Summertime always hits us hard - people are vacationing and preparing for the next school year. A lot of people are moving as well, so business will pick up when the furniture is unwrapped and the damage found.
I would like to take this opportunity to give you a few tips to help protect YOUR furniture while you are away.
Before you leave make sure your water faucets are all totally turned off - you don't want to come back to a flood. This is not a really great idea for your wood to get saturated. (This applies to the washing machine as well - a big flood machine in its own right!) Remember - if you have water in the floor it can soak up into the legs of your wood furniture and create high water marks even if the water isn't that high. Also, especially for long vacations, make sure you plug the drains. If you are gone for a long period of time and the water evaporates out of the pipes you could come back to a house filled with gas fumes from the sewer. If you have a house sitter make sure they understand and are careful to turn off what they have turned on and close back what they have opened.
Check your furniture tops to make sure noone has left a drink on the wood finish. Coming back to a damaged table top would take some of the fun out of the great vacation you just had. Especially in humid climates water can condense on the outside of glasses and cups if there is moisture inside them and can create a water spot.
Unplug electrical appliances that are not necessary during your absence. It would ruin a vacation to come home to water AND fire damage due to an electrical problem. Remember - power surges can occur more often in the hot summertime due to spiking electrical demand for more air conditioning and refrigeration.
Please be safe in your travels and remember to watch out for the other guy. A good defense is the best offense while out on the road!