How To Care For Your Fine Furniture

Tung Oil Finish

All Vermont Furniture Works Pieces are finished with several, hand-rubbed, applications of tung oil. Tung oil allows the wood to breathe while at the same time protecting the surface. We recommend oiling all our furniture at least once a year. Dining tables and any other pieces that will receive heavy daily use will need to be oiled perhaps as much as once a month. The best indication of when to oil your furniture is simply how it feels. If the surface feels dry or you notice your hand does not slide as easily over the surface as it did when your piece was new, go right ahead and oil it. We recommend pure lemon oil with no petroleum distillates for maintaining the oil surface. You can apply it very easily by rubbing the oil onto the surface with a soft rag.

Our finishes are water-based stains with tung Oil finish, are hand applied. Each board of lumber may take stain slightly differently. Small variations in color may occur from piece to piece because of the nature of the grain, the amount of figuring in each board and the porosity of the grain in the lumber. However, every piece of furniture when complete, has met our standard for color and consistency of color throughout the piece. The furniture in our showroom and the stain samples we send to you for confirmation of color are subject to these variations and your furniture may vary slightly form these samples.

Temperature, Humidity, and Sunlight

All fine pieces of furniture, whether brand new or very old, should have as stable an environment as possible. A fairly constant temperature and humidity level should be maintained. That can be accomplished by using a humidifier in the winter and a dehumidifier in the summer. Moisture will cause wood to expand and contract. Even though our furniture is built to accommodate this movement on rare occasions a particular board may move in an undesirable way, such as warping or twisting. Anyone with antiques has certainly seen this and may experience this with any solid wood furniture.

Intense, direct, and prolonged exposure to sunlight may cause your furniture to dry out and perhaps fade. Careful attention should be paid to this because no finish will totally suppress the sun's UV Rays.

Cleaning

Tables can be wiped down with a slightly damp cloth, but care should be taken not to use a wet cloth. Detergent should not be used on the tables and may damage the finish. Again, oiling the furniture, especially dining tables, will help to maintain the luster and make cleaning of the piece easier.