Caring for Oak Furniture – Outdoor or Indoor Pieces

Solid oak furniture can be one of the most beautiful pieces in a home. With the proper care, oak can last a lifetime, be passed down through generations, become the centerpiece of homes, and, of course, remain an investment of quality no matter how many times you redecorate around it. To some people, furniture is just furniture. You bring it home, set it up, put things on it, and you like it. To others, furniture can become a passion. Seeking out the perfect piece and then laboring over it with love for the next ten or twenty years is more than just a hobby. For most of us, furniture lies somewhere in the middle. It is a way of expressing ourselves throughout our home, creating an environment that is comfortable, attractive, and a flag of self-expression in an otherwise empty room. Caring for oak furniture is part of owning it, regardless of where you fit on the scale of furniture passion.

Caring for Oak Furniture

There are different types of oak furniture, and naturally, some types may require special consideration. For example, green oak takes about four years to fully treat. Most outdoor oak furniture is created from green oak.

Unfinished oak furniture can be beautiful when kept up with, but it can become an eyesore if left to its own devices. Since oak tends to leak its own natural source of tannin from within the wood, staining of areas surrounding the furniture can happen. In almost every case, this tannin staining occurs with outdoor oak furniture. However, sometimes indoor oak furniture ends up with a particularly high natural occurrence rate of tannin.

Caring for oak furniture that is purchased untreated, whether outdoor or indoor pieces, is simple. All you need to do is wipe it down with a damp cloth. However, the cloth should never be dampened with water but with basic teak oil instead. If teak oil is unavailable, Danish oil makes a great substitute.

Oak furniture is “live wood,” which means it has the ability to withstand certain elements without sustaining unreasonable damage. At the same time, significant elements can cause major damage. For example, the small spill your child caused at the annual holiday party is unlikely to cause significant harm (as long as it wasn’t a carbonated beverage). On the other hand, the spill your child caused last week, which you didn’t find out about until it had sat for 12 hours, may leave a large mark.

Every couple of months, your oak furniture will need a thorough waxing, especially in its first few years in your home. Waxing helps keep the grain adhered, prevents cracking and crazing, and ensures that any finishes on your oak furniture remain in top shape. Waxing doesn’t work well if you make little circles or broad back-and-forth strokes. Instead, apply the wax with a clean cloth in the same direction as the grain, and then remove the wax by buffing in the same direction. This allows for optimum protection within the grain while minimizing streaking and air pockets.

Cheap furniture care products are cheap for a reason. The reason is usually that they don’t work very well. The ingredients in the cheap cans of furniture polish are less expensive for the manufacturer to obtain because they are not as potent. While some companies may package their product for store brands, these are few and far between. As a general rule, you should avoid the cheap cans of furniture care products.

When moisture from a drinking glass or other mild sources leaves a mark, nearly all oak furniture enthusiasts swear by a little overnight butter massage for their treasured pieces. You can use either butter or margarine, massage it into the marks, and then leave it to work its magic overnight. In the morning, when you wipe it clean, follow up with a polish. For stains and watermarks that are particularly stubborn, some people use a concoction of cigarette ashes and olive oil. This creates a paste (and a great conversation piece when you call your smoking friend and ask them to save their ashes for you!) that will ultimately dull the furniture. Polishing the area thoroughly after use can help bring back the shine. These home remedies also work for marks left by heat.

One of the most frustrating aspects of caring for oak furniture is dealing with scratches and dents that inevitably threaten to ruin an otherwise beautiful piece. However, there is a remedy for this—proceed with caution, as the repair process can also damage the furniture if done incorrectly.

Start the repair process by allowing a few droplets of water to soak completely into the dent or scratch. When the wood is moist, cover the area with a clean cloth and gently iron the spot with a warm iron. The combination of heat and moisture can literally erase the dent. Alternatively, for the more scientific types, the heat causes the wood to expand, and as the water dries, it creates permanency for the repair. If you accidentally burn the table during this process, toothpaste left on the burn overnight and polished the next morning can alleviate minor scorch marks.

Caring for oak furniture properly allows fine pieces to become family heirlooms, adds incredible unique beauty to any home, and can be a passionate endeavor for those who find these pieces intricately beautiful.