Period Seating (and damp)

[noj]

We were given six original William and Mary chairs at the weekend which may be a bit OTT in our little cottage - but we love them - funny having something that's actually older than the building.

They're in great structural condition but have been stored in a pretty damp cellar for the last couple of years and so must currently have a high moisture content. I'm wondering if I should give them a gentle wax immediately (which will slow the drying process I guess) or let them achieve equilibrium first?



Any thoughts?

 

[MatthewC]

They look good. You were given them?

Are they only pinned or is there old glue? If glued then that will surely come apart as they dry. I would guess that there might well be shrinkage which could be minimized by drying them out very slowly, hence waxing might help.

 

[noj]

Thanks. Good point, waxing it is then

They've acquired a few repairs over the last few centuries so there has to be a mix of glues in addition to the pegs (plus a few bits of iron band and the odd screw too).

They're in the driest, warmest room but these things are all relative although we did have a little condensation this morning which at least suggests it's now warmer inside than out!

They were bought about 30 years ago but never sat on and finally ended up in the outlaws cellar - now we've got somewhere they can be used and loved it simply made sense for us to have them. I love that sort of practical solution! Now all we need is find someone with a spare sole plate and maybe a roof they don't want any more...

 

[Penners]

They're in the driest, warmest room

I agree with Matthew that a waxing could be beneficial, but I also think it would be a good idea to place them somewhere cooler and less well heated for a few months. You obviously recognise that you need to dry them out slowly and gently, and I'm slightly concerned that this sudden transition into warmth and dryness may be a bit risky.

Try to start cool and only slightly heated, then work your way slowly up to dry and warm, over the winter.

What very precious objects - you're very fortunate!

 

[noj]

Try to start cool and only slightly heated

That just about sums up the warmest room in the cottage - and over the winter it trends downwards towards bloody freezing...
A bit of weatherboard on the outside and a flaky layer of lath and plaster on the inside doesn't offer the greatest insulation from the great outdoors.

But it would be criminal to shirk my responsibility to objects so venerable - beautiful as they are, they're going to be evicted to an even cooler space, until a grand re-entrance for Christmas Day

 

[Penners]

I was mainly worried about their proximity to that fireplace, but judging from your description you're not using it. If the room is cool and not too dry, then I shouldn't worry unduly.

 

[noj]

Eventually I'll fire that one up and see if I can figure out how/if the bread oven works. Currently the 'live' fire is the woodburner in other inglenook.



It's a small cottage, but up until some point in the C19th it was actually two tiny cottages and so has a significant fireplace at each end of the living/dining area. Now what was the two living spaces retain the studs but no wall. And some terrible lighting...

 

[Penners]

Lovely cottage, Noj!

A considerable number of today's period cottages started life as two or more dwellings. Our first period property (C15th East Anglian timber-frame) was originally two one-up/one-down homes. They did, however, have the added luxury of a little wash-house in the garden. It consisted on two back-to-back tiny rooms, each of which had a wash-copper in it.