Suzandy - Info & Prices

Suzandy Caning & Furniture

Proprietors Susan I M Handy-Routh & Malcolm Routh
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Cherry Garden Lane, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead. SL6 3QG
07790 984824 01628 825610

Prices for work undertaken

It is not possible to give definitive prices for re-seating and restoration because each piece of furniture is different. However, a rough guide is given below:
CANE
Traditional hand woven cane The work involved in hand caning increases exponentially with the number of holes in each panel and with it the price of re-caning!
Up to	100 holes	- £1.50 per hole
"	200 "	- £1.75 "
"	300 "	- £2.00 "
"	400 "	- £2.50 "
"	500 "	- £3.00 "
There can be a reduction in these prices if it is a very simple panel and/or it does not require beading. (The wider cane which goes around the perimeter of some caned panels)
Medallions - See opposite These and other complications attract an extra charge. These prices assume that the frame is solid. New cane puts a tremendous strain on the frame and any repairs need to be carried out before re-caning can begin.
Loom Cane Modern chairs are usually seated in loom cane. This comes in a pre-woven sheet and is fixed into a groove around the seat frame. Although it is relatively quick to replace, removing the old cane and glue and cleaning the groove to take the new cane has to be done with great care so as not to damage the surrounding wood.
Price To replace loom cane			from		25p per sq in
Splicing (Patching small holes - see Restoration) This is only viable for small holes in large areas of relatively new cane.			from		£40 + £5 per strand replaced
Additional Options and Charges:
Staining to match original or to 'age' New cane is very white but within 3 or so years begins to mellow to the characteristic yellowy brown. It is possible to stain the cane to give a reasonable, but not perfect, match with other panels or the original old cane
For matching cane		from		£30 for first panel £15 for second and subsequent panels
To just age without matching			from	£15 per panel
RUSH
Using English (Thames) freshwater rushes for country chairs and Dutch or Portuguese for fine work.
Medium/large coils			from	60 pence per sq inch
Fine coils			from	70 pence per sq inch
Measure from centre of seat, front to back and side to side. This works out from at about £100 – 150 for a dining room chair
Danish Cord, Seagrass, Paper Fibre, Rush etc Price dependent on complexity of design			from	35 pence per sq inch
Repairs to Wicker/Lloyd loom etc			from	£50
Riempie (white leather thonging from South Africa) To re riempie a seat			from	75 pence per hole
Do It Yourself Riempies are 5-6mm wide and 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) in length. 12-24ft (4-6m) should be sufficient for most seats Price - £1 per foot/£3.25 per metre
Frames and joints must be sound before any re-weaving can be under-taken and any restoration needed will be charged accordingly.

Collection/delivery within a 10 mile radius is included.

Travelling to give an estimate for work is only charged for if estimate is not accepted.

A traditionally caned chair has holes around the perimeter of the seat frame through which the cane is woven. It is these holes that are counted. If in doubt - turn it upside-down.

This bedroom chair has 78 holes and it cost £117 to re-cane.

There are 60 holes in both the outer frame and the medallion in the centre of the chair back totalling 120 holes

To make matters more complicated, there was a fillet or spline of wood in the back of the frame under which the loops of the cane are hidden.

This has to be removed, very carefully before any work can commence.

Cleared groove ready for new cane

New loom cane in place

Before and

after Staining

Scirpus lacustris

Fresh water rushes growing in the Thames

The subtle shades of green, brown and gold of a freshly rushed seat.

As it dries it will become a more even shade of gold.

Dutch and Portuguese rush is a more even golden brown when fresh and doesn't alter so much.

Woven Danish cord on a Teak Danish chair.

These chairs, especially those with rosewood backs, are becoming increasingly valuable.

Care of caned furniture.

In common with all antique furniture, avoid putting cane in hot, dry sunny rooms or next to heater outlets. Low humidity heat will dry out cane and make it brittle.

Cane has a certain amount of stretch or give, which allows for the stress of someone sitting on it. After some time of use, cane will begin to lose its "memory" and will begin to sag. When the cane can stretch no more, it will begin to wear against the edge of the chair and strands and will break.

To prolong the life of a caned seat, tighten the cane periodically. This is done by wetting the cane with warm water and a sponge, preferably on the underside, which is not protected by the glossy bark. By letting the cane dry slowly overnight, you can, for a few years, restore its original tightness. However, this procedure will not restore any of the original suppleness of the cane

Morris outside the cricket pavilion at Littlewick Green

Livery by Merlin Signs 01494 438305

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