Air conditioners, dehumidifiers and heaters only compound the problem - unless these are kept switched on permanently to a constant temperature and humidity, something done rarely outside a museum environment.

So, if you are especially fond of a piece of furniture or proud of the wooden fittings around your home, be prepared to spend some time and money on regular maintenance to prevent cracking or to fill cracks, or simply to prevent decay.

Choice of wood types is often dictated by budget, rather than suitability to Hong Kong's climate.

'The plywood it's attached to doesn't warp in the same way medium-density fibreboard [MDF] can, especially in a long piece. MDF is best avoided for doors. Solid or veneer teak is durable. Teak was used many years ago and is still used in parquet floors, and doors and door frames in many of the older flats.

'Red beech is good for doors and skirting. And so is red oak, which has a nice grain. White ash and beech, about the cheapest, are used in a lot of new residential developments, and all are hard wearing. Chinese furniture made from elm or rosewood also suit the climate.'

For outdoor decking, Mr Fraser recommends pre-oiled timber from China, easily available in Hong Kong, as well as teak. 'Sikkens makes some great protective products. Some are UV-resistant or coloured.'

The most common type of wear and tear in wooden fittings, he says, is the cracking of door frames, which requires refilling and sanding. In extreme cases, natural wood pieces must be matched and mixed with a product such as Wood Kote. Car body filler can also be used, he says.

Wood in bathrooms and kitchens needs regular attention because of all the heat, steam and water spray. Bathroom doors can have a waterproof laminated inside cover.

'But it's a lot of work to cut and glue yourself, so it's best to replace it. The bottom of a bathroom door can rot easily, especially if the shower goes straight on to a bathroom floor. You can cut back the veneer of a door, patch it up and varnish or paint it,' he says.

If any wooden fittings or furniture look tired, you can lightly sand the wood and use a clear varnish. Sikkens has a semi-gloss water-based varnish that makes cleaning brushes easy and the fumes less pungent than oil-based varnish.

'Looking for a non-flammable wood preserver we discovered Lanotec, an amazing product,' says managing director Rhonda Gretton. 'It is used worldwide for preserving wood buildings, boardwalks and park furniture. Lanotec was recently recommended by the government in Fiji as an environmentally friendly substitute for chlorofluorocarbon [CFC] products on the market.'

Lanolin-based Lanotec is technically a wax and seals and preserves the wood, Ms Gretton says. It prevents the drying of timber that can occur in air-conditioning.

She says kwila, kempas and Australian jarrah are known to withstand the ravages of Hong Kong humidity, and recommends Timber Seal for outdoor wooden furniture. Oil, varnish or wax should be regularly applied to indoor and outdoor wooden furniture. Use a product that repels moisture and is also a fungicide, she adds.

'All timber is different, and if you neglect its preservation it will fail you in a very short time,' Ms Gretton says.