3 Tips for Enjoying Your Patio

Warm weather is here, and it’s the perfect time to gather friends and family and enjoy your outdoor spaces.  The first step in enjoying the warm Florida weather is to examine your patio furniture or outdoor furniture to make sure it’s ready for your family and for guests.  Here are pro tips for getting your patio furniture ready to enjoy!

1. Make Repairs – Check your outdoor dining table, chairs, ottomans, and other deck furniture for anything that needs to be fixed. Rusted metal, moldy plastic, broken wicker, and wobbly chair legs are all nuisances, and beyond that, can be dangerous for anyone who uses them.  Find a highly rated furniture repair service to restore your outdoor furniture so that you can enjoy it again.
2. Inspect Upholstery – Carefully inspect your outdoor upholstery to be sure there is no mold or mildew. If there is, tackle it!  You can use a mixture of warm water and dish detergent and remove most mold, mildew, and insect infestations with a soft scrub brush.  If a stronger cleaning solution is needed, remember to always check the upholstery label to find out what types of cleaners are safe to use on your outdoor upholstery.  Or, you might choose to start fresh!  Find the best furniture upholstery service in your area and trust the professional furniture refinishers to reupholster your outdoor cushions in a bold new pattern or color!
3. Add “Flavor” – Once you’ve taken care of any repairs and reupholstering that need to be handled, add a little “flavor” to your outdoor space. And adding flavor doesn’t have to refer to cocktail hour or grilling out!  We suggest incorporating something new for the season.  You might find a few new upholstered pillows in a bold fabric, or add a large umbrella to the layout.  Maybe you’ll incorporate a beautiful outdoor rug, or just add something as simple as bright new flowers in the landscaping.  Whatever “flavor” you add, have fun, bring in colors and textures you love, and create a space where you can relax and enjoy your family and friends.

Here in beautiful Jacksonville, it’s always patio time.  With a little help from high quality furniture refinishers, your deck furniture will be in great shape, always ready to be enjoyed.  Jax Furniture Refinishing & Upholstering is the best furniture restoration company Jacksonville FL homeowners have relied on for years!  Our expert craftsmen can handle any repair, restoration, and reupholstery project you need for your patio furniture and more.  We’re the trusted furniture refinishing service for discerning customers in Ponte Vedra, Mandarin, Riverside, San Marco, and throughout Jacksonville, and we’re here for your furniture restoration needs as well!

Sun-Damaged Furniture

Fine furniture is susceptible to fading, whether from age, sunlight, or both.  In northeast Florida, we’re known for sunny weather almost all year, meaning if you live in Riverside, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra, or elsewhere in the Jacksonville area, your furniture could be exposed to more frequent and more direct sunlight than in other parts of the region.

Use these tips from our professional furniture refinishers to address fading and sun damage in your furniture!

• Appearance – Fading and damage from sunlight can create an interesting appearance, causing a weathered or antique look. (Some antique collectors like this, but you should be aware that intense sunlight can also cause the furniture to become weak or brittle.)  Sun fading can also cause unevenness and an unkempt appearance.  If you don’t like the appearance of your faded furniture, find the best furniture restoration service in your area and schedule an appointment to have your furniture repaired, re-stained, reupholstered, or otherwise restored!
• Restoration – Depending on how much free time and resources you have at your disposal, a DIY furniture restoration job can be enjoyable. You’ll need a clean workstation, adequate space, stripping and sanding materials, protective gear, and then of course the best stain or paint for your furniture.  For most folks, when it comes to restoring furniture that has been faded, the best option is to hire high quality furniture refinishers to restore the furniture.
• Arrangement – The best way to prevent fading in your furniture is to arrange the chair, end table, dresser, or other item out of direct sunlight.
• Check-ups – Even when you have your furniture arranged in a way that protects it from direct sunlight, be sure to occasionally check the furniture from all angles to be sure no fading is occurring. You can do this during routine cleaning of your furniture.

Caring for high quality furniture is important if you want it to stay in great shape.  This entails routinely wiping away dust and debris that builds up, keeping it out of the path of sun and UV rays, preventing water marks and other dents and dings, and then scheduling professional furniture restoration when fading, water marks, dents and dings do appear.  Jax Furniture Refinishing and Upholstering is the best professional furniture refinishing company Jacksonville FL homeowners rely on for their fine furniture, and we’re here to provide outstanding service and craftsmanship for you too!

Rejuvenate Inherited Furniture

An heirloom chest, table, or desk once owned and cherished by a family member might not exactly fit with your home’s décor.  These antiques are high in sentimental value, but what do you do if inherited furniture doesn’t look good in your home?  We have three suggestions:

• RESTORE – Often a high-quality restoration can transform a dull or rickety antique into a stunning piece. Trust your heirloom to the best local furniture restoration company and you’ll be astounded at the results!  The tarnished chest just needs to be skillfully refinished, and the shredded or floppy cushions on an upholstered chair just need the craftsmanship of a careful upholsterer to make you fall in love with it.
• REDO – If you like one element of heirloom furniture but not another, hire a great furniture refinishing shop to re-envision and redo it! An overstuffed chair in a fabric from three decades ago may not be a good candidate for your living room but imagine what can happen if you recover it in a fresh new fabric.  A scuffed sideboard from a century ago can be stripped, sanded, and stained in a bold new color to fit your modern home.  Good professional upholsterers and refinishers can work magic on old furniture!
• REPURPOSE – If you don’t know what to do with furniture you inherited from a family member, reimagine it in a new way. An end table can become a nightstand, a hutch or china cabinet can be disassembled and turned into a buffet, and a dining table can transform into a desk.  If you can imagine it, a highly rated furniture restoration service can make it happen!

Don’t banish your inherited furniture just because you don’t know what to do with it, or don’t like something about it.  Find the best furniture restorer in your area and ask the professionals to help turn it into furniture you love and can use!  There are many great furniture refinishers in Northeast Florida, but Jax Furniture is the trusted furniture restoration and upholstery service called on by homeowners throughout Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, St. Augustine, and San Marco, and we’d love to take care of your furniture restoration as well.

Can Humidity Damage My Wood Furniture?

Sturdy, well-made, hardwood furniture can last for generations when properly protected.  Routine dusting protects the wood from being etched by dust particles.  Positioning your wood furniture away from sunlight protects it from damage from UV rays.  Moisture is another thing your wood furniture needs protection from, though it can be trickier to manage.  When there’s not enough moisture in the air, the wood can become so dry that it cracks.  However, if there’s too much moisture in the air, the wood can swell or warp.

Here are tips for monitoring the humidity in your home in order to protect your wood furniture:

• In order for wood furniture to be protected from moisture damage, the humidity level inside the house should be between 45-55%. Some experts argue that temperature should remain between 60-80 degrees in order for wood furniture to remain fully protected.
• Wood absorbs and loses moisture as its environment changes. Use a humidifier or dehumidifier in order to keep the inside of your home within the ideal range of 45-55% humidity.
• Avoid making sudden, drastic changes to the temperature or humidity level in your home. Wood furniture reacts poorly to these sudden fluctuations.

Here in beautiful Jacksonville FL we generally enjoy mild winters and warm, sunny summers, though we also experience spikes and dips in temperature, and unseasonable weather at times.  As you adjust your heat, air conditioning, and humidity levels in your home, remember to do so in a manner that will help preserve your favorite wood furniture so that you can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

When your furniture requires restoration, call on a great local wood furniture restoration service.  Jax Furniture Refinishing and Upholstering is the best furniture restoration service Jacksonville FL, Ortega, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Riverside homeowners trust with heirloom antique furniture of all kinds.  Our Southside upholstery shop offers repairs, antique restoration, reupholstery services, cushion foam replacement, and more, and we’d love the opportunity to care for or repair your fine wood furniture.

4 Things that Keep Your Dining Room Furniture in Great Shape

Whether your dining room is used daily or only on holidays, you want to keep the furniture in good shape.  Here are 4 tips for keeping your dining room furniture looking great:

• Dust Often– Dust is naturally abrasive and leaves microscopic scratches all over a wooden surface, causing it to appear dingy.  The best way to avoid this is to dust often, even when you don’t think you need to.  Dust at least weekly in order to prevent the buildup of dust. Use a dusting cloth or cloth mitt, and do not use a feather duster, as these can scratch the wood.  Avoid any type of cleaning pad or wipe that will leave behind a residue.  Residue will attract even more dust.
• Deal with Issues as They Occur– While tidying up after dinner, look for nicks and scratches that may have recently appeared on the chair legs, water rings and cracks in the finish of the table’s surface, tears in the fabric padding, etc. Deal with these issues as they happen so that they do not worsen.
• Protect Furniture Properly– Scratches are inevitable on all wood surfaces, but with the right precautions, your wood dining room set will stay in good shape.  Use linen or cotton tablecloths and placemats rather than other courser woven ones that can potentially scratch the surface, or plastic or other synthetic fibers that could leave behind a residue.  Buy or make cork or felt pads to keep underneath heavy candlesticks, flower arrangements, or other centerpieces.  Replace the cork or felt several times per year to ensure they are still effective.  When the table is not in use, cover it with the leaf or soft tablecloth.  When a spill occurs, wipe it up immediately.  Use hot pads under any hot plates to prevent heat damage.
• Call the pros when needed!Even when you take every possible precaution, your dining room furniture will likely still need the attention of a good professional refinishing service in order to keep it looking its very best.  The best wood refinishers will make your dining room tabletop and chairs smooth and beautiful once again.  Over time, fabric will fade and become worn, and cushions will lose their padding.  A good upholsterer can recover them to be soft, functional, and beautiful again.

Jax Furniture Refinishing & Upholstering is the best wood refinishing shop Jacksonville FL homeowners rely on for their dining room furniture, favorite armchairs, and heirloom antiques alike.  We are the trusted name in antique restoration, wood refinishing, custom upholstering and the first choice among homeowners throughout Ortega, Ponte Vedra, Sawgrass, San Marco, and Riverside Avondale.  When your fine furniture needs attention and care, call on us!

5 Tips for Preserving Furniture in Storage

Furniture that is not stored correctly can become damaged while in storage.  Before moving your fine furniture to a basement, garage, or offsite storage unit, check out our tips to help ensure your dining room table and chairs, chest, dresser, antique chair, and other furniture stays in great shape.

1. Determine the best place for storage.  Be sure first and foremost that the storage unit is climate controlled.  Here in humid, warm northeast Florida, it is especially important that your furniture is not stored in rooms or areas that are damp and hot, or where the temperature can fluctuate greatly.  The area you decided on for storing your favorite furniture should be monitored for moisture, protected against flooding, and should have safety measures in place to prevent break-ins.
2. Clean the furniture.  Wipe away all dust and cobwebs, and be sure to clean away excess body oil from areas such as the arm rests of chairs.  Make each item as clean as possible, otherwise the dust, oils, and debri can settle into the fibers of the material and degrade or damage it over time.  You might also choose to treat certain materials.  For example, depending on the type of wood used in your antique wood furniture, as well as its condition, you might choose to apply a high quality oil, or ideally, to have a good professional wood refinishing service clean and repair the furniture before it is placed in storage.
3. Disassemble furniture.  It’s often recommended that you take apart furniture items, when possible, at least partially.  For example, unscrew the legs from dining room tables and chairs, and detach the mirror from on top of the dresser, etc.  This will allow you to wrap individual pieces, if necessary, and configure all items in storage in the best possible way. Put screws, bolts, locks and keys in a small plastic bag and keep it near the furniture in order to make the furniture easier to reassemble when the time comes.
4. Wrap or protect furniture.  Smaller glass items or mirrors should be wrapped in packing paper and then in bubble wrap or put into a box.  Sharp edges of furniture can scratch other items or get broken off in transit or storage, and therefore should be wrapped in moving quilts or packing paper.  You can even choose to loosely drape a covering over furniture to simply protect it from sunlight or dust.  However, be sure you do not use plastic wrap when covering furniture even loosely, as this can create condensation, mildew, and a host of other conditions that can cause great damage to your furniture.
5. Raise your furniture off of the floor.  It’s also highly recommended that you raise your furniture off of the floor using cinder blocks, planks, or palettes so that your items are protected should the area flood unexpectedly.  You might choose to line the floor of the storage area with plastic.  This can seal moisture away from your furniture.

Jax Furniture Refinishing & Upholstering is the best furniture refinishing service to trust with your treasured pieces.  We specialize in restoring furniture to its original splendor, whether it is an antique dining room set you recently got out of storage, a contemporary coffee table that was damaged, or your family’s favorite sofa that is in need of a facelift. We serve clients throughout the First Coast in downtown Jacksonville, Mandarin, Southside, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, and more.  Call on us for your refinishing, restoration, or reupholstery project, and you’ll love the results!

Maintaining Your Teak Outdoor Furniture

Teakwood is a sturdy and beautiful wood, and an ideal choice for outdoor furniture.  Teak wood furniture is easy to enjoy. However, when it comes to maintenance, teak wood can be just as easy to care for, or extremely difficult to care for, depending on which approach you choose.  

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Should Foam Be Replaced When Reupholstering A Piece of Furniture?

Nothing feels better than collapsing onto your sofa at the end of the day, or relaxing on your overstuffed armchair with a good book. Comfortable padding is most likely what draws you to your favorite piece of furniture. When fabric fades and becomes thin, you likely schedule an appointment with a good furniture upholstery service to have your furniture reupholstered, but what should you do when the foam padding wears down?

Understanding Foam & Padding

The cost of replacing your cushion and the ease with which you’ll be able to do so depend on the materials used, which in turn, depend greatly on the era in which it was manufactured.

• Contemporary Furniture – Cushioning that is manufactured today is almost always made of polyurethane or a similar polymer. A spray foam of this material is poured into large blocks or “buns.” The mixture expands and cures, and then is cut into large sheets and distributed. The small pockets of air that are formed during this process give the polyurethane foam its sponginess, and as the foam ages, the sponginess decreases. This foam is easy to replace when the time comes, and is available in varying levels of density as well as cost.
• Antique Furniture – Decades ago, foam cushioning was made using rubber rather than petroleum-based polymers like polyurethane. The manufacturing system was much the same, but with a rubber spray foam, which gave cushions significantly more spring, and resulted in a higher quality product than the polyurethane foam. Rubber foam is harder to find now, so if you want to have the rubber foam replaced in your antique furniture, it will need to be reused from another antique piece, or simply replaced with modern foam.
• Heirloom Furniture – Very old antiques, of course, are made entirely of natural product. To cushion furniture in eras past, a spring unit was made by hand, then wrapped in cotton, and padded with raw cotton or horsehair. Horsehair made excellent padding for furniture because it deterred bugs and maintained its shape for decades. Believe it or not, horsehair is still available to purchase, but more commonly, it is reused from other antiques. If you are passionate about preserving the authenticity of your antique, rest assured that the best antique furniture repair shops know how to work with horsehair to maintain your antique padding. On the other hand, if you are more interested in simply enjoying your antique, a skilled upholsterer can easily replace the horsehair cushion with contemporary foam.

How To Tell If You Need New Foam

As our master craftsman, Bill, points out, “Foam is in many types of furniture, in all types of places, and it all breaks down at some point. The key is to know when to have it replaced.” As foam ages, it goes through a process of disintegration.

1. First, foam loses its elasticity. Have you noticed that your sofa, loveseat, or favorite chair is just not as comfortable as it used to be? That’s an indicator that the foam is breaking down. The foam most likely does not need to be completely replaced yet, but it may need some help. For example, a good furniture upholstery company can insert a layer of 1-2 inch foam to supplement the existing pad.
2. As the disintegration process continues, foam loses its shape. Unzip one of the upholstered cushions and look at the piece of foam. Are the corners rounded? If so, replacing the cushion is a good idea.
3. Next, the foam begins to break down. Once again, unzip the fabric of a cushion. Are there dry flakes coming loose from your cushion? That’s a sign that new cushions are needed. Craftsman Bill also mentions that “if the fabric wrinkles easily on the cushions, that means the foam has disintegrated and shrunk, and the fabric does not fit as well as it should.” Note that this will cause harm to the fabric itself, and if you don’t replace the foam, you may need to reupholster the fabric sooner than planned.
4. In the last stage of the process, the flakes turn to a powder. Is powder puffing out of the zipper or seams of your cushions? Consider that a red flag, and schedule an appointment with a great furniture upholsterer as soon as you can!

Reupholster The Fabric, Evaluate The Foam

When the time comes to reupholster your furniture, take the time to evaluate the condition of the foam cushion. If it needs to be replaced, you have many options. You likely won’t have to consider horsehair, or even rubber, but even among synthetic foams, you can choose from many densities, levels of comfort, and cost. The best thing you can do for your furniture is find a great refinishing and upholstering shop with technicians who understand foam. At Jax Furniture Refinishing & Upholstering, for example, we specialize in foam cushion replacement and know the right density to recommend for each type of furniture. Homeowners in downtown Jacksonville, historic Riverside Avondale, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, and throughout Northeast Florida call Jax Furniture Refinishing & Upholstering for the highest quality care and craftsmanship for their fine furniture.

 

Get Your Patio Furniture Ready For Summertime

Summer is around the corner, and one of the best ways to celebrate summer weather is to enjoy it from your patio, deck, and balcony. A well-kept patio with beautiful outdoor furniture creates the perfect setting for summer parties and outdoor events. A lovely patio makes an inviting gathering place for friends and neighbors, but it can also be the perfect spot to relax by yourself and simply enjoy a peaceful evening. Now is the time to spruce up the patio furniture so you can start using it!

Outdoor furniture is often abandoned during the winter months, and can become damaged. Mildew thrives in the cool, damp winter months, rust forms along joints and hinges, and the powerful Florida sunlight fades upholstered cushions and bleaches wood surfaces. Salt and sand collect in the corners of your outdoor upholstery and corrode the fabric fibers. If your furniture has been left outside uncovered, it is likely in need of attention. Even if you packed and stored your patio furniture, it likely needs to be revitalized before it is ready to rejoin the deck, patio, or yard. Find the best Jacksonville FL furniture upholstery service and let the professionals get your furniture into shape.

 

The best professional furniture upholstery shops have everything your outdoor furniture needs:

The tools for the task – Wood repair is a craft and custom upholstery is a fine art, and the techniques used in each service require specific tools for the trade. The best wood refinishing shop is prepared to handle refinishing, repairs, and reupholstering of all kinds.

The fabric for the season – Outdoor fabric needs to be durable and able to withstand the elements, but should also be aesthetically pleasing. A great upholstery shop will have a vast supply of fabrics for you to peruse so that you can find the perfect pattern or color in the right material for your outdoor space.

The expertise for the job – High quality refinishing and restoration are only possible with experience and training. Find a professional furniture shop that employs highly trained and skilled craftsmen with decades of experience.

 

The Best Jacksonville, FL Upholsterers

As you make a plan to get your outdoor spaces ready for summer, let Jax Furniture Refinishing and Upholstering take care of the outdoor furniture. We are the best furniture refinishing service in Jacksonville FL, specializing in wood refinishing and custom upholstering alike. We’d love to reupholster your furniture in the best new outdoor fabrics of the season, just in time for you to enjoy the warm weather. Patios and outdoor spaces in Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Riverside Avondale, and the greater Jacksonville area are ready for summertime, thanks to us. Let us do the same for you!

Why It’s Important To Leave It To The Professionals

We all have constants in our lives, things we rely on everyday, sometimes all day, without much thought to them, moment-to-moment. When those things are less than they should be, we tend to notice and want to fix the problem right away. Our homes and our cars tend to get a lot of our attention and care when something goes wrong, but what about our furniture?

It’s as much a part of our daily routine as anything but, when our furniture suffers damage, or excessive wear over time, our first thought is either to address the problem ourselves or, worse, let the problem go. If we choose that second option, we’re often left with a much worse problem down the road, and then the choice becomes fix something we know started small, or abandon our furniture altogether and be forced to replace it. That’s why, when it comes to refinishing furniture or addressing problems with damaged or worn upholstery, there’s a third option, the best option. Hire a professional.

Furniture refinishing and upholstery professionals have the experience and precision of craft needed to do the job, regardless of size or complexity, the right way. This can save you the time needed to try to fix the problem yourself, as well as allow you the luxury of choosing exactly what you want done with a particularly piece. Also, hiring a professional to maintain and repair your furniture will help it last longer and serve you better. That saves you money over time, and gives you better peace of mind in trying economic times.

So, the next time your hard-working furniture suffers damage, or could use a makeover, do the right thing for it. Hire a professional at Jax Furniture Refinishing & Upholstering in Jacksonville, Florida.