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+--- Thread: What type of upholstery does best in Puna? (/showthread.php?tid=4982)
What type of upholstery does best in Puna? - EightFingers - 01-12-2009
I have both leather and cloth furniture and would like to know what I might expect to happen as far as mold, etc (whatever the "etc" is).
I will be at the 1000' elevation. I'd like to keep the leather stuff as it's pretty new and in good shape, the cloth I have no particular attachment to.
RE: What type of upholstery does best in Puna? - David Shaw - 01-12-2009
The issue is ambient humidity level. Keep it below 70 per cent (UH sez 60, but that gets expensive) and vacuum the cloth stuff, treat the leather with a good feeder/cleaner at least once or twice/year and you should be able to keep both types.
The upshot: buy a dehumidifier!
-dwajs
RE: What type of upholstery does best in Puna? - csgray - 01-12-2009
We rented a furnished place at about 400' when we first got here; the upstairs unit had leather furniture which was super moldy when we walked in, to the surprise of the landlord who had been there cleaning 2 weeks earlier. Even with ceiling fans running, the leather was just covered with mold. After living in 9 different places scattered across Puna the first year, I would skip the leather stuff and get furniture with removable and washable cushion covers. We have a bamboo couch and chairs now, I made cushion covers myself and wash them whenever we have had a really wet spell. Also, do not let wet animals or people sit on them or you will have mildew in the cushions (really gross). I am so glad we didn't ship any furniture over, what works here is not what we had in rainy western Oregon. Although I really miss my latex mattress, latex doesn't support dust mites!
Carol
RE: What type of upholstery does best in Puna? - TheodoreJay - 01-13-2009
My friends that live in Puna report the same. Leather doesn't hold up. Computer memory boards also bonk out after a year. Anything sensitive to moisture should be protected. If you were to bring a library of fine books and photographs along better keep them wrapped/sealed and plan on an air conditioned room w/ dehumidifier to store them. Moisture like this will also play havoc w/ fine furniture (so leave your baby grand piano in a nice dry climate like Arizona).
RE: What type of upholstery does best in Puna? - Carey - 01-13-2009
Furniture that is from a humid climate (wood & such) will do fine here (expect termites in all wood... then you can be pleased if they do not nibble your furniture.... but most likely they will....) Some people we know have leather furniture & love it here.... but be aware that they must be kept immaculately clean ... any food source (inc. oils, dust, dander, soil) for mold/mildew will cause the piece to be ruined... There is no perfect answer... cloth will eventually succumb to the UV & VOG, as will most plastics... most metals will get some corrosion (even aluminum & stainless steel) ... Wood has salt, termite, sun & humidity. We decided to go with patio furniture... seemed like it was the best option for us...
Growing up we had old wood pieces from the south that my mom had moved to sub Chicago... in the summer those pieces were happy, but the winter took it's toll on them.... most wood does not like a lot of changes.... We also had a poor harpsichord that went through the wringer with the seasonal humidity changes...
A baby grand is fine in Hawaii if that is were it has always been, but one from AZ can really complain! (there may only be one concert harpsichord on island & it is moved from it's home on the Kona side to Hilo for certain concerts.... poor thing has a terrible time of it!)