Solid Wood Care Guide

Solid wood does not need much, and what it needs is simple. Every Burl piece carries a natural finish that brings out the wood’s warmth and true grain, and it can always be refreshed. Here is the whole routine.

Weekly

Dust with a soft dry cloth. That is it. Avoid silicone sprays and supermarket polishes; they build a film the wood does not need.

Once or twice a year

Condition the wood with a light coat of furniture oil. Wipe the surface clean, apply a thin coat with a lint-free cloth, let it sit, buff off the excess. Twenty minutes of work returns the surface to day one.

Spills and marks

Wipe liquids promptly instead of letting them stand. Water rings and small scratches usually buff out with fine steel wool and a touch of oil, because the grain continues below the surface. Deeper marks sand out. Nothing on a solid wood surface is final.

Where the piece lives

Wood moves gently with the seasons and is happiest away from extremes. Keep pieces off active heating vents, out of constant direct sun, and in rooms with reasonably stable humidity. A dining table with a solid top appreciates a stable room more than any other piece in the house.

Bathroom pieces

Ventilate the room and wipe up standing water promptly. An oiled hardwood vanity in a ventilated bathroom stays stable for decades.

Outdoor pieces

Outdoor timber wants oil more often than indoor timber, roughly every season of hard exposure. Give pieces cover through harsh winters and they will grey slowly and gracefully instead of quickly.