To know how to maintain your oak furniture and make the best use of it you must have proper and in-depth knowledge about your furniture and its characteristics. If you know the features of oak wood, the benefits of using such a furniture and the proper cleaning and maintaining process then you will have the best value for your money.
Oak wood is a specific type of hardwood. It is derived from the oak trees that are found in abundance in the northern hemisphere. You will find around 600 species of oak that can be both evergreen and deciduous. You will find most of these species in North America that has about ninety such species.
Though oak wood is used as a hardwood timber for thousands of years, it will take about 150 years before you can use it for any constructive purpose. Oak wood may also be used for homewares, furniture, flooring, and firewood and wine barrels.
Properties and Qualities
The properties of oak wood make it the best to make unique oak furniture. The different qualities and properties include:
- It is exceedingly strong
- It is heavy and durable
- It has an attractive light colour
- It also has prominent grains
- It is resistant to fungal attack and
- Most importantly, oak wood is very long living.
Care for Oak Furniture
It is essential that when the oak furniture is delivered you acclimatize it to your home. For this, you will have to treat it with oil or wax polish. You will need to continue such treatment to the furniture at an interval of three months. It will nourish the timber and at the same time create a long-lasting protective coating. It will also help in retaining the desired level of moisture within the timber. Apart from that, waxing will protect the grain and help the wood to resist crazing and cracking. It will also help in retaining the finish of the furniture.
Process to Apply Wax
To apply wax or oil on the oak furniture and to have the best results, make sure that you move it in the same direction as that of the grain. After application let it stay there for about 5 minutes and then remove the wax from the surface by buffing once again following the same direction as that of the grain. This will ensure optimal protection and minimizing air pockets and streaking.
If you apply new wax, you must ensure that wax is suitable on your furniture. Test it under the furniture to see any side effects before applying it to the entire furniture.
Benefits of Oak Furniture
You may not know that there are several benefits of using oak furniture.
- Maintenance: You do not have to spend a lot of time and money on its maintenance. It only needs polishing twice a year.
- Strength: The oak wood is very strong and durable. It does not break down when you put heavy loads of books or computer on it. It is the strongest woods used to make furniture today and will last for several years without its strength diminishing.
- Appearance: The color and grains in the wood make any oak furniture, look classic and traditional. It can also work very well with a lot of other materials. You can use it for traditional home decoration or mix it with metal to give a more contemporary look.
- Choices: You will have a lot of options to choose from as oak furniture comes in a lot of different forms that include beds and nightstands, coffee tables and dinner tables, console tables and dressers, chairs and a lot of other things.
If you want something different from the traditional colors of oak, you can even have stained pieces.
