JOIN USWhat causes wood to misbehave in the monsoons? Wood is a fibrous material made of many minute natural fibres packed tightly together. But this arrangement usually has a lot of minute gaps. And these gaps are more than happy to let water into them. When this moisture finds its way into these gaps, it makes the wood swell, warp and distort in many unpredictable ways, which in most cases is an unfavourable consequence for your furniture. This is the reason that your windows become tight and your drawers won’t slide open during the monsoons.
So, the goal when it comes to protecting your wooden (and wood-based board) furniture during the monsoons, is to keep that pesky moisture out of them gaps. The following measures can be taken to ensure that your furniture can brave the monsoons and sail through unscathed.
Solid wood furniture
With prolonged use, protective coatings such as lacquer, wax, varnish, polish, melamine, polyurethane etc which have been put in place by the manufacturers of the furniture, wear out and expose the wood to the elements. These exposed points on the furniture become entry points for that cheeky devil — moisture. So, periodical repolishing/coating of the furniture with one of the above mentioned protective coats will make sure that your solid wood furniture stands the test of moisture and time. This re-touching is best done before the onset of the monsoons.
Wood-based board furniture
Wood based boards such as plywood, MDF, particle board etc are, in many cases as susceptible to moisture attack as solid wood, if not more.
The surfaces of these boards are usually covered with veneer, laminate or paint. If there is any cracking or chipping on the surface, then depending on the severity of the damage, the veneer, laminate or paint can be redone or touched up to safeguard the board within.
The edges of these boards, (which are normally the weakest links in the chain when it comes to keeping out moisture) are usually covered with wooden lipping, paint or PVC edge banding.The integrity of this covering must be checked periodically. In case of any damage, re-polishing, re-painting or re-glueing has to be done.
A few inches can do a mile of good
Move your furniture a few inches away from the walls so that any moisture that may have seeped into the walls will not find its way into the furniture.
Cross ventilation
Dampness can be negated by cross ventilation. A continuous supply of fresh air makes sure that there is no stagnant moisture in the room that can attack your valuable furniture.
Avoid direct exposure
Keep the furniture away from doors and windows or move them indoors, such that they cannot be affected by direct rainfall or humidity. Any water splashed on your wooden furniture must be wiped away immediately.
Footwear for furniture
Put shoes or bushes on the base of your furniture, so that the wood does not come in direct contact with spilled liquids or wet floors.
(The author is furniture designer, Furlenco)