Most homeowners simply don’t think about the damaging effects humidity has on Amish furniture. Depending on where you live and how humid the air is inside your home, otherwise pristine hardwood furniture can become warped, shrunk or damaged. Thankfully, however, there are a few precautions you can take to ensure your Amish furniture doesn’t fall victim to the detrimental effects of humidity; here’s how:
Effects of Moisture on Amish Furniture
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that wood is naturally porous, sucking water and moisture from the ground and air. This is essentially how trees and plants are able to live, but this also means that any furniture made of real wood will try to draw moisture from the surrounding air as well. Typically, small amounts of moisture in the air isn’t going to cause any significant change in the structural integrity of the furniture, as it will just soak up like a sponge. However, when you try to transfer a piece of Amish furniture from a high-humid environment into low-humidity, the rapid release of moisture may cause the furniture to shrink or even crack, which is something no one wants to see happen.
Having too much humidity can be just as bad as having too little. When there’s too much moisture in the air, your Amish furniture will soak up as much of it as it can before starting to warp. If you don’t take the necessary steps to fix the humidity, the furniture will eventually ruin.
How To Protect Amish Furniture From Humidity
Lets face it, you can’t change the humidity in the air outside of your home, but there are a couple things you can do to help regulate it inside. For instance, if you believe there’s too much moisture in the air, try adding a dehumidifier to the room where your Amish furniture is located. These devices work to draw out the moisture in the air, resulting in a less humidity. If you own any authentic hardwood furniture, a dehumidifier is a smart investment that’s sure to pay off in the long run.
Something else that you should be aware of is the exact location where your Amish furniture is placed. If you place it directly in front of a vent, common sense should tell you that the air is going to be more humid there. Instead, try to place it in a corner or some other area of the house where your home’s heating and air isn’t directly blowing on it.