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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Wood in Humidity and Dry climates

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Expert: - 5/25/2009


Question
Hello,  I have a hutch and table made of teak wood that was made in Belgium.  
Moved to las vegas (dry!!)...a few small cracks, not bad.  Now moving to Japan
(humid). Two options. I can store it here in las vegas until my return, or take for
three years to Japan, afterwards returning to the States likely in the west.  Any
advise on what would be best for the furniture.

Answer
Hi Holli, it really should be ok, IF you are careful to take care of it.......the real climate that matters is in the living environment that the pieces will be in. The furniture would be much better off in an environment that was a living area, (Japan) versus baking in a Las Vegas storage area....for instance (unless climate controlled). The humididty levels in an indoor living environment can vary widely as well, so it's important to know what the relative hunidity is in any given space where nice things will be,(furniture, leather, paper, furs, etc) and an inexpensive Hygrometer from a hardware store can help one monitor that. Slightly humid is better than Las Vegas dry.........for furniture. Teak is a stable wood, but any wood can suffer if allowed to remain in too dry an area without some sort of humidity monitoring and maintenance...(meaning adding humidity to the air via humidifiers, etc) For the furniture's health, (and yours),relative humidity levels between 25-45% are desirable....not always easy to maintain however, especially in  the months that we need heating to warm the home. Hope that helps a little- post back if need be- Greg

Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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