Wood does not like to be dry ! Wood needs a good balance in its environment between not being too dry or being too high in humidity . Wood does need room to expand and contract within the moisture and temperature extremes of the environment it is placed . Therefore, the goal is to place it in an environment that sees little to no change in extremes of temperature and humidity . A controlled environment is the only thing that will keep wood as stable as it was the day it is placed in its new environment . There is good reason why when working with wood you never just bring it home and use it immediately . Good practice is to always allow the wood to sit a few days to allow the wood to acclimate to its new environment . This goes from installing pre finished wood floors to using unfinished solid woods or applying veneers when cabinet building or even installing trim . When a product is manufactured it is made within a controlled environment of both tempurture and moisture . That being the case after it is purchased if placed in homes that are too dry it shrinks and cracks, tight fitting joints are now loose and open and wood will twist and warp. If too moist it swells and finish will deteriorate from expanding beyond its plyable minute limitations to do so and will exert pressure causing bowing and warping of the wood. No, wood does not like to be dry or moist , we need it to be stable to work with and last . Maintain the environment first . Finishes contrary to peoples beleifs do less controlling of moisture than they do for beautification and protection of the surface itself from use . Veneers are affected quicker due to the fact they are usually applied to either MDF or in better designs HDF . These man made products are inherintly more stable and less affected to moisture and temprature extremes making the veneer more likely to fault being the weakest link unless properly applied and maintained . Lemon oil on solid wood cabinets contrary to the previous statements is not a waste of time . Using a high quality furniture cleaner such as Circa 1850 will clean the surface of dirt leaving a fresh new looking finish . Then applying lemon oil to polish the finish to the desired lustre . It does so by replacing some of the oils in the original finish that have dried up . Thus rejuvinating the finish which protects the wood surface . High quality furniture waxes do the same . They treat the surface finish not the wood and only act as a protection from use and will impede moisture loss or gain very marginally and only when situated in an evironment with minimal extreme swings . Air conditionings primary goal to control temperature is to remove excess moisture over the 35 percent mark and a humidifier is to put it back in from the effects of drying from heating . This is not just for comfort of the people in it but also the stability of the materials the home is made from . Expansion and contraction are negated by controling the variables we can control , tempurature and humidity . Perhaps thats why we are seeing materials like carbon fibre and corian to mention a couple that are more inert and stable being less effected by moisture and temperature extremes and when coupled with good sound engineering create a dead cabinet free of the negative effects of resonance the designer wants removed. An area with only 6 to 7 percent moisture used as a home would require everyone in it to have a bucket tied around their neck to catch the nose bleeds and vat of moisturizer to swim in to stop from turning into lizards .. 35 years of woodworking and raised by a woodworker with 60 years plus .
