In addition, central heating did not become widespread there until late in the 20th century. For these reasons, our furniture is accustomed to higher levels of relative humidity than are common in American homes. Do not wait for damage to occur. There are several possible courses of action to maintain adequate relative humidity during the heating season. To achieve this, you might consider placing open pans of water near heating units or selecting, installing and using any of a variety of humidifiers on the market.
Table tops require special attention.
They are natural wood, and all wood is subject to scratching and to damage from heat, cold and moisture. You must wipe spills up as quickly as possible even when using wax. Heat and cold will create discoloration or shadowing in the finish. Some damage of this type may be permanent, removable only through refinishing. Such damage may be prevented entirely through use of table pads and tablecloths, a practice which was routing at the time of manufacture.