The guests are expected, you have made all the food, and the soft music is playing, so you light your candles on your laid out table, and pop out to place the finishing touches on your meal, only unknown to you, that scented candle is a accident waiting to happen.

 

 

We have all used candles for years but recently we have noticed a marked increase in damage caused to tables by candles used as centerpieces. We are not saying that all candles are a problem, but we have noticed that there can be a problem with the type in a Glass Jar or container, as the candle wax becomes liquid and very warm the glass shatters and sets the table alight....very scary to return to a blazing table and very dangerous if not extinguished quickly.

Damage Caused by Bursting Candle Glass Holders

Below is a picture of serious damage to a table, this is a solid oak table and the actual table caught alight burning a approximately 5 mm deep burn in the table top. 

The table is a difficult one to repair, luckily as its a solid oak table and not a veneer we can plane and sand the table but we have to reduce the table thickness to remove the burn completely, the repair is complicated by the table being an extender, so the leaves have to be reduced in thickness to match, an expensive repair for a £2.50 candle.

The above pictures are of two tables where that damage is not as severe but again caused by the glass holder of the candle bursting when the candle wax became molten, but in this case the fire wasn't left so long before being extinguished, still a repair can be costly even if your house insurance pays, most insurance policies for this type of damage will only pay out 70% of the cost leaving you with a bill you didn't budget for!.

So what to look out for!

Candles are perfectly safe, but as a a precaution we would suggest that you have the T light types with a metal holder, and place them on a plate just incase, all the above damage could have been reduced or avoided if a plate was used as a coaster under there candle.

Candles can add that special atmosphere to any occasion we would just suggest you be safe and never leave them unattended for any length of time.

If you need any advice on repairs or restoration, please ask us on this blog or by email at info@therockingchair.co.uk, or by phone on 01792 773000, thanks for reading.

The Rocking Chair Team

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