Bermuda’s traditional winter dampness can cost you more money in furniture restoration/replacement than you expected.
Moisture in furniture can often lead to mildew, while dryness can cause furniture to lose its natural luster and weaken joints. Maintaining this delicate balance for your furniture is vital to keeping it looking nice year after year. Sealants and weather proofing products will help ensure that pieces last.
Decay:
Wood that is in contact with water over a long period of time can become discolored for various reasons and may grow fungi, including stains, molds and decay.
Some outdoor applications such as decks and porches are more conducive to decay. Restore your faded and weather-worn deck with a coat of waterproofing deck stain. These products are designed to protect the wood from water damage, mildew and destructive ultraviolet rays. To enhance the natural beauty of the wood and keep it looking like new, apply the stain every three years.
Warping:
Bermuda is a very humid place. Great for the nice year-round weather but it can also cause havoc on our houses and belongings.
Dimensional stability can be defined as the degree to which a material maintains its original dimensions when subjected to environmental changes. With many materials, temperature and humidity are critical factors.
Swelling in damp conditions and shrinkage in dry can have unwelcome implications for wood. Windows and doors may jam or let in drafts, wood may warp or split, leading to insect degradation and more frequent maintenance cycles. Worst case scenario results in structures becoming unstable.
Utilizing treated woods such as Accoya, or weather treatment products, have shown a reduction in swelling caused by moisture uptake of 75% or more. From oven dry to water saturated conditions, the swelling and shrinkage of acetylated wood is only minimal and, in fact, better than tropical hardwoods. Alternatively, a naturally durable species, such as cedar, should be considered.
Regardless of the protection provided, it is good practice to keep wood away from potential water sources. If that is not practically possible, the piece should be protected to ensure that moisture does not accumulate, and that the wood will re-dry after wetting. Don’t let something as simple as water ruin your beautiful piece.