Wood

Introduction

Wood is a material with which we are all familiar. Its extensive everyday use for furniture, walls, flooring, ceilings, structural supports in buildings, cooking utensils and garden tools builds an image of the nature of wood in our minds.

We know that wood is a strong, flexible, versatile and workable material. Items in our homes often withstand rough use or handling over many years and still survive. All these factors can create the impression that wooden artefacts in our collections don't need much care.

This is not the case. We must care for wood as we care for other objects. For wooden objects to maintain their condition and survive without damage, they must be given the right environment and be handled appropriately.

Wooden artefacts found in collections can vary greatly. They include such items as furniture, sculpture, technological and industrial artefacts and archaeological pieces. They can range in size from tiny, intricate carvings to horse-drawn vehicles and whole buildings.

Although at first glance these objects seem to have little in common with each other, the use of wood in their manufacture means that they respond to environmental changes in similar ways. These responses are also associated with the type of wood from which the object is made—the type of tree, the part of the tree from which the wood was originally cut, and the conditions under which the wood was seasoned.

This section gives a brief overview of the nature of wood, and provides basic information about the steps you can take to protect the wooden items in your collections.