7 Tips for Storing Wooden Furniture Pieces
If you are looking to put wooden furniture away, you must know how to do it right. Without the proper know-how, you stand a high chance of damaging the furniture, which would waste both the money you had spent on the storage facility and the effort you had put into getting it in there. We have put together seven tips for storing wooden furniture pieces to help you prevent this.
Get climate-controlled storage
The most important part of storing wooden furniture pieces is assuring the environment is suitable for their long-term storage. And most if not all wood is susceptible to changes in temperature. If the shifts are too sudden, the wood can bend, crack or warp. It would most definitely ruin the furniture, even make it impossible to fix afterward as well. Similar effects are brought about by too much moisture in the air, in addition to rotting or molding. These factors are why you must use a climate-controlled storage unit to store your wooden furniture. You will not need to worry about potential damage if you do.
Make sure the storage is clean
Just as crucial for storing wooden furniture pieces is, of course, the cleanliness of the storage unit. If you leave all the dust and filth in, even if your furniture is wrapped correctly, you run the risk of the dirt eventually finding its way into the wrapping. If it does, the least amount of damage you can expect is permanent staining. Such stains would be hard if not impossible to remove on most kinds of wooden furniture. The contaminants can also cause mold development, which would, in turn, result in some of the issues we have already mentioned: rotting, cracking, and warping.
Disassemble the furniture
Certain furniture can be much better preserved in storage if you disassemble it first. Chairs can typically be easily taken apart and then reassembled later. And for some pieces, such as huge wardrobes, disassembly can be the only option for transport and storage. Of course, in some cases, it is just plain necessary. A chest of drawers can hardly be transported while the drawers are constantly trying to open and fall out. It would mean that a single misstep could result in dropping something. And that could result in both damages to the item and severe injury for the movers. What needs to be noted is that it’s crucial to know how to disassemble furniture. If you do it with no idea of what tools to use or how much force to apply, you could easily break it.
Get moving blankets
You cannot fit most furniture into boxes. Even disassembled, most pieces are far too large to fit into a container that is manageable to move. This, of course, means that furniture is particularly vulnerable both during transport and for the duration of staying in storage. If you are moving interstate from New York and plan to make Kentucky your home, you do not want to worry about your belongings the whole ride over, right? Hiring reliable movers is one step to making your belongings safe. The other is obtaining suitable equipment. A solution does exist for scenarios such as the one mentioned above! Moving blankets are made of thick, damage-resistant fiber and can take some serious punishment before letting the furniture be harmed. As an added benefit, once you’ve adequately wrapped the furniture in it, you can leave it on once you’ve gotten your belongings into storage. It would protect the furniture from dust and the accumulation of other contaminants.
Wipe down, then dry everything
For the same reason you need to have the environment cleaned, you need to clean the furniture as well. Except, this is slightly more complex and risky. We’ve already discussed the effects of moisture on your items when storing wooden furniture pieces. So, you may feel worried because you need to use a slightly wet rag to clean everything properly. But if you dry everything thoroughly, there will be no danger to your furniture. Still, you can expect the wood to rise and warp a little if you leave slightly damp spots.
Apply proper treatment
It is constructive to learn how to take care of your furniture. It will extend its lifespan and let it maintain its beauty to the very end of its usefulness. Taking care of your belongings requires some knowledge of the maintenance of wooden furniture. The simplest form of it is applying treatment to the wood. Waxing is the most common option, and beeswax is the most common solution used to do this. It is essential to apply this treatment immediately after cleaning. You will spot and eliminate any leftover moisture even better. And it will also provide an additional layer of protection from the environment and potential damage to which your furniture will be exposed.
Do not stack the furniture pieces onto each other
The final thing you need to know about storing wooden furniture pieces is to never stack them on top of each other in the storage unit. Doing this is a recipe for disaster since the weight of the pieces would make the lower placed ones bend and warp during the period of storage. Even if you had done everything else to perfection, this would ruin your efforts. There are better ways to maximize a smaller space if that is your concern. After all, if you see renting a smaller storage unit as ‘saving money,’ then you would not want to have to spend a lot more to replace the furniture you had accidentally ruined.
Final Advice
With the seven tips for storing wooden furniture pieces under your belt, you will undoubtedly successfully prepare your items for storage. What you need to remember is not to rush the process. Every step needs to be done right, and skipping any one of them can leave your furniture damaged.
Furniture Solutions, the furniture store in Northern Kentucky, carries the most popular brands like Ashley Furniture, Coaster Furniture, Sealy Mattress and Sauder. You will be amazed at the incredible value and low prices we have on a large selection of bedroom suites, dining room collections, sofas , chairs and all manner of accent furniture that will make your home new. Those who are in communities that are further away just need to call us and we will do our best to respond to your needs. When you drop by, you will be greeted by the friendliest sales personnel you have ever been served by. We can hardly wait to meet you and help you make the right choice.