Whether you’re downsizing, renovating your home or moving to a place where you can’t take everything, you might need to put some of your furniture in storage. While care must be taken when storing any of your possessions, wood furniture requires special handling if you want to avoid scratches, cracks or mold.
The same basic rules apply whether you’re preserving an antique bedroom set or a modern coffee table. Follow these seven steps to give your wood furniture the extra protection it needs.
1. Treat Before Storing.
If wood dries out, it’s more susceptible to cracks. To prevent that from happening, treat your wood furniture with furniture polish, which adds moisture, before storing it.
2. Climate Control Counts.
Temperature changes can cause wood to expand and contract, which over time “could impact the look or strength of the piece,” said Amy Snell, executive director of the Wood Component Manufacturer’s Association.
Humidity is another concern, as humid conditions promote the growth of mold and mildew, which can cause wood to rot. A temperature-controlled environment is the best way to prevent that from happening, Snell said.
3. Take Precautions at Home.
If you skip a climate-controlled storage unit and choose to keep your furniture at home in a basement or attic, for example, consider buying a humidifier, dehumidifier or humidistat, “all of which can be had for an investment of less than $300,” said Erin True, co-founder of Urban Wood Goods, based in Gurnee, IL.
4. Take It Apart.
If your furniture can be disassembled, take the extra time before storing it to take it apart. For example, you might take the legs off a wooden chair or take the drawers out of a wooden bureau. By storing a piece of furniture in several smaller parts, you can make better use of storage space while ensuring that each piece is protected.
5. Make Sure There’s Enough Space.
If you bunch up your belongings, you run the risk of objects brushing up against each other, which could lead to cracks in wood tables or chairs. That means you should avoid stacking things on top of your wood furniture.
6. Keep It Covered.
Placing a protective cover over your wood furniture can help keep it from getting scratched or otherwise damaged. Many people make the mistake of covering wood furniture with plastic, but doing so can create condensation and cause the wood to swell. Instead, cover your furniture with cloths, furniture pads or moving blankets to shield it from light, moisture and dust.
7. Raise It Up.
If your wood furniture is placed on the floor of a storage unit, you it could be damaged if the unit floods. By setting your furniture on top of planks or blocks, you keep it out of harm’s way.
sweet thanks
Very helpful Thank you
Sure thing – thanks for reading!
Mold and mildew are definitely among the major concerns when storing furniture. Thus it is important to check on the temperature and humidity levels of storage areas. Anyway, these tips you have shard are really very helpful. Several readers will absolutely learn much from your post. Keep on sharing.
Very nice and informational post thanks……………
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update. Keep up the good work.
Thanks a lot. I am storing material in a basement of the house. It is dry and cool. no water gets in. providing that I follow all advise above, what is the chance of furniture getting damaged. regrads ali
hi – my storage company has recommended storing my antique 17th century chest of drawers in export wrapping. I have not dehumidifier but the container temperature is pretty even. It will be stored for a bout a year or so – appreciate your advise
I’d have to agree with you that climate control is important when dealing with wood. You don’t want to store wooden furniture somewhere that has a lot of moisture, thus ruining it. If you have certain furniture that needs to be in a climate controlled environment, then I’d suggest you seek out a place that has these type of units.
Nice information .