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Finishing Your Cedar Furniture
- A Wood Of Exceptional Beauty
Western Red Cedar in its natural, unfinished state it has a richly textured, tactile grain combined with a palette of warm, mellow tones ranging from light amber to deep honey brown. Northern White Cedar is a creamy white color that blends with any decor. No man-made material can duplicate the depth of cedar's natural luster. It also remains subtly aromatic, and the characteristic fragrance of cedar adds another dimension to its universal appeal.
- Cedar's Longevity
Cedar has been used for generations for roofing and shingles, fences, fence posts, planking for small boat hulls and, of course, for outdoor furniture. A Western Red Cedar fence post will last up to 16 years in the ground. We have found that left out year round, untreated and uncovered in Canada's rugged winters, the furniture will last a minimum of 8 to 10 years. Furniture that is brought inside or covered for the winter will last twice that long.
- Natural Weathering
Because of the inherent nature of both Western Red and Northern White Cedar to withstand the outdoor elements and insect attack your Cedar Furniture really does not need to be finished. Many folks prefer to allow their cedar furniture to "naturally age" outdoors without any finish at all. Over time the colorful tones of the wood will weather to a handsome silver-grey highlighted by darker streaks, and the grain of the wood will become slightly raised.
- Wood Sealer
A good wood sealer such as Thompsons Wood Sealer is useful by blocking the pores of the wood. This inhibits the grain from becoming raised yet allowing the natural fading to a gentle silvery-gray color.
- Staining
If you would like to preserve the colorful tones of the freshly sanded cedar any number of finishes can be used on cedar furniture. The types we have tried and recommend are good quality penetrating sealers and transparent or opaque
exterior stains. I would recommend 2 coats of a semi transparent stain with a UV inhibitor such as " Sikkens Cetol 1 (natural) to preserve the handsome look of your furniture. Every 2nd year you might re-apply a coat of stain to freshen the finish. Little or no sanding, preparation or primer is needed when you use a stain.
- Wood Oil
We do not recommend using oil finishes on your outdoor furniture as dust particles in the air will stick to the finish.
- Superdeck Stain
Superdeck stain is an oil based, semi-transparent substance. To maintain its current finish, you will need to reapply an oil based stain one to three times per year, depending on the amount of rain, sun, or humidity your furniture is exposed to. When your cedar starts to fade, a fresh coat of stain will keep it looking like new. Warning: Do NOT use a water based sealer, polyurethane, or varnish. This may damage your wood by either causing mildew to form, or your wood could become hard, dry, and brittle. If you choose not to maintain your furniture it will gray naturally. Your furniture can safely be washed with warm, soapy water or a deck detergent.
- Paint
Paint will work fine but like on any exterior surface, over time will begin to flake and will eventually need scraping and refinishing. Stain, however, is "breathable" and will not trap moisture, therefore - no blistering, no peeling.
- Ground Applications
Western Red Cedar should be used and preservative treated if intended for use in applications where it is dug into the ground. i.e. Fence Posts or Landscape ties.
- Mahogany Finishes
Mahogany has been the choice of boat builders and furniture makers around the world for hundreds of years. Being a fine grained hard wood with naturally occurring resin, it is highly resistant to rot, decay and insect infestation. When left untreated, it weathers to an appealing soft gray. Otherwise, Mahogany is a dense wood and should not be treated with finish products meant for softer woods. We recommend the use of a quality finishing product. Use one that has been specially formulated for mahogany and offers 99% UV protection. This is readily available from any paint store. Check with your local paint store for recommendations for your climate. A yearly application is recommended, or as weather conditions dictate.
We have mahogany finishing kits available. It comes with a quart or gallon of finish, two foam applicators and a pair of latex gloves. Email us for info on our mahogany finishing kits.
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Prices include all shipping and handling charges to anywhere in the lower United States (does not include Hawaii, Alaska and US Territories). Sorry we are not allowed to ship to PO Boxes or APO addresses. We can only ship to a physical address in the Continental United States.
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