The forests of the world are depleting at an ever-increasing rate. Up to 2000 trees are felled worldwide every minute. This alarming statistic is enough to make one panic. How on earth can we stop deforestation? How can we bring the forests back to the level they were a hundred years ago?

One way is to lower the demand for newly felled trees. The demand for wood products, although seemingly essential, is killing our ecosystem. When a forest is felled, it’s not just the trees that die. Loss of habitat is a key reason for the drop in wildlife numbers worldwide. Using recycled or reclaimed wood for furniture can really help save our earth.

Recycle And Reuse Old Wood

Buying, or encouraging the buying of recycled wood products is an excellent way to do your bit for the environment. Giving an old piece of wood a new life gives one a marvelous feeling of satisfaction. Often, to ensure the longevity of wood products, they are treated with preserving chemicals which are forced into the wood under high pressure and act to keep at bay the natural process of rotting. Companies such as Bisley International are trusted to provide wood preservation solutions to both individual and commercial customers.

Ways to Preserve Your Wooden Furniture

There are many ways to treat wood once it has been made into furniture:

• Paint – although guaranteed to cover up nature’s fine work, paint is a way of ensuring your wood is protected from the elements. Paint being waterproof allows the wood to stay dry. This type of wood preservation is excellent for wooden furniture that is kept outside. If paint is how you are thinking of preserving your wood, make sure it is repainted every couple of years, to ensure cracks in the paint don’t appear as this could cause water to seep in through the cracks which could lead to decay.

• Varnish – also good for indoor and outdoor wood furniture preservation, varnish can treat your furniture whilst still maintaining a natural look.

• Heating – this acts as a drying agent, reducing the moisture content of the wood so it doesn’t react to climatic conditions as easily. The act of drying out wood naturally can take years, so often firms use industrial drying methods to speed this process up.

Taking care of your wood furniture can be the difference between it lasting a few years or a lifetime.