Use & Care

Understanding and Protecting Wooden Furniture

Don Carolis furniture is crafted using only premium materials. We use tropical hardwoods - Sri Lankan Teak and Mahogany, introduced to Sri Lanka by the British. Since then the Sri Lankan Government have been harvesting and replanting Teak and Mahogany Forests as plantations. We make our purchases only from these authorities.

Natural timbers carry natural variations in Grain and colour, inherent characteristics such as knots, mineral streaks and pitch pockets. These are not considered quality defects. Freshly sawn wood is more than 50 percent water. To prepare wood to make furniture, the wood has to be dried in order to reduce the moisture content to a level that allows it to acclimatize to the average relative humidity in most homes.

Like your skin, wood is porous. It responds to extremely dry air by losing moisture and shrinking. The furniture in your home continues to exchange moisture with the air responding to climatic changes in your home. For example, the halves of an extension table may part slightly, especially at the edges of the table. This will correct itself as the relative humidity rises and the wood absorbs enough moisture to expand slightly. These natural changes, however, do not affect the furniture's quality or durability.

If the humidity and temperature levels vary in your home, polishing and treatment should be more frequent. Therefore it is best that furniture is protected every 4 to 6 months depending on the climatic conditions, by applying a good quality furniture wax.

Wood furniture is best maintained at a temperature of between 65 & 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with a relative humidity between 35 and 40 percent. Avoid placing fine wood furniture near heat or air-conditioning outlets. Exposure to extreme temperature variations can damage any fine wood pieces, including variations caused by humidifiers, fireplaces or space heaters.

If your house or office has great variations in humidity and temperature and heaters are used frequently it is strongly suggested that you do not buy any solid wood furniture. In such surroundings timber furniture will have tobe waxed and maintained regularly.

Placement of Furniture

Furniture is constructed to sit in a level position - all doors and drawers are evenly aligned when the furniture leaves the factory. However, most homes have variations in floor level caused by age, type of construction, carpeting, etc., that may result in misalignment of your furniture. When needed, levelers will have to be adjusted to align your furniture to compensate for particular conditions in your home.

Over time, you may find it necessary to adjust the levelers again if doors or drawers become uneven. This happens as your furniture settles into the carpeting, or when you place heavy objects, such as televisions or computer equipment, in or on your furniture. Moving your furniture will often require leveling adjustments.

Taking Care of Furniture

• Don't lean back on chairs.
• Avoid using chair stretchers or table pedestals as footrests.
• Don't stand on rush or woven seats.
• Don't put anything hot directly on furniture.
• If your furniture becomes scorched, seek the help of a furniture repair specialist.
• Protect dining tabletops with non-plastic/cloth mats or pads.
• Use coasters under hot and cold beverage.
• Use a protective pad under lamps and accessories.
• Protect the surface when working with items that could stain or damage the wood, such as crayons, markers, Ball point pens & glue.
• Avoid excessive scratching by lifting objects instead of dragging them across wood surfaces. This is especially important with ceramics that have rough surfaces on the underside.
• Avoid leaving plastic tablecloths and placemats on wood surfaces for extended periods of time.
• Affix felt discs on the contact points of computer equipment, alarm clocks, lamps, telephones, and other desktop items. The plastic, rubber, or nylon feet on these items may contain chemicals that can penetrate into the product causing indentations softening & discoloration. Even plastic toys left on unprotected shelves for extended periods can cause damage to the finish.
• Leather and simulated leather should be treated with leather conditioner every 6 months. Fabrics used on sofas can only be dry cleaned.
• Timber is a natural product which is susceptible to expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore it is best that the furniture is protected by applying a good quality furniture wax every 4 to 6 months depending on climatic conditions.