An accurate assessment is the part of restoration that prevents the most damage. Before any cleaning agent or abrasive touches a surface, the piece is read carefully: what it is made of, how it was built, what finish sits on top, and which problems are cosmetic versus structural. The same piece can call for a light clean or a full re-glue depending on what this inspection finds.
Identify the material and how it was built
Start by separating solid wood from veneer, and softwood from hardwood. End grain, weight, and the pattern of the grain all give hints. Veneer shows a thin decorative layer over a different substrate, often visible at a chipped edge or along a drawer top.
Joinery is the next clue. Hand-cut dovetails are slightly irregular and uneven in spacing; machine-cut joints are uniform. Pegged mortise-and-tenon joints, cut nails, and saw marks on hidden surfaces all help place a piece in time and tell you how it can be taken apart without breaking it.
A short identification list
- Look at unfinished interior surfaces for tool marks and original colour.
- Check drawer construction: the joints there are rarely altered.
- Note hardware: original screws are often slotted and slightly uneven.
- Search for maker's labels inside drawers, on backboards, or under seats.
Read the existing finish
The finish determines much of the cleaning strategy. A drop of denatured alcohol on a hidden spot softens shellac; oil and wax finishes respond differently. Knowing the finish before you clean avoids accidentally dissolving an original surface that is worth keeping.
Every test happens in a hidden area first, the underside of a rail or the back of a leg. A finish that looks uniform on top can react unevenly where light and handling have aged it differently.
Structural and insect damage
Press gently on joints to find movement. Loose joints, cracked panels, and lifting veneer are structural issues that should be stabilised before cosmetic work. Small round exit holes and fine powder can indicate past or active wood-boring insect activity, which changes the plan considerably.
Notes for Canadian interiors
Indoor humidity in much of Canada swings widely between a dry, heated winter and a humid summer. Those swings move wood and stress old glue, so an assessment in a Canadian home should note current conditions and any signs of repeated expansion and contraction, such as open panel gaps or splits that follow the grain.
Record the decision
Finish the assessment with a clear, written intention: revive, repair, or refinish, and in what order. Photographs taken at this stage document original detail and make it easier to return the piece to its character later.
General guidance on examining and caring for wooden objects is published by the Canadian Conservation Institute and the American Institute for Conservation. Wood identification and properties are covered in the Forest Products Laboratory literature.