How to maintain solid wood furniture so it lasts decades

Solid wood furniture lasts decades if you treat it like a living material — because that's what it is. Most damage we see isn't from age; it's from a single bad cleaning product, a season of unusual humidity, or a sunny window the owners didn't think about. Here's the workshop's care guide, written so you can stay ahead of the common mistakes.

Humidity is the silent factor

Wood absorbs and releases moisture with the surrounding air. In a Tel Aviv apartment that swings from 40% to 75% relative humidity across the year, a solid oak tabletop can change width by 3-4 mm. That's why we use joinery that allows the panel to move (breadboard ends, floating panels) — but you can help by keeping the environment more stable.

Run a dehumidifier in the wet months if you can; in dry months a small humidifier near the AC return helps. Aim for 45-60% — that's the comfort range for wood and the comfort range for humans, conveniently. If you see a season-end check or a slight cup that flattens by next month, that's the wood doing its job. Persistent cupping or splits mean the environment is too extreme.

Sunlight darkens, but unevenly

Direct sun on solid wood will darken it across years — beautifully, generally — but uneven exposure means uneven darkening. A book left on a tabletop for six months will leave a ghost outline that takes years to fade. Move things around on tabletops every few months. If a piece sits in direct sun, accept the patina or move the piece; covering half of it accelerates the unevenness rather than solving it.

Cleaning — what works, what doesn't

For daily use: a soft dry cloth, or slightly damp if you need it. Wipe with the grain. That's it.

For weekly use: a microfibre with a tiny bit of water or pH-neutral soap (the kind sold for wood floors works fine). Wring it out so it's damp, not wet. Wipe with the grain. Dry with a separate soft cloth afterward.

What to avoid: glass cleaner (ammonia), all-purpose sprays (most contain alcohol or solvents that strip the oil finish), abrasive pads, silicone-based "wood polishes" (they build up over years and prevent future oil from soaking in). The fancy lemon-oil sprays are the worst of these — they smell nice for a week and prevent any actual maintenance for the next decade.

When to re-oil — and how

A hardwax-oil finished piece needs a refresher every 12-18 months for high-touch pieces (kitchen counters, dining tables) and every 2-3 years for lower-touch pieces (bookshelves, side tables). Signs it's due: the surface feels slightly thirsty under your hand, water drops absorb in seconds instead of beading and rolling.

The process: clean the surface (damp cloth, dry fully), apply a small amount of refresher oil with a lint-free cloth working with the grain, leave for 5-10 minutes, then buff off any excess with a clean dry cloth. The piece is ready to use again in 6-12 hours. Don't apply oil thickly — thin coats absorb; thick coats stay tacky.

We supply a small bottle of the matching refresher oil with every piece we deliver. When that runs out, any quality natural-oil-based refresher works (Osmo Wax Care, Rubio Monocoat Refresh — both available locally).

Protecting tables — coasters, trivets, pads

A hardwax-oil finish handles condensation drops gracefully but not for hours. Use coasters under cold glasses, trivets under hot dishes. Not because the finish will fail at one event — it won't — but because a wet ring left overnight is the kind of damage that takes serious work to repair, vs the no-damage of using a coaster. The same goes for laptop heat over long work sessions: a felt pad under a hot machine prevents the slow finish-discoloration that builds up year over year.

Restoring scratches

Light scratches in the finish (you can feel them but they don't reach the wood underneath): buff with a slightly damp cloth and a tiny amount of refresher oil. Most disappear.

Deeper scratches (visible in the wood itself): light sand along the scratch with 400 grit paper, going only along the grain, then apply refresher oil to the sanded area. Wait 24 hours, repeat the oil if needed. The repair will be invisible at year one and indistinguishable from the rest of the patina by year three.

Dents (not scratches): a damp cloth pressed onto the dent with a warm iron above it for 10-15 seconds will often raise the dent by swelling the compressed fibers back to size. Works on hardwax-finished pieces; doesn't work through lacquer.

For anything beyond that — a deep gash, a water stain that won't buff out, a finish that's gone completely dull — send us a photo. We'll either talk you through the repair or offer to bring the piece back to the workshop for refinishing. Pieces we built we will always service.

Seasonal wood movement — what's normal

In winter (dry, heated) you might see: hairline gaps appear at panel joints, a drawer that slides a touch looser, a tabletop that feels slightly flatter than in summer.

In summer (humid) you might see: the same gaps close completely, the drawer slightly tighter, the tabletop with a barely-perceptible cup. All of this is the wood doing exactly what it should do. None of it indicates a defect or a need for repair.

What's NOT normal: persistent splits (not seasonal gaps), warping that doesn't reverse with the next season, a finish that's gone tacky and stays tacky. Those are problems and we want to know about them.