FAQ & Care – Looking After Your Wooden Furniture

Most of our work is solid timber (oak, walnut, ash, etc.), sometimes with plywood or veneer where it makes sense for stability.

Your quote or invoice will state what we used. If you’re not sure, just ask – we’ll tell you straight.

Short answer: a little bit, yes – that’s normal.

Wood is a natural material. It reacts to:

• Humidity – dry winter heating vs wet summer air
• Direct sun – big picture windows, glass doors, etc.

You may see:

• Hairline cracks
• Slight cupping or movement
• Joints becoming just visible

We allow for this when we build, but zero movement isn’t realistic with real wood. As long as it’s not extreme, it’s just the timber doing what timber does.

For anything we’ve finished in oil (Osmo / similar):

• Wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth
• If needed, a mild, non-abrasive soap in warm water
• Wipe dry afterwards

Avoid:

• Bleach
• Harsh kitchen sprays
• Anything labelled “strong degreaser”
• Scouring pads

If you’d happily use it on your own skin, it’s probably fine on the table.

No. Always use:

• Trivets
• Heat mats
• Boards

Hot pans and oven dishes can:

• Leave white heat marks
• Damage the finish
• In some cases, crack the wood

A bit of care here saves you a lot of swearing later.

• Wipe up spills straight away – especially wine, coffee, oil, and anything acidic (lemon, vinegar).
• Don’t leave wet cloths, vases or plant pots sitting directly on the surface.

If you get a faint water ring:

• Often it will fade on its own
• A light clean and dry cloth usually helps

If you get a deep stain, send us a photo and we’ll tell you if it’s:

• Something you can live with,
• Something you can sand and re-oil, or
• A “bring it back and we’ll sort it” situation.

Avoid:

• Multi-purpose kitchen sprays with solvents
• Furniture polish sprays that leave a silicone layer
• Any product with ammonia or bleach

These can strip or contaminate the oil finish and make future refinishing awkward.

If you want a “proper” cleaner:

• Use a cleaner recommended for oiled wood floors / furniture, diluted as instructed.

Yes, to some degree.

• Oak tends to warm up slightly in tone.
• Walnut can lighten a bit with strong sunlight.
• All timbers will change more on the parts that get direct sun.

Turn things around occasionally (table centrepieces, chairs, boards) and you’ll even out the colour shift.

In winter, indoor air here can get very dry from heating. In summer, it swings the other way.

To keep your furniture happier:

• If possible, keep indoor humidity roughly 40–60%
• Avoid putting solid wood pieces:
  
  Right next to a stove or heater
  Hard up against a constantly damp exterior wall
  
  

If you have underfloor heating:

• It’s fine with solid wood, but sudden big swings in temperature and humidity aren’t ideal. Try not to go from freezing to sauna overnight.

Scratches and dents on oiled timber are usually:

• Cosmetic, not structural
• Part of the piece ageing with you

Small marks:

• Can often be blended in with a light sand and re-oil in that local area.

Deeper damage:

• Take a few clear photos in good light and email them to us.
• We can tell you:
  
  How to tidy it yourself, or
  Whether it’s worth bringing it back for a proper sand and refinish.
  
  

It depends how hard you use it.

Rough guide:

• Everyday dining table in a busy house: every 1–2 years
• Light use / chalet / occasional use: every few years

Signs it could do with a top-up:

• The surface looks dry or chalky
• Water no longer beads up at all
• It marks easily from small spills

If you’re confident with a bit of light sanding and oiling, we can tell you:

• Which product to use
• How to apply it
• What grit to sand to (if at all)

If you’re not, we can quote to do it for you.

For cutting boards and similar:

• Wash with warm soapy water, then dry straight away
• Don’t leave them soaking in the sink
• Don’t put them in the dishwasher

To keep them from drying out:

• Now and then, wipe on a little food-safe oil (mineral oil or board oil), leave it to soak, then wipe off any excess.

Boards will pick up cuts and marks – that’s normal. If you want one resurfaced, we can flatten and re-finish it.

In most cases, yes.

We can:

• Re-sand and re-oil tables and benches
• Tidy up dents and scratches
• Refresh tired surfaces in rental properties or hotels

Just send photos, rough sizes, and where the piece lives (house, chalet, hotel etc.), and we’ll let you know what’s realistic and what it’ll roughly cost.

Two simple rules cover most things:

1. No extreme heat, no standing water.
2. If you’re unsure, ask before you attack it with a new product.

If you’ve got a Takumi piece and you’re not sure how to deal with something, email us a photo and a quick note. We’d rather help you sort it properly than see a good table ruined by a bad cleaner.