Antique Furniture Care

The furniture you have purchased from Pacific Orient Traders is refinished, and as a result, has an adequate protective coating, which assists in maintaining your treasure.

A good protective coating reduces the exchange of moisture between the wood and the air, which helps eliminate expansion and contraction of the wood, which can leas to cracking and warping. Above all, remember that the piece that you purchased is over one hundred years old, and has been through quite a life of its own before arriving in your home. Treat it as you would any valuable, delicate piece, but also remember it was built to last for centuries and it is tougher than you may first think.

During restoration in China, all exposed areas of each piece were applied with multiple coats of finish, as well as to the areas you don't even see, like the undersides of tables, the insides of dresser casings and the undersides of chair seats.

With this protective finish applied to your furniture, the only thing left to do is protect the finish. The lacquer finish requires very little care. The general rule is to do as little as possible. We recommend the following basic guidelines:

Maintenance with good quality furniture wax, is advised after a light cleaning with the mildest of cleaning agents - a damp cloth. Below are examples:
Liberon
BriWax
Mylands

DO NOT use Lemon Pledge or any furniture oils.

One can gradually increase the intensity of the cleaning agent to remove more surface material and achieve deeper cleaning; however one also risks removing irreplaceable patination of time.
Use common sense, but remember whatever you remove cannot be replaced other than by time.
To bring a piece up to it's potential, it must be evaluated according to its condition and to what one wishes to achieve.

EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS

Chinese Antique Furniture and some accessories are prone to climatic conditions. The wood is alive thus lives and breathes. It will acclimate itself to the surrounding climatic conditions. Antique Chinese furniture has floating panels that expand and retract depending on the moisture in the air.

Any harsh of sudden changes such as going from a warm area condition and then being exposed to extreme cold condition will surely cause possible damage, such as cracking or expansion of the joints, if proper guidelines are not followed.

It usually takes at least thirty days, more of less, for furniture to adapt to the surrounding conditions it is exposed to.

It is strongly recommended that moisture be available, either with the use of a humidifies of by keeping a glass of water, (half filled) inside the unit of furniture. Another helpful hint is to keep a plant or plants in close proximity.

Avoid extreme cold of continuois exposure to air conditioning. If A/C is part of the surrounding environment, follow the procedures mentioned about increasing moisture in the area of the furniture itself.

Not following our recommendations may lead to cracking in one or more areas of the antique furniture piece. These cracks can often be repaired, but it's better to avoid this from happening. These preventive measures will help in avoiding these problems and assist you in maintaining your treasures.


	Antique Furniture Care The furniture you have purchased from Pacific Orient Traders is refinished, and as a result, has an adequate protective coating, which assists in maintaining your treasure. A good protective coating reduces the exchange of moisture between the wood and the air, which helps eliminate expansion and contraction of the wood, which can leas to cracking and warping. Above all, remember that the piece that you purchased is over one hundred years old, and has been through quite a life of its own before arriving in your home. Treat it as you would any valuable, delicate piece, but also remember it was built to last for centuries and it is tougher than you may first think. During restoration in China, all exposed areas of each piece were applied with multiple coats of finish, as well as to the areas you don't even see, like the undersides of tables, the insides of dresser casings and the undersides of chair seats. With this protective finish applied to your furniture, the only thing left to do is protect the finish. The lacquer finish requires very little care. The general rule is to do as little as possible. We recommend the following basic guidelines: Maintenance with good quality furniture wax, is advised after a light cleaning with the mildest of cleaning agents - a damp cloth. Below are examples: Liberon BriWax Mylands DO NOT use Lemon Pledge or any furniture oils. One can gradually increase the intensity of the cleaning agent to remove more surface material and achieve deeper cleaning; however one also risks removing irreplaceable patination of time. Use common sense, but remember whatever you remove cannot be replaced other than by time. To bring a piece up to it's potential, it must be evaluated according to its condition and to what one wishes to achieve. EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS Chinese Antique Furniture and some accessories are prone to climatic conditions. The wood is alive thus lives and breathes. It will acclimate itself to the surrounding climatic conditions. Antique Chinese furniture has floating panels that expand and retract depending on the moisture in the air. Any harsh of sudden changes such as going from a warm area condition and then being exposed to extreme cold condition will surely cause possible damage, such as cracking or expansion of the joints, if proper guidelines are not followed. It usually takes at least thirty days, more of less, for furniture to adapt to the surrounding conditions it is exposed to. It is strongly recommended that moisture be available, either with the use of a humidifies of by keeping a glass of water, (half filled) inside the unit of furniture. Another helpful hint is to keep a plant or plants in close proximity. Avoid extreme cold of continuois exposure to air conditioning. If A/C is part of the surrounding environment, follow the procedures mentioned about increasing moisture in the area of the furniture itself. Not following our recommendations may lead to cracking in one or more areas of the antique furniture piece. These cracks can often be repaired, but it's better to avoid this from happening. These preventive measures will help in avoiding these problems and assist you in maintaining your treasures.