An accidental hard knock against your wooden cupboard with a vacuum cleaner or a golf club can cause the wood to chip. Furniture chipping is something that is common but it leads to ugly blemishes on the surface of your furniture and this will not only expose the fragile interior contents, it can also cause injuries due to the uneven surface. Good quality furniture costs a bomb and the best treatment you can give it is to provide utmost care towards it and it will continue to serve you for a long time.
Painting
One of the longer lasting protective methods is to paint your cabinet or wardrobe with a layer of paint. Although you will lose the original lustre of the furniture, you are effectively prolonging its lifespan. Good quality paint will prevent UV from damaging the fibres in the furniture. Paint also prevents oxygen and moisture from entering it and this will prevent oxidation as well as moisture damage. Paint also holds the material together and it can help to prevent chipping due to accidental knocks.
Protective pads
To allow ease of movement and reduce the chances of dragging, you should place protector pads at the bottom of the furniture. Protector pad reduces the friction between the contact point with the floor and it provides a smooth movement, allowing you to glide the bookcase for example across when moving instead of dragging it. Dragging creates a lot of frictional force and this can cause damages to it such as chipping.
Have plenty of walking space
One of the main reasons that cause damages to furniture is the lack of sufficient walking space. You should always de-clutter your home whenever you can. Ample space allowance will provide room to manoeuvre appliances such as a vacuum cleaner and prevent accidental knocks.
Bubble wraps
In the event that you wish to protect your furniture while in storage, you should consider using bubble wrap. Bubble wraps are cost effective protective materials that provides a layer of air cushion between the surfaces to the surrounding. The individual air bubbles increases the surface area drastically and they will absorb any shocks in place it.
Make the edges smooth
Sharp edges act as high stress points for the furniture and a slight impact can cause it to chip. To lower the high stress points, you should use a sand paper and smooth down the sides. Some people may think that using sand paper damages the material but this is incorrect. Proper sanding will even expose the fine grain structures of the wood and make the furniture stand out more.
Furniture chipping is a common damage caused to wardrobes, cabinets and bookcases. Their main causes are often preventable but many people choose to ignore them, only to regret when they see large areas of chipping.
