Care Instructions
How to Care for Your Wooden City Map
Your Viperys map is designed to last a lifetime. With basic care, the wood, resin and finish will stay beautiful for decades — like real furniture, not a printed poster. Here's everything you need to know.
Quick Care Rules
- Do — dust gently with a soft feather duster or soft brush every 1-2 weeks
- Do — keep in normal room conditions (stable temperature and humidity)
- Do — hang out of direct prolonged sunlight
- Don't — wipe the map surface with a cloth (the laser-cut streets are delicate and can snap)
- Don't — use any detergent, cleaner, alcohol, or solvent — even mild ones
- Don't — expose to high humidity (bathrooms, saunas, unheated garages)
- Don't — hang above heat sources (radiators, fireplaces)
Important: The Map Surface Is Delicate
Every Viperys map is an open, three-dimensional wooden piece — the streets, buildings and green areas are laser-cut layers with no protective covering. This is what gives our maps their beautiful depth and tactile character, but it also means the surface needs gentle handling. Never scrub, never press, never rub across the map layers.
Recommended Cleaning Tools
Use only very gentle dusting methods:
- Soft feather duster — best everyday choice
- Soft-bristle brush — a clean, dedicated makeup brush (fluffy blush or powder brush) works perfectly for detailed areas
- Vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment on the LOWEST suction setting, held slightly above the surface (never touching) — good for deeper dust between the layers
Dust once every 1-2 weeks. Sweep gently in one direction. Let the brush or feathers do the work — never press down.
What NOT to Do
Do not use:
- Microfibre or any cloth dragged across the street/building layers — they can catch and snap the fine laser-cut details
- Any wet cloth on the raised map layers
- Any cleaner, detergent, spray, alcohol, or solvent — even mild ones
- Compressed air (can dislodge small pieces)
- Paper towels (too abrasive on both wood and resin)
Cleaning the Resin Water (Careful)
The epoxy resin water surface is more durable than the delicate street layers, but still needs care. If needed, gently wipe the resin area with a very slightly damp microfibre cloth (water only, well wrung out) — only in the resin water area, without touching the raised street/building layers around it. Dry immediately with a soft dry cloth.
If you're not sure you can reach the resin without touching the raised layers, just use a soft brush instead — it's always the safest choice.
Cleaning the Wooden Frame
The outer pine frame is more durable than the map layers. Dust with a soft dry cloth. Once a year, apply a thin layer of clear furniture wax with a soft cloth in the direction of the grain, then buff gently to restore sheen.
Where to Hang Your Map
Best rooms
- Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms
- Hallways and entryways
- Home offices and studies
- Any climate-controlled space
Avoid these rooms
- Bathrooms — humidity damages wood and can cloud resin over time
- Unheated garages, sheds, seasonal cabins — temperature swings cause wood to expand and contract
- Kitchens above the stove — grease and steam settle on the delicate map layers
- Saunas, greenhouses, pool rooms — high humidity is the enemy of wood and resin
Sunlight
Wood is a natural material and will slowly change color when exposed to direct sunlight over years — this is normal and part of the natural aging of wood. If you want to preserve the exact original tone, hang the map on a wall that doesn't get hours of direct sun daily.
How to Hang Your Map
What's included
Every frame comes with built-in wall hangers pre-attached to the back — no separate hardware needed. Just add appropriate nails, hooks or wall anchors to your wall.
Recommended fixings by size
- Small (20×20 or 30×30 cm) — single picture hook or 1 nail into drywall stud
- Medium (30×45, 45×30, 60×40 cm) — one nail into a stud, or two picture hooks 10-15 cm apart
- Large (75×50, 45×90 cm) — two wall anchors 20-30 cm apart for stability and to distribute weight
Hanging on different wall types
- Drywall / plasterboard — use plastic wall anchors rated for the weight (all our maps are under 5 kg)
- Brick or concrete — use masonry drill + plastic wall plugs and screws
- Wooden walls / paneling — screws directly into the wood
Recommended height
Center the map at eye level — typically 145-155 cm from the floor to the center of the map. Above furniture (sofa, bed, sideboard), leave 15-25 cm of space between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame.
Traveling with Your Map
If you're moving house, keep the map in the original packaging (or similar box with corner cushions and rigid outer walls). Don't stack heavy items on top. Wood is durable but a hard impact can crack the resin edge or dent the frame — and the raised map layers are especially vulnerable to impact.
Air travel: pack the map in checked baggage inside a hard case with foam padding, or ship separately via a courier. Wooden maps aren't fragile in normal use, but the delicate layers and resin can be damaged by rough baggage handling.
What to Do If Something Happens
Small scratches on the wood frame
Rub a small amount of clear furniture wax into the scratch with a soft cloth, then buff. Deep scratches may need light sanding first — email us for guidance.
Marks on the resin water
Usually just surface residue. Very gently wipe the resin area only with a damp microfibre cloth (water only), then dry. If the mark persists, contact us before trying any polish — some products can cloud the resin.
A broken street or building layer
Very rare with proper care, but if a small laser-cut detail is damaged, email us with a photo. In many cases we can repair or send replacement layers.
Faded frame color from sunlight
Apply a fresh coat of the appropriate wood wax (or contact us — we can advise on the exact wax we used for your frame color).
Loose hanger
Very rare, but if a wall hanger becomes loose, contact us and we'll send replacement hardware free.
Damaged map — larger issues
Anything more serious (cracked resin, broken frame corner, etc.) — email us with photos. Our lifetime craftsmanship guarantee covers manufacturing defects. We'll repair, remake, or refund at no cost. This doesn't cover damage from accidents, moisture, or extreme conditions.
Environmental Notes
Wood is natural
Every piece of wood is unique. Grain patterns, small knots, and subtle color variations between individual maps are normal and part of the character. This is not a defect — it's what distinguishes solid wood from mass-produced particle board.
Epoxy resin over time
High-quality epoxy resin remains clear and glossy for decades under normal conditions. Extreme UV exposure (years of direct sunlight) can cause very slight yellowing — one more reason to hang away from constant direct sun.
Questions About Care?
Email us anytime — we're here for the entire lifetime of your map. Whether it's a small scratch, a move to a new home, a question about wax refresh, or a delicate layer that needs attention, we'll help.
Free FedEx Express worldwide. Lifetime craftsmanship guarantee. 8,000+ maps in homes across 40+ countries.