Furniture Care from Express Beds and Suites

Jane Shepherd asked:


Lancashire’s environmentally friendly furniture maker HJ Berry has won through to the final of a prestigious award’s scheme.

The Forest of Bowland based company has been recognised as a leading contender in the North West section of the National Business Awards, sponsored by Orange – regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of British commerce.

HJ Berry is on the four strong shortlist in the Corporate Social Responsibility sector of the awards programme.

Corporate Social Responsibility involves companies taking account of the impact of their activities on the environment, economy, and communities.

HJ Berry’s awards entry draws heavily on its commitment to the local area and environment. The company has been carbon neutral in its manufacturing process since the 1990s and heats its manufacturing plant with off cuts of wood.

Materials are sourced from as close to the factory as possible and HJ Berry has a policy of only using sustainable British-grown beech, ash, oak and other woods for its furniture.

HJ Berry also works closely with the Lancashire Woodlands Project. A forest has been created in the company’s grounds with the planting of more than 20,000 trees.

Staff benefits include a transport-to-work system and low-cost homes for rent.

HJ Berry Managing Director John Woodruffe said: “We are delighted to make the shortlist for such an important award.

“Corporate social responsibility is very important to HJ Berry – we see the company as an integral part of the local community and custodian of the beautiful environment in which we work.”

The four shortlisted companies will now have their entries scrutinised further before the winner is announced in July, 2008. More details at www.nationalbusinessawards.com/regionals

HJ Berry started producing furniture in 1840 and is believed to be the oldest chair manufacturer in the country.

Located in the picturesque village of Chipping, part of its factory is based within a mill once used by a pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Sir Richard Arkwright.

The site still retains a waterwheel which powered the plant up to the 20th century.

Find out more about the company at http://www.hjberry.co.uk

ENDS

Based in Kirk Mills, Chipping, Preston, Lancashire, HJ Berry manufactures furniture for the nursing and healthcare sector, as well as commercial and residential markets.

www.hjberry.co.uk

Press release issued by Jane Shepherd, Shepherd PR Ltd.

01538 308685

Mobile 07985 129315



Cat Insurance Pitfalls

young61021 asked:


I really don’t want to get rid of the antiques, and some I won’t. But how do I get rid of the mold growing. It is even growing on the window sills. The only thought that I have (besides water and bleach-and I am AFRAID to try it on the wood) is to get central air. Does insurance cover this, and is there any hope out there. All we have are antiques passed down from the 1800′s, I could care less about the rest. What do I do?
I really don’t want to get rid of the antiques, and some I won’t. But how do I get rid of the mold growing. It is even growing on the window sills. The only thought that I have (besides water and bleach-and I am AFRAID to try it on the wood) is to get central air. Does insurance cover this, and is there any hope out there. All we have are antiques passed down from the 1800′s, I could care less about the rest. What do I do?
We currently have a dehumidifier running (non-stop) in the basement and are going to get another one this weekend. With the weather how it has been, hot and rainy and extremely humid, that’s the cause. I have every window open in the house-so the air is circulating. Today I cleaned most of it with bleach and water. I just hope that it stays away. Would central air work for future summers?

Cat Insurance Pitfalls

Sarika Kabra asked:


So you have just moved into your new home. Decorated it with new Amish furniture, new upholstery, new electronic goods, new hopes and loads of excitement. While the excitement wears down after a few months as you get accustomed to your new surroundings, you certainly do not want your furniture to wear down too. Not in a few months, not in a few years either. While you may take very good care of your furniture pieces and clean them regularly, there are a few environmental factors that tend to take their toll.

Ultraviolet light damages wooden and other organic material furniture. This kind of damage is irreversible. Exposure to less light for a longer period of time or exposure to strong light for a shorter period of time will both cause similar damage and discoloration. The light energy converts to heat energy on contact with furniture surfaces. This rise in temperature chemically causes the polishes or colors to degrade. The wood would then need to be stripped and refinished to restore its previous look.

To avoid all the damage light can cause, avoid keeping furniture in direct sunlight. Draw the curtains, especially in the afternoon hours. Put blinds or drapes on all windows. You could also get your windows coated with UV-filtering film (like you do in cars).

Moisture in air can also cause great damage to furniture. You must have noticed wooden doors becoming tight and getting stuck during the wet days or some green fungus appearing on unpolished wooden pieces. Wood expands or contracts with an increase or decrease in the relative humidity in the air. A 40% – 60% relative humidity is tolerable. Beyond this level, wood starts to expand. At low levels it may shrink and cause a split. The wood and the finish covering it respond differently to the changes in humidity. This may cause the coating to separate from the wooden surface and peel off. High humidity can cause insect infestation and fungus and mold growth as well. To prevent damage, avoid placing furniture in areas of extreme temperature and humidity conditions. If you furniture pieces are really precious, you can also maintain the humidity in their vicinity by using humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

An RH of below 39% will cause the wood to dry out and warp. Applying oil will not really prevent that. The best option is a coating of good paste wax. Wax is very stable and does not change chemically over time and provides protection from moisture and airborne pollutants. Carefully apply the coat on furniture with a pronounced grain pattern such as Amish oak furniture. A thin coat applied once a year is enough. Do not wax furniture that is gilded, painted or lacquered.

Check for any environmental and other damages before buying used furniture from auctions etc. When buying used Amish furniture online, make sure the original quality craftsmanship has been maintained well by the previous owner. A little care on your part will increase the life of your furniture by many years.



Cat Insurance Traps

Thomas Easterday asked:


Why should you use wood furniture outdoors? To some people this is not even a question! The right question would be, “Why wouldn’t you use wood furniture outdoors?” There is a wide variety of materials that are made to be used outdoors, including plastic, metal, wicker and other synthetic materials. With all of the other options for outdoor furniture, the reasons of why one should use wood should be carefully examined before you buy furniture for your outdoor oasis.

Wood is meant to be outdoors. Trees grow in the great outdoors, so it makes sense that furniture made from trees should be kept outdoors. It is no wonder that wood furniture, when treated and cared for properly, can last outdoors for years. The type of wood you pick of will determine just how well the wood weathers over time.

Although wood does weather over time, you can protect your outdoor wood furniture by carefully taking care of it every season. Paint and stain are good ways of protecting your wood furniture from the sun because they add an additional layer of defense to the wood. Water-repellant stains are also important to add to your outdoor furniture to protect it from water damage, which causes the wood to rot and *****. When using either paint or stain, you want to have a durable blend so that it dries fast and completely, and does not rub off on people sitting down on the furniture.

Another way to protect your wood and make it last for years to come is to buy special kinds of wood. Treated wood is one such option, as it is resistant to rotting from the elements. But one of the issues with treated wood is that it often comes green, and can more easily warp than regular wood.

Teak furniture is a popular choice for outdoor furniture. Teak wood is an extremely dense hardwood is often praised for its durability. It also has natural oils that protect it from the elements, even when left untreated. Often grown in Indonesia, Teak is very resistant to attacks by termites and other insects because the high oil content makes it water repellent.

Chinese Oak is a dense hardwood with a very fine grain. It is a naturally light wood and sometimes has a pinkish tint. The tannic acid in Chinese Oak makes it ideal for use in outdoor furniture because it is naturally resistant to attacks by fungi and insects.

Cedar, especially Western Red Cedar is a very popular choice for outdoor furniture because of its beautiful color and finish. Often grown in Canada, Western Red Cedar is also naturally resistant to decay and insect damage when exposed to rain, sun, heat, or cold all year. When properly treated, Red Cedar furniture may last for decades in the harshest of environments.

A final way to protect your outdoor wood furniture and maintain it for the long haul is to simply put a roof over it. Whether it is an awning on your deck, a covered roof for your sunroom or your garage during the winter, a roof can go a long way to help you keep the sun, rain and wind off of your wood furniture and protect it for years to come.



Cat Insurance Traps

Ann Marier asked:


You finally have a wonderful patio set up in your backyard and the only thing you need now is a set of patio furniture. But what style should you choose? There are many styles available including everything from fabric and wood, PVC frames with vinyl seats, and even cast iron patio furniture. Below are but a few reasons why cast iron patio furniture might be the best choice for your patio.

Sense of Style

A set of cast iron patio furniture instantly gives a sense of class and sophistication to your patio area. They come in a multitude of colors, including rust-red, gold, silver, hunter-green, and of course the classic black. Also, the intricate designs of flowers, plants, or other garden features carved out of the cast iron will definitely add another conversation piece to your garden party.

Versatility

Of course, cast iron patio furniture is known to compliment every fashion trend in patio covers and cushion that you can throw at it. Just about any color and any type of material that one can bring to the patio can be incorporated into the theme with a good set of cast iron patio furniture.

Ease of Care

Unlike many sets of patio furniture, which require a lot of labor intensive maintenance to keep their show-room beauty, cast iron patio furniture requires very little care. Usually a quick wipe down with a damp cloth or a quick dusting with a rag is all that is needed to keep the furniture looking wonderful. In fact, the cushions on the wrought iron chairs will probably require more care than any of the pieces of cast iron.

Quality Construction

Many sets of patio furniture today are mass produced in such a way that sometimes the quality of the construction is suspect. With a set of cast iron patio furniture, however, the construction is sure to be solid and of quality work. A piece of furniture that is based upon welds and iron can most certainly stand up to the rigors of outdoor life better than one based on plastic and screws.

As you can plainly see, there are a number of reasons why cast iron patio furniture might just be the best choice to liven up your brand new patio space. Because of its classic styling, quality construction, and ease of maintenance, this type of patio furniture can become a welcome addition to your garden party.



Cat Insurance Traps

Mike ONeill asked:


If you’re about to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds on a piece of oak furniture, read on. These quick tips could add years and elegance to your purchase and save you a bundle in the long run.

Oak is one of the most beautiful woods in the world; sturdy, durable and aged with a character of its own. When you buy a piece of oak furniture, it’s a purchase that should give you decades of pleasure and use. Over the years, the colour of the oak will mellow and take unique look of its own based on how you care for it.

Oak is a hard wood and is more susceptible than most woods to stains. Read on to see how you can minimise the effect of stains and get the look you want.

Caring for oak furniture.

There are different methods you need to use depending on where your oak furniture is at. If it’s outside, you must treat it differently than if it’s inside, but we’ll come back to that.

There are 3 steps to caring for your indoor oak pieces.

1. Original conditioning to get the look you want with a new piece of wood.

2. Cleaning properly.

3. Ongoing conditioning to maintain the look you want.

If you buy a new piece of oak furniture, you want to condition it for several reasons.

1. To help to protect it against stains

2. To get the look you want.

3. To enhance the longevity of the wood against infestation.

Depending on the type of oak furniture you have, you can either stain it, wax it or both. Staining is preferred for the tops of tables and sideboards to help protect it. You can do that with something like Ronseals English Oak hardwood furniture stain.

For the legs of coffee tables and other areas of oak furniture, you can simply wax them with a high quality beeswax. Once you’ve waxed them, allow them about half an hour to dry off and then get busy with a clean, dry lint free cloth like a cotton cloth and buff to a high shine.

For the first few years, this waxing process should be repeated every 3 months (more during winter) and then every 6 months to get the patina that you want.

Cleaning the oak.

If you do get a stain or watermark on a piece of oak, you can simply sand it away with a fine piece of sandpaper or fine steel wool, going with the grain, and then re-wax it.

Cleaning should be done thoroughly every 3 months. Many chemical cleaners will strip wood so it’s important to use something that doesn’t strip it like a natural oil based cleaner like Murphy’s oil soap.

Once you’ve cleaned it you need to condition it every 6 months with something like linseed oil which soaks into the wood and conditions it, enhancing the grain. You can even use lemon oil for this which makes your room smell beautiful. For best results, rotate the two conditioners.

If you have an oak wardrobe or a set of oak drawers, you can use a high quality bee’s wax and polish them to your preferred patina as shown above. Personally, I’d stain the top of a set of oak drawers. Repeat the waxing every 6 months.

If you are lucky enough to have oak garden furniture, you can use an oil based stain to make it waterproof. Be careful not to use linseed oil to condition it however as it might not dry properly and can result in mildew. Instead, use lemon oil.

And then sit back, relax and enjoy your beautiful furniture.



Cat Insurance Tips

Jim Thornton asked:


Leather furniture is classy, stylish and long lasting, and this makes leather furniture one of the most popular upholstery materials. It is more durable than fabric and as a result it lasts longer.  It is even great for families with children because the material will stand the test of drips and spills, children’s climbing, and all of their rough house kind of activities.  It needs to be kept out of direct sunlight and away from heating vents to retain its beauty. Direct sunlight and the heat will break down the natural oils in the leather, making it more likely to *****. To last long and look good your furniture requires regular care and cleaning. While professional cleaning can be quite costly, you can get the same effect at home by following our tips on cleaning leather furniture and doing the cleaning yourself.

The first thing that you need to do to clean your furniture well is to identify the kind of leather upholstery that you have. Different types of leathers require different cleaning methods so knowing the kind of leather that you have is extremely important before you start using any kind of cleaning products. Leather that has been protected with surface finishes and coating is the easiest and simplest to clean. However, colored yet uncoated leather like aniline and suede and nubuck, which are also commonly used as upholstery, will require special leather furniture cleaners since they have a different cleaning process. In most cases, you will find the exact description on the factory tags and labels that your furniture has come with.

Once you have identified your type, stock up on leather furniture cleaners that are created specially for it. Suede and Nubuck are the hardest to maintain since they absorb water, dirt and grease very easily. The only way to keep your suede or nubuck furniture clean is to use a product that protects the leather against spills. This is something like a Scotchgard for leather and is available under different names from different companies. Apart from protecting your suede furniture from moisture and stains, make sure that you blot off any spills instantly and use only non-water based leather upholstery cleaner for it. Regular use of a nap brush will make your nubuck or suede furniture keep looking new for a long period of time.

Cleaning aniline, which is pigmented but not heavily finished or coated is different from suede and nubuck cleaning. After vacuuming your leather furniture, you can use a mixture of water and a PH balanced soap to clean aniline. Special aniline leather furniture cleaners are available for cleaning your furniture upholstered with aniline or similar leathers. You can clean leather couches and other furniture with a soft cloth dipped in cleaning solution. Make sure that you dry off your furniture with a hair dryer in order to avoid watermarks.

After cleaning leather furniture, make sure that you use a conditioner. Leather conditioners replenish your upholstery with natural oils that will keep them shining and looking like new. Conditioners also act as a protective agent and inhibit staining of leather furniture.

Carry out a cleaning and conditioning regime every three to four months. This will not only ensure that your leather furniture is clean, but that it is not damaged by the sun, heat or humidity. Regular care and cleaning of your leather furniture whether it is done professionally or you do it yourself will ensure that it remains looking like new for years and years.



Cat Insurance Tips

Button asked:


Care for 40 ‘fixed’ kitties; have 10 litter pans which are cleaned at least once daily, plus a large outdoor caged area. They have sprayed every wall and furniture surface in the house. The walls and furniture are sprayed down with enzyme cleaner weekly. The water-based paint on walls is bubbling, we don’t know if from urine, enzymes, or both. The varnished wood furniture is swelling, rusting, etc. All the cats are in good medical condition. We can not get the urine odor out of the wall paint. Would applying Kilz then repainting with oil-base paint help the situation? How can we ‘unswell’ wood and veneer finishes? Any serious replies appreciated. (We know all the insulting, funny, and ***** ones, thank you).
The cats live in over 3,000 sq.ft. area.

Cat Insurance Traps

mystery asked:


Do you just place your furniture in your house however way just so that everything fits, or do you actually place it in a way such that it looks nice?

I personally care about making it look nice, but apparently my dad and older brother doesn’t care and now the living room looks like a mess. And my older brother was like “Who cares! As long as it fits!”

Cat Insurance

Adam Peters asked:


Wood furniture care is important to keep furniture and wooden flooring looking good for as long as possible. If you do not look after it properly, permanent damage could occur.

A lot of people love to decorate their homes but a lot of people also struggle on what to choose in order to help to improve the home. It could be that you have spent a fortune decorating your house and other time things such as wooden flooring are starting to wear down or look extremely tatty. This is when wooden furniture care should come in because by knowing how to care for your wooden flooring and how to protect it, you will be ensuring that it looks as good as possible for many years to come.

If the flooring is done properly and cared for the right way, there is no reason why it should need to be replaced for many years. It is very simple to look after wooden flooring but a lot of people are either naive or they genuinely do not think that they need to look after it.

Why Is Wood Furniture Care Important?

The thing with some wooden flooring is that it can be easily scratched or it can even become water damaged. These are just a couple of the problems that can arise when it comes to wooden flooring. By knowing how to look after the flooring you can stop anything bad from happening to it. It can be extremely frustrating having damaged wooden flooring, especially if you have spent a lot of money doing it up.

Things can easily happen such as spillages and although they may not seem too serious, if they are left or if it keeps happening over time, this can lead to the flooring expanding and looking out of place and damaged. Also dirt, grime and other things that drop onto the floor can also be a big problem because if it is dragged around it can cause scratching or even dents in the floor. Another thing that can cause serious damage to the wooden floor is any furniture that you may have. It needs to be lifted correctly instead of simply dragging across the floor otherwise it could seriously scratch and damage the wooden floor.

Cleaning Wooden Flooring

When it comes to cleaning wooden flooring you should take note on what cleaning products you are going to use to do this task. The reason is that some cleaning products may be too harsh for the type of flooring that you have and they could even cause a discoloration of the flooring or some other damage.

As you can see there are quite a few different hazards that can cause damage to the flooring and that is why wood furniture care is important for wooden flooring around the home.



Cat Insurance Tips