Why Heirloom Furniture Requires Care—and Why That’s a Feature, Not a Flaw**
As I write these articles, I’ve come to realize that many of them are responses to questions I’ve been asked while displaying my work at shows.
On one such occasion, I was discussing the finish I use with a gentleman who, with a bit of a smirk, asked,
“So… is the finish bulletproof?”
I replied,
“Well… if you shoot it with a bullet, it will probably put a hole in the table.”
The question, while amusing, reflects a broader mindset I’ve encountered many times over the years—particularly here in the United States: a desire for products that never require care or maintenance.
The Myth of “No-Maintenance” Quality
The phrase “American made” often carries an implied promise of higher quality—and rightly so. I’m fully on board with that. I am American. I build every piece myself. My work is American made. And yes, many American-made products are higher quality.
What I struggle to understand is why high quality has come to mean no maintenance.
We change the oil in our vehicles—American or otherwise.
We repaint our homes.
We mow and fertilize our lawns.
We maintain tools, equipment, and systems we value.
Yet when it comes to handcrafted, heirloom-quality furniture—functional art meant to last generations—there’s often an expectation that it should require no care at all.
This usually leads to the statement:
“Well, if it’s really heirloom quality, it should last forever.”
I agree with the spirit of that statement.
But the reality is more nuanced.
Understanding What We’re Actually Building
To explain why, we need to be clear about what these pieces are.
(For a deeper dive, see my article on Functional Art.)
What I build is functional art—objects that are intended to be used every day, not admired from a distance. A desk I build should function just as well as one from a big-box store. In fact, with proper care, it will perform better and last far longer.
But function and longevity are deeply influenced by how something is finished—and by what it’s made from.
Film-Forming Finishes: What Most Furniture Uses
Most commercially sold furniture is finished with film-forming finishes. These finishes build a hard layer on top of the wood or substrate. Common examples include:
- Catalyzed lacquer
- Conversion varnish
- Polyurethane
Because these finishes form a surface film, light scratches tend to affect the finish itself rather than the wood underneath. That sounds like a benefit—and in some ways, it is.
But aesthetically, a scratch is still a scratch.
A scratch in the finish looks like a scratch in the wood. There’s no meaningful visual difference.
Where things do change dramatically is what lies beneath the finish.
Most mass-produced furniture is not solid wood. It is veneer laid over MDF or plywood. If a scratch penetrates that thin veneer, you now have a functional and aesthetic problem:
- The substrate is exposed to moisture and humidity
- MDF absorbs moisture readily and degrades quickly
- The veneer is too thin to sand and repair properly
The only option is often to spray more finish over the damaged area—sealing it, but not fixing it. The scratch remains. The damage is permanent.
Solid Wood + Oil-Wax Finish: A Different Philosophy
The furniture I build is made from solid hardwood and finished with a hardwax oil.
This is a fundamentally different approach.
A hardwax oil does not build a plastic-like layer on top of the wood. Instead, it penetrates into the wood fibers. When you touch the surface, you are touching the wood itself—not a shell encasing it.
I use hardwoods that are naturally resistant to denting and scratching. But if a scratch does occur, what then?
Your Options with Solid Wood
- Seal the scratch
You can simply reapply finish to protect the exposed wood. Functionally, the piece is fine—though the scratch remains visible. - Restore the surface
Because the tabletop is solid—often several inches thick—it can be sanded below the scratch and refinished entirely.
This isn’t something I recommend doing after every minor mark. But over time—depending on how the piece is used—it makes sense.
For example:
- A dining table used daily by a family with toddlers might benefit from a refresh every 4–5 years
- A desk might go 10–15 years between refinishing
At a very liberal estimate of removing 1/32″ of material per refinish, a tabletop could be resurfaced 20 times over 100 years and still retain ample thickness. More realistically, a table refinished every 10 years would lose about ¼” of material in a century.
That is what heirloom longevity actually looks like.
Film-forming finishes, by contrast, will not last 100 years. And once they fail on veneered furniture, there is no meaningful path to restoration.
Why I Don’t Use Film-Forming Finishes on Solid Wood
There are three reasons.
First, they aren’t necessary.
The hardwoods I use are already dense, durable, and resistant to damage.
Second, hardwax oil is simply more beautiful.
It allows the wood to look—and feel—like wood. It enhances grain, depth, and warmth rather than sealing them under plastic.
Third, maintenance is easier and more honest.
When the time comes for a refresh—which will be necessary regardless of finish—it is simpler, cleaner, and more sustainable with an oil-wax system.
Why Film Finishes Exist at All
In my opinion, film-forming finishes were developed primarily to make cheaper materials viable.
MDF and veneer are inexpensive and efficient, but vulnerable to moisture and damage. Film finishes slow moisture absorption and protect thin veneers from everyday wear. They make mass production possible.
That doesn’t make them bad.
It simply means they serve a different purpose.
Care Is Not a Flaw
Handcrafted, solid-wood functional art is not bulletproof.
It’s something better.
It is repairable
It is renewable
It is meant to age, not be discarded.
Maintenance isn’t a failure of quality—it’s a sign that the piece was built to last long enough to deserve it.