Worst damage to the furniture is caused by heating dryness. If you'd like to have a quality, antique pieces in your home, then is necessary to provide them "healthy" environment. Excessive dampness poses another problem. When pieces are stored in unheated, damp areas - barns, outbuildings. When those two scenarios - unheated storage, followed by worm, dry spot by the radiator, are combined together, we are getting the worst scenario and perfect recipe for a trouble.
Antique furniture needs protection from low humidity. During dry, winter months relative humidity may fell to 20 -30%RH. For a normal, comfortable indoor temperature of 70F, RH should be maintain at 50-55%. Inexpensive hygrometer will help to keep track of humidity changes in your home.
Furniture should never be placed directly in front of a heat source, or over heat register, even if that place looks best to display our treasure.
During four seasons cycle, humidity will change between 80% - 30%RH. Both are critical. With every change, all elements that piece is made of, will move independently. Wood expands/ shrinks in its width, thickness and very little along the grain. Rapid daily changes, are not as dangerous as those, created seasonally.
During winter season, warm and dry conditions are causing shrinking, opening-up joints, warping, splitting and separating tops and most of all extensive damage to the veneers and inlays. Many of antique pieces were made with pine and laminated ( decorated ) with thin veneers. Pine's ability to react for humidity changes is much greater than veneer's, which will loose contact with wood, or if glue is still holding well, it will crack, often ruining nice mosaic marquetry, or inlay.
Warm and damp conditions cause expanding and compression stress - damage to the wood cells. Chemical and physical properties of materials are getting unbalanced. Old adhesives - animal glues, are loosing there strength. Leather, leatherette, paper, even brass and marble are at risk. Moisten animal glue may create good ground for growing mold and bacteria, deteriorating bond completely.
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