- This topic has 1 reply, 3 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 11 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
My husband and I were told by new retirees in CR that anything made of particle board would not last long there due to the humidity. We have some furniture which we really like that is wood veneer. This was not cheap stuff, and we’d really like to keep it. Don’t know if this is considered “particle board” since it is covered with cherry. Does anyone know of a treatment (Thompson’s water seal, acrylic, varnish etc.) which we could use to protect the unveneered surface (the back) of the furniture? Or is this really a problem? As usual, any help is most appreciated. We hope to move to CR in early April and can hardly wait. Just hate to give up some of our favorite and fairly new furniture.
Good quality veneered furniture should stand up to the humidity for a long time. We have several pieces that we’ve had here for over two years that display no signs of deterioration. Modern, good quality “particle board” is denser than solid wood, contains a great deal of the binding agents, and should be impervious to moisture.
We have friends who built an upscale home in which they used veneered particle board cabinetry from a high-end Escazu cabinetmaker. If they’re comfortable with it, I think you can rest easy.
Also, I would not attempt to “treat” the underside of your furniture with any product. It actually may need to breathe, to absorb and give off a little moisture with the change of seasons.
Check with the manufacturer. If it is good quality, it may even be made of veneer faced cabinet grade plywood. It should be ok.
We brought home a souvenir ice bucket from CR. It was made of solid wood and was quite nice. In a couple of months the wood dried to the ambient humidity of the northeast US, and it split over 1/4 of an inch in a few places and shrunk so much the lid wont fit anymore.
A lesson learned.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
