What to look for

Look for small piles of dust like powder that can appear on the floor or carpets and especially on the dust boards of chest of drawers. Do not confuse this with wear and tear of the drawer runners which can also generate dust, the texture is quite different.

Look for those tiny clean holes in the underside of drawer bottoms, side and backs, around open joints and especially sap lines in oak which are lighter in colour, this might indicate there may be a new infestation.

Activity usually takes place around early spring so try to get in a habit of checking your furniture regularly before then and taking the appropriate action.

Treatment & Prevention

There are many products on the market which can help you with preventing and killing of woodworm. If you decide to treat the pieces yourself, these products can come in either a liquid or aerosol form. Having made your choice, you are advised to adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions regarding health and safety issues during use.

This is one of the most frequently asked questions, particularly after a piece has been restored.

I recommend, particularly with antique furniture, a good beeswax polish should be used. Usually the darker the wood, like dark oak, rosewood and mahogany, a dark wax should be used and for lighter woods e.g. pine, birch, beech etc a lighter wax is required.

How Often?

On table tops I have found that waxing once every six months or so and then buffing with a soft cloth in between is quite adequate. The wax does need a chance to be absorbed by the wood to nourish and feed it; if waxed too frequently it can stay on the surface of the top and become quite sticky.

Please give careful consideration when using dark wax on wooden chair backs, with warmth from the body it is possible to stain that special shirt or blouse when you rest against it.

Pieces of furniture that have been well cared for and looked after just need regular waxing every six months or so, this helps to protect the surfaces but can also help prevent woodworm. The female beetle often looks for small splits, cracks and open joints in furniture into which to lay her eggs where the larvae then hatch and start to bore into the wood, so regular waxing is an all important part in the overall maintenance of antique furniture.

Signs

Ring marks from cups, mugs, glasses, table mats etc.

The restoration of the above damage does depend on the finish used on any individual piece; this must be established before any restoration work can be successfully carried out. Finishes can vary tremendously and can consist of several of the following:

• A modern piece may have been finished with one of several types of lacquer that are available.
• Older pieces may have been finished using several types of polish including button polish, garnet polish, a wax or lime wax finish.

Assessing these different finishes helps to determine what appropriate finish should be used before the damage can be corrected. Therefore, I advise you to seek professional advice so that tests can be carried out to determine what is required. Some pieces may require complete stripping and repolishing depending on the extent of the damage.

For me, stripping and repolishing is always used as a last resort because I try to preserve as much of the original colour and patination of the piece, however, this is not always possible because it depends on the extent of the damage. The date and age of a piece can give an indication to the type of finish used, however, that is not to say it is the original finish, it may have been restored previously with a different one from what should have been used for the period.

Signs

The top cover tends to have hollowed in the seat frame.

Cause

With constant wear and usage, sometimes the hessian webbings can stretch or become loose causing the above symptoms or it could be an indication of a more serious problem i.e. joints in the seat frame may be loose or even broken.

Professional help should be sought to remove the cover and upholstery to discover what the exact cause of the problem is and then restored accordingly.

Symptoms

The key does or does not turn and fails to lock or unlock the drawer, door or bureau fall locks.

Possible causes

The internal working of the lock may have been damaged in the past in some way by using the wrong key or it may have been forced. This can cause breakage of both the springs and levers which work the lock mechanism and therefore specialist repairs are required.

Drawers can often become stiff and uneasy to open sometimes and something I have found really helpful to prevent this, is to just rub a little paraffin wax on the sides, bottom edges of the drawer sides and runners. If you are unable to source this, a white wax candle is equally as good.

Problem

I have a missing a brass handle from my chest of drawers, can I obtain a replacement / copy?
Yes, just post the relevant handle with all the necessary fittings to me and I will try to give you an idea of what the cost is likely to be, or alternatively please give me a ring beforehand to discuss your requirements.

Sourcing identical antique furniture to replace those that have been damaged by fire, flood or at worst stolen is becoming more and more difficult. Therefore it is essential to insure them for their correct value and replacement cost, so use reputable valuers with the appropriate experience to correctly assess the value of your furniture. Digital cameras are ideal to take photographs of all your valuable pieces; you can then transfer these pictures onto discs and give them to a friend or relative to store for you away from your home address. If a fire should then destroy or damage your home along with your furniture you will have an independent record of all your pieces which will certainly help you with your insurance claim.

If furniture is being stored for any length of time correct storage is crucial to its general care and well being. Antique furniture is particularly very sensitive and susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity, so it helps if they can be stored in a temperature controlled environment, similar to that of your home is ideal and will help to avoid some of those problems i.e. swollen drawers which you can no longer open.