, your hardwood furniture can remain strong, beautiful, and useful for generations. If you are looking for solid wood furniture made to last, visit Amish Oak in San Antonio or New Braunfels, TX, to see our selection in person or contact us.
