- What is the most durable natural fiber content for my home decorator project needs?
It is my understanding that hemp fibers are the most durable in the category of natural fibers. They are also the most ultra-violet resistant of the natural fibers. It is important to note that industrial hemp fibers should not be confused with the narcotic form of hemp which is illegal.
- What are my choices for 100% natural fiber content in the decorator fabric marketplace?
Cotton, linen, wool, silk and hemp.
- How can I tell if my furniture is worth repairing, refinishing, or re-upholstering?
For some people that is based on simple economics. "If it costs more to refurbish than to replace with new then my furniture is not worth fixing." On the surface that may make a lot of sense, especially for those who have inferior quality furnishings or have very limited means. Is your furniture made of solid wood? Does it suits your lifestyle, taste and decor? Does it have some emotional or sentimental attachment? Is it vintage or antique? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have an excellent reason for going ahead and having your furniture refurbished. Even if it does cost more than replacing with new, it is often like comparing apples to oranges. A very large proportion of new furnishings sold today are of questionable quality.
- How can I know if my upholstered furniture is quality?
There is no simple answer to that question. Since you don't have x-ray vision there are a variety of clues you can use to determine if your upholstery is quality built. Did you buy a quality name brand? Was it expensive furniture relative to the manufacturer's suggested retail price when it was purchased? Is it over 20 years old? Is it vintage or antique? Has the structure of the frame held up over the decades? I f you answer yes to any of the above questions, there is a very good chance your upholstered furniture was built with quality.
- What constitutes a quality piece of upholstered furniture?
The first consideration in determining the quality of a piece of upholstery is the frame. The frame can be thought of as the "bones" that you frequently can't see unless you strip the layers of fabric and batting away. Superior frames begin with solid hardwood construction. Double doweled and reinforced at the stress points are the time tested standards for the very best construction techniques. There are many other techniques used for building frames, but too many to review here. If your furniture was built using engineered lumber, which includes particle board and plywood frames, or if it is fastened using screws or large staples, your frame may not be of the finest quality.
- What is the best fiber content for my drapery project?
There is no one answer to that question. It really depend on your geographic local, the amount of direct ultra violet exposure, the style of window fashions you are planning and if you are using a drapery liner to back the project. Some of the more commonly used fibers to make drapery weight goods are cotton, polyester, acrylic and linen.
- What do you recommend I use for dusting my furniture?
My person preference is a dry soft absorbable cotton rag. A rag made from an old cotton t-shirt or diaper is a cost effective and safe method for regular (weekly) dusting. It is my first choice because you can recycle and re-use the rag by simply laundering it. In addition cotton is a renewable resource, an agricultural product that supports U.S. farmers, for those of us who care about the details. I also feel the new micro-fiber dust cloths are a very effective. I am only personally familiar with the dry micro-fiber dust cloths and cannot vouch for the micro-fiber cloths that contain so called furniture polishes.
- What do you recommend for cleaning, polishing and preserving my antique wood furniture?
What's a person to do? There are creams, polishes, oils, waxes, lotions, glaze, soaps and so on. Many of these products will not provide the positive benefits you would like to achieve. It is my opinion that if applied properly the wood finish or top coats should preserve the wood. The purpose of the furniture care product is to clean, preserve and polish the wood finish or top coats. It is my professional opinion that generally speaking wax is your best all around cleaner, preservative and polish. There are two main types of wax, one being bees wax the other is carnauba wax. I like them both, however, carnauba is a lot more work when used correctly. I am pretty sure we all know that bees wax comes from the architecture of bee hives. Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of the Brazilin Carnauba Palm Tree. Additionally, waxes come in paste and spray applications. Both are fine. Spray wax with ?lemon oil? is especially good with lacquer finishes. Wax is my preference because it is a natural product and a renewable resource. It also will do it all--clean, polish and preserve. Regardless of the type of finish that is on your furniture, wax is your safest bet. Most furniture wax products are self cleaning so build-up really should not be a concern. You can also get pigmented paste waxes in a variety of color choices. The pigment will help cover scratches and other defects like areas where the finish is worn or missing. Wax will also re-seal areas of the finish that are worn or the finish is missing, which is especially beneficial. It is also worthwhile to discuss the types of furniture care products I don?t recommend. First off, any wood furniture care product containing water should be completely avoided. H20 is damaging to almost all finishes and should always be avoided. Furniture care products that contain water also have negative consequences for the wood. Direct exposure to water will cause the wood to swell and the grain to rise. Ultimately, water will dry out the wood fibers. It will also cause premature aging and discoloration of the wood, finish, top coats and stain. You have also seen the ugly ring stains left on wood and wood finishes when a beverage or plant is left too long on the top of a wood product. Products containing silicone are also detrimental. Silicone build-up will occur. Once you begin using so called polishes containing silicone, nothing else will shine your furniture. It is almost like your furniture will get addicted to these products and you are forced to continue to use them. Silicone product usage presents unnecessary challenges when you refinish an item exposed to these so called furniture care products. Finally I wish to address ?lemon oil? and other oil products. The term ?lemon oil? is almost always mineral oil with a lemon scent added. Many of these products are good and perfectly safe to use. Call for answers to your specific questions. We stock a variety of safe, quality products and have the experience and knowledge to help support your furniture maintenance goals.
- They say on the ?Antique Road Show? that stripping or ?cleaning? the finish on an old piece of furniture decreases its value. Does this mean I should not clean or refinish my old furniture items?
The first comment I wish to make on this subject is regarding repair, restoration, preservation or conservation specialists who attempt to offer you any appraisal of your item. This advice from a professional view is a conflict of interest and is at best, borderline unethical. Questions of value should always be left up to qualified Antique Appraisal professionals who have the resources and experience to provide a bone fide appraisal. This question brings up several subjects and comes up over and over again. There is no simple answer to this question and needs to be looked at from several different perspectives. The best way to answer that question is to start with a few questions. What is the value of the item in its current condition? Current condition has a strong influence on resale value. Is it an antique of highly collectible value? How certain are you that the existing finish is the original finish? How old is the item? Has the original finish been painted or antiqued over? These are some of the issues to be considered when contemplating whether or not to remove or ?clean? a finish. There certainly are circumstances in which you don?t want to remove or even alter the original finish. In my practice I may see numerous items that fall into this category every year. My advice to the client is that we should not strip or clean the original finish--we should do repair or conservation work as indicated but not refinishing. It is also worth noting that an item needs to be 100 years or older to technically be considered an antique. Some collectible items (pieces less than 100 years old) are especially hot in the collectible arena and stripping the original finish should be avoided. This consideration should be taken on a case by case base. This would include some mission, arts and crafts style and art deco era items.
- How do I take care of my upholstered furniture?
So you just bought a new piece of upholstery or recently had a piece of furniture reupholstered. Now how to take care of it to keep that new look. My first suggestion is to have the fabric treated with a stain repellent. There are some very effective products available on the market today. Be sure to order a fabric protection that is warranted against staining. Stains and deep soiling threaten the life and look of your new fabrics. It happens in every home. An active family and pets all contribute to the problem of ugly stains on carefully selected carpets and upholstery textiles. In a moment of time, the work of many hours of selecting just the correct combination of color and texture, not to mention the cost in time and material may be ruined by a simple spill. An effective fabric treatment program is a very small investment compared to the trouble and expense of a repair or replacement. With out an effective stain repellent, all it takes is a single spill to spoil your investment. I also recommend regular vacuuming of your upholstery to prevent dust, pollution and other environmental contaminates from building up. This will also dramatically increase the amount of time you can go between cleanings.
- What do you recommend to clean my upholstered furniture?
You should follow the manufactures recommendations for spot cleaning. I only recommend professional dry cleaning for upholstered furniture. A dry cleaning process is the safest method and is the least likely to cause damage to the fabric fibers. There are a variety of companies who offer a dry cleaning process to clean your carpets and upholstery. Basically they use CO2 instead of H2O in the cleaning solution. The rest of the cleaning is an extraction process.
12. What is RR or railroaded fabric?
The best way to explain railroading fabric is to provide you with a visual aid that will demonstrate the differance between a fabric that is woven railroaded and a fabric that is woven up the roll. Some fabrics are bi-directional. Link to graphic visual that shows what railroading is.
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