Frequently asked questions

When restoring old furniture, the dirt and any secondary coatings must be cleaned in such a way as to keep the original surface and the old patina intact. The restoration should use the adhesives and surface treatment materials used at the time the furniture was manufactured. The principle of reversibility of the processes and materials used must be respected. Interventions should only preserve – conserve not alter.

Sanding causes irreparable damage. Sanding destroys the old patina. Veneered furniture on which the veneer has been sanded has been permanently ruined. On solid furniture, sanding can sand through the thin veneer and open up galleries of insect tunnels. With every sanding, we lose part of the original forever.

Old furniture is mainly glued with animal glues. When restoring, we use only glue as it used to be, as it is still the most suitable adhesive for restoration, despite the wide range of new adhesives available. There are several types of glue, the most widely used today being rabbit glue and fish glue, which is considered to be of the highest quality. The glue is cooked in a double container – a banya marija.

The resinous secretion of the shield lice, which feed on the sap of the leaves and branches of some East Indian trees, is used to make shellac polish. It is commercially available in leaf form. 96% denatured alcohol is used to dissolve the shellac leaves. The shellac polish is applied to the surface of the wood with a woollen coulour covered with a cotton or linen cloth. The polish also uses a float to fill the pores and a polishing oil. Shellac polish protects the wood and enhances the beauty of the wood. The process itself requires a lot of practice, and in our area, shellac polish was used in joinery workshops until the 1950s-60s.

The presence of exit holes on the surface of the furniture tells us about the presence of wood-boring insects. The presence of exit holes alone does not confirm that the insect – the worm – is still present. The presence of a woodworm is confirmed by new dust mounds appearing on the surface or under the furniture, and the worm can also be heard gnawing on the wood. The exit holes contain dust which can be sucked in when furniture is being transported or moved, but this is not a sign of woodworm presence.

If the wood-boring insect is present locally, it can be killed by injecting the insecticide into the wider area. If the whole object needs to be protected, it is advisable to coat and wrap the object in plastic wrap and leave it for one month. Then ventilate well before returning it to the apartment.
When working with insecticides, take care of your health and use them sparingly, only where necessary.

The exit holes do not need to be puttyed. Why hide insect holes on old furniture, because even carpenters who make copies of old furniture make holes in new furniture to make it look older.

The old furniture was made in an era when there was no heating as we use it now. We must therefore be careful not to place old furniture in a room that is too dry, where the wood could dry out. Wipe the surface of the furniture gently with a damp soft cloth. We advise against the use of modern finishes and sprays for the maintenance of old furniture. If the surface is worn or damaged, it is best to restore the surface with the materials used in the surface treatment.

It is technically feasible to restore even badly damaged objects. However, as the cost of restoration depends largely on the state of preservation of the object, it is possible that the cost of restoration may exceed the value of the object. This can happen with old furniture that has a lower value. From a rational point of view, it would not be worth restoring such old furniture, because you can get a similar piece of furniture on the market for a lower price. However, when a badly damaged object has a deeper value for the owner and represents a memory of a person or an event, this usually means that restoration of old furniture makes sense, regardless of its state of preservation and cost.

There are several factors that affect the cost of restoration, the most important of which is preservation – the condition of the surface and the structure. A certain part of the price of a restoration operation is also the hardware.

To identify it, it is useful to know how furniture has evolved through historical periods and the technology of its manufacture. One very useful indicator is the thickness of the veneer, which gradually decreased from 5 mm to 0.5 mm in the Baroque period. If someone sells you Baroque furniture and it has a thin veneer, you can be sure that it is newer. Fakes are usually made for higher-value items, so it is advisable to ask an expert for an opinion when deciding to buy a higher-value item.

Sandblasting removes the top part of the wood in addition to the surface coating. Profiles, carvings and other ornamentation lose their original shape. The wood surface remains rough after sandblasting. Dust and dirt are much more likely to accumulate in rough surfaces. Rough surfaces are difficult to clean. It is very difficult to remove the old coating from a sandblasted surface in subsequent renovations because the surface is rough. Sandblasting causes irreparable damage to furniture.

The destructive effect of blasting can be clearly seen in the photos. The carved paneling of the front door has been damaged to the extent that all the details on the face and body of the boy with the book in his hand have been destroyed. The decorations are also damaged.