It’s always an exciting feeling receiving a new piece of furniture to spruce up a home. With any new home addition there’s a few things to consider when cleaning and maintaining your new natural live edge furniture to get the most out of it. It’s important to note that timber is a natural living product, which may continue to behave as an organic material, despite being manufactured. From time to time, timber can move, develop cracks and imperfections, it may swell or shrink and develop surface irregularities such as colour variation – which are all integral parts of solid, real timber. Its what makes each timber piece a unique and stunning addition to your home.
1. Clean
A natural way to leave your furniture squeaky clean is by using natural cleaning products. Most of the time, these products are absent of any harsh cleaning chemicals, and can leave your furniture squeaky clean by lifting any grime without any streaks or drips.
- Mix 1 part soap or mild detergent with 5 parts water.
- Using a soft, microfibre cloth, wipe in the direction of the grain.
- Wring cloth nearly dry, and wipe again in the area.
- Wipe dry with another clean, soft cloth.
First test your natural cleaning products on a hidden area to ensure they are suitable for use on your furniture. The use of harsh cleaning chemicals such as bleach, or hospital grade cleaning products can cause a chemical reaction with the finishing, leading to discolouration and compromise the water resistance of the slab. Also, avoid using metal scourers as this will damage and scratch the surface. Non-scratch sponges are also recommended to be avoided.
2. Polish
Give your furniture a natural glow by applying Tung Oil or Linseed Oil seasonally. Polishing can resist fading and discolouration from sunlight, as well as prevent water from entering under cuts or dings that may have occurred by sealing minor scratches.
- Shake can well.
- Wipe in direction of the grain.
3. Dust
Microfibre towels are soft enough that they won’t scratch or damage the surface of the wood. Their fibres work well to get in any nooks or crevices and fish out dust.
- Wipe in direction of the grain.
- Once the cloth is completely soiled, clean with lukewarm water and mild detergent and air dry.
4. Maintain
Avoid direct exposure to sunlight or heat. Wooden slabs can become sun bleached if left outside in the sun all day, every day. This kind of damage can be reversed but the process is difficult and time consuming. Wood becomes weaker when exposed to the sun, and opens up the risk of cracking and splintering. The use of coasters for hot food and drink items is recommended to avoid heat marks. Also avoid placement of the slab under heaters and/or air conditioner units as too high, or too low temperatures can cause the timber to warp, split, or in worst case scenario can cause glue in veneers to loosen.
Avoid using the slab for food prep. The finish is not suitable for food preparation, we recommend using separate cutting boards for any cutting or chopping related activities.
Our slabs are hand-selected from local businesses and are chosen for their size, unique grain, and figure patterns. Our slabs are air-dried to remove any excess moisture to prevent future cracking or warping and is then flattened and cut to its true dimensions. To serve as a fully-functional piece of furniture the tops are sealed, soft knots removed, cracks are filled with resin or epoxy, and are topped with our signature, tough as nails, hand-rubbed Osmo. There may be some seasonal movement and acclimation of the wood; this is normal and should not affect the structural integrity of the top.
More information
- Our live edge wood products are sealed with our permanent Osmo; no recoating is necessary.
- Live edge requires very little maintenance to remain water and stain proof.
- Be aware that some residual moisture within the wood may be released during the first heating season or Winter. This may result in some shrinking around the areas with resin.
- All wood tops, including live edge, respond to temperature and humidity and will change shape somewhat with the seasons. Slight misalignments of boards and cracks may appear seasonally – this is normal.
- Your live edge top will arrive with a very perfect and slightly glossy finish. The sheen is intended to dull down with use. The top will develop a patina and ‘pattern of use’; this creates the personality of your top and is to be enjoyed as a unique finish.
- The finish on your top may have a whiteish haze when seen in reflected light. This is caused by the hand-rubbed application done by our craftsmen.
- All of Jeb Woodworking furniture comes with terms and conditions.
Please feel free to contact or call us for technical or service advice before tackling significant problems with your product.
If you need to report a problem or need service advice, please follow this procedure to help us understand the nature of your problem:
- Please provide photos to illustrate the nature and size of your problem.
- First, place a coin next to each problem area as a scale reference.
- Next, take a wide-angle photo that shows the entire piece.
- Then, take a close-up photo of each problem area (showing the coin in each close-up).
- Email photos to admin@jebwoodworking.com.au . After the photos are received, our team will reply with resolution options.
Resources
- Care & maintenance instructions from Brooks Custom Retrieved 26th March, 2021
- Timber care from Focus On Furniture Retrieved 26th March, 2021