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Heat and humidity, along with the various issues associated with them, have always been a major concern for both wood workers and owners of fine wood furniture. These two factors account for the great majority of issues that affect all types of wood furniture, and indeed anything that is made of wood. As such, the key to maintaining the integrity of your wood furniture is largely dependent upon how well you can manage these two factors. What many people don’t realize is that in any piece of newly cut wood, almost half of the total weight is actually comprised of water! This is a surprising realization and only serves to heighten the importance of dealing with the various heat and humidity issues even more. The presence of such a high water content is precisely why wood that is destined to be used for furniture or any other crucial application, is dried thoroughly first before it is fashioned into whatever form it was intended for. A little moisture is typically retained, so that when the furniture is purchased and subsequently brought home, it can properly adjust to the relative humidity in the new surroundings. In many ways, wood is actually a lot like our own skin. In extremely dry conditions, virtually all types of wood furniture will shrink in order to compensate for the loss of moisture in the dry environment. You will notice that when the weather is dry, some of your wood furniture will display some gaps where two pieces have been joined together. In other cases, what you first thought was a solid surface will suddenly be marked with a few minute openings, which are sometimes so small that they can hardly be seen by the naked eye. This is a normal occurrence that should not give you any cause to worry, it should correct itself when there is sufficient moisture in the air making the wood to expand back into its original position. In the opposite scenario, when there is too much moisture in the air, the wood will typically absorb some of this moisture and this will result in expansion, which is normally manifested by sticking doors or wooden parts that suddenly no longer fit into each other. As you can see, heat and humidity issues are extremely important factors to consider and addressing these issues properly and promptly will ensure that your wood furniture will provide you the service that you have come to expect for many years to come. | 
