Timber repair is the practical work of mending damaged wood in furniture, panelling, doors and architectural joinery. It covers tasks such as regluing loose joints, replacing broken or missing sections, piecing in new wood to fill splits and losses, treating and consolidating woodworm damage and relaying lifted veneer.
The aim of good timber repair on antiques is to restore strength and usefulness while keeping as much of the original material as possible. Skilled restorers select old, well-seasoned wood of the same species, grain and colour for any replacement parts, often from reclaimed timber, so that the repair blends with its surroundings and moves in the same way as the surrounding wood. Traditional animal glues are generally preferred because they are reversible and allow later work to be undone without further harm. Screws, nails and modern adhesives used carelessly in past repairs often cause more damage than the original fault. Buyers should expect a degree of honest repair on furniture that has been in use for two or three centuries, but heavy replacement of legs, tops or carcass timbers will reduce value and should be disclosed.
