Care & Finishing Instructions

Our furniture is constructed of solid western red cedar and has been completely submerged in a clear water-sealer at our factory. This provides a moisture barrier and helps reduce splitting and warping. This also ensures an excellent under-seal for a good quality stain or sealer.

An additional finish is recommended for maintenance as follows...

• Always follow manufactures directions on the product that you choose to use. When you get your cedar products from us, they may feel oily to the touch. This is the clear sealer that our factory uses. To maintain this beautiful look, we recommend a good quality semi-transparent stain/sealer be applied. When choosing your oil base product, make sure the clean-up requires Mineral Spirits. This will assure you that it is truly an oil-based product. This can be used for application where the appearance of the grain is desired, allowing the grain to show through while adding some color. This product will provide a sunscreen to help prevent your furniture from "weathering" (turning gray). However, if the "weathered" look is desired, we still recommend the use of a clear water sealer. Furniture that will be exposed to the elements year-round should be treated annually.

A Beeswax product or a good quality paste wax such as Howard's Feed-n-Wax or Howard's Citrus Shield Wax, can be used over any of the above finishes. These products give added water repellency and help prevent the wood from drying out. Use these products in addition to the sealer. This is not a sealer by itself.

Your furniture can also be painted, if so desired, with quality oil-based paint. Two coats are recommended, including the undersides of the furniture.

Helpful Hints:

• Always make sure the furniture is completely dry before applying any sealer.
• Penetration of the product is the key when using any stain or sealer, so always apply liberally, especially to the end grains and let soak in to the point of total absorption.
• Wipe off excess approximately 15 minutes.
• Oily rags can spontaneously combust -- PLEASE BE SURE TO DISPOSE OF PROPERLY!

Links:

Howards Feed & Wax