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Home>>Indian Designer Furniture>>Quality and Care Information

Indian Furniture India is a tropical country and has more than 80 species of wood used in Indian Furniture production. The following are the most common varieties of timber used for producing hand crafted wooden furniture: Pine (Abies Pindrow), Sheesham (Dalbergia Sissoo), Haldu (Adiva Cardifolia), Rubberwood (Hevea Brasiliensis), Kadam (Anthcephatus Chinensis), Kanju (Haloptelea lategrifoha), Gamari (Cmelina Arborea) and Mango (Mangeferia Indica). The use of mango and rubber woods is increasing as their plantations are easier to manage.		Fig. 1 Working with seasoned timbers

About Sheesham Wood Lavender Blue's Indian Furniture is crafted from Sheesham wood (dalbergia sissoo), which is a tough and durable rosewood. It is similar to Mahagony in its qualities and sourced from renewable plantations in northern India. Sheesham has a rich chestnut colour, well-suited for furniture making. When the furniture is hand polished, the deep grain results in a wonderful patina.
Fig. 2 Wood Seasoning Process	Wood Seasoning In order to ensure a high quality supply of Indian Furniture, it is important to properly understand the processes involved in its manufacture. Lavender Blue employ experts in furniture production who buy directly from the manufacturer, and visit them regularly to ensure that strict quality guidelines are adhered to. Ensuring that the wood used to make our Indian furniture is properly seasoned is one of the most important aspects. Most species of freshly felled timber contains 100% or more moisture content. In order to make Indian Furniture which retains its shape and does not crack or split, timber should be seasoned and the moisture content brought down to a level that is in equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere (normally 6% to 8%). The seasoning of Indian Sheesham is done in a controlled, scientific way to ensure perfect results. First the wood is kiln dried. The kiln drying process is undertaken using lightweight fans with variable pitches. Each fan is dynamically balanced and reversible to generate free air flow on both sides of the wood stack, thus ensuring equal drying of wood. The drying of wood takes place by the application of a temperature humidity cycle. The drying process is regularly checked and monitored by qualified operators using moisture meters.

Indian Wood Treatment Indian wood is easily susceptible to borer, fungi and insect attacks within a short period of its felling. To avoid this and make our furniture more durable, it has to be treated. The treatment is first mixed in the correct proportions (depending upon the type of wood) as prescribed by the furniture industry standards. This is done using a motorized mixer and then the treatment is poured into a treatment tank. Fig. 3 Wood Treatment Tank The timber is loaded onto trolleys and pushed into the tank. A vacuum is then created within the tank to ensure all air surrounding wood is removed to enable better impregnation of treatment. The treatment is then applied to the wood under pressure to ensure 100% impregnation. Finally, the vacuum ensures that all the excess treatment is removed from the surrounding wood, thus helping reduce the length of time it takes to season the timber. Furniture Care Our furniture experts at Lavender Blue have put together this guide for the care of your Indian Furniture. Waxing & Polishing: On a day to day basis, your furniture will only need dusting with a soft cloth. From time to time your Indian furniture will need to be waxed. This should be done using a soft cloth and beeswax, which you should then buff using a soft lint-free cloth. Always work in the direction of the grain, and do not use silicon-based sprays or spray polish as this does not 'feed' the wood, and in fact can dry it, making it more prone to splitting. Spills & Stains: Although our Indian furniture is dry-kilned and treated, we advise you not to place anything hot or wet directly onto the surface as staining may occur, so try to use protective mats or coasters. Should you spill any food or liquid on the wood, wipe it off immediately with a dry cloth. If the wood becomes marked, gently rub it down with extra fine wire wool in the direction of the grain, and restore the finish using beeswax. Direct Sunlight: Position your furniture away from direct sunlight and heat, where practicable. This will protect the wood from fading, and help avoid any cracking and movement in the joints.

About Sheesham Wood