• Stain Finishing: There are a wide variety of penetrating stains, many of which retain much of the wood's natural color and texture while adding a protective element. For outdoor use we recommend the outdoor stains/finishes that include water repellant additives, mildew inhibitors (mildicides), and UV inhibitors. Penetrating stains go into the wood without forming a surface barrier so avoid the problems of blistering and peeling of painted surfaces. They work well on wood with knots and deep surface texture.
  
  
• Paints: Before deciding to paint cedar, it must be realized that the natural color and grain of the wood will be concealed. If you choose to paint, apply the product according to the manufacturer's directions for the best protection and good service. A good alternative to paint is a stain that has been pigmented with the color you want. This will give the look of painted cedar log with the protection of an outdoor finish.

Indoor Cedar

• Untreated Cedar: Your indoor cedar furniture will not weather as fast as the outdoor cedar furniture. It will take many years for the sunlight coming in through the windows to weather the wood. However, left untreated you will need to clean your indoor furniture with a mild wood soap as the oils in your skin will start to seep into the wood and stain it.
  
  
• Stain/Polyurethane: If you decide to finish your indoor cedar furniture later on we suggest using a good quality polyurethane. Interior table tops and dresser tops should be finished on the top and bottom, with an equal number of coats applied to each side.
  
  
• Paint: If you decide to paint your indoor cedar furniture it must be realized that the natural color and grain of the wood will be concealed. If you choose to paint, apply the product according to the manufacturer's directions for the best protection and good service.

Pine Log Furniture

White Pine is a very popular choice of wood in rustic indoor log furniture. In both log and board form, pine is very strong and does not warp. This adds strength and durability to whatever piece of furniture the pine is made into.

Outdoor Pine Furniture

• Stain Finishing: We suggest that you finish your pine log outdoor furniture once you receive it if you did not order it already finished. We suggest the use of a penetrating, oil-based water repellent that has UV protection and mildew inhibitors (mildicides) – the same that you would use for the cedar outdoor furniture. It is important to finish your pine log furniture to protect it from the elements and to help bring out the beautiful qualities of the wood. Outdoor pine furniture should also be finished periodically to ensure long lasting adequate protection.

• Paint: If you would like to paint your pine furniture we would recommend getting an outdoor stain that has pigment added to it. This way you will get the best of both worlds. Pine furniture that looks painted yet it has all the protection of an outdoor stain.

Indoor Pine Furniture

• Untreated: Your indoor pine furniture will show grime and oils from skin just like any wood will when left untreated. It is ok to leave the indoor pine furniture unfinished but you will want to clean it often with a mild wood soap.

• Polyurethane: If you decide to finish your indoor pine furniture later on we suggest using a good quality polyurethane. Interior table tops and dresser tops should be finished on the top and bottom, with an equal number of coats applied to each side.
  
  
• Paint: If you decide to paint your indoor pine furniture it must be realized that the natural color and grain of the wood will be concealed. If you choose to paint, apply the product according to the manufacturer's directions for the best protection and good service.

Q. Why doesn’t all our furniture have the same finish options?

A. In addition to our outstanding lines, we are manufacturer reps for a number of other great furniture and rustic decor from other manufacturers. Not all of these manufactures offer the same finish, if any finish that we do. But be assured, we can assist you in choosing coordinating pieces even when combining Pine and Cedar Furniture. We will finish any product offered on our website, should you so desire. There may be an additional fee for this service if it is a non-stock item for us.

Q. I want my furniture to look as natural as possible, should I order my indoor furniture finished or unfinished?

A. Log furniture is becoming more and more popular, not just in cabins and resorts but in homes and apartments as well. The natural rustic look is very popular because the look is soothing and relaxing. Finishing log furniture can change the appearance slightly but it is still going to look like the same beautiful rustic log piece that it did before. Finishing your log furniture will benefit you in the long run.

So should I order it finished? If we offer a finish that you like then we would recommend you order your furniture finished. However, you may need a different color tone for where you want your furniture so it is perfectly fine to order the furniture unfinished. We offer a clear finish and a light honey finish on most of our indoor items. Some indoor items are available only in the clear finish, while some are available only unfinished. We do recommend that if you order your furniture unfinished that you finish or have someone finish your furniture when you receive it.

We strongly recommend finishing your furniture because wood is a porous material. It will easily absorb the oils and dirt in our hands leaving stains on your furniture. Hands get dirty very easily, no matter how many times a day they are washed. Dresser handles, door handles, footboards, anything that comes in contact with your skin can stain requiring you to wash the unfinished log furniture regularly to keep the stains from becoming permanent. Stains that do become permanent sometimes have to be sanded out to totally remove them.

We use both polyeurthane and water based acrylic for our indoor finishes which is very durable. You can dent the log and the acrylic will bend with the wood instead of chipping off of the wood like cheaper finishes do. Our finishes are sprayed on in 4 coats. Because we spray our finishes on, the wood doesn’t get as wet meaning the furniture will look more natural than if the finish was brushed on. There is some gloss on the furniture after it is finished but it can only be seen when the lights are directly on the furniture. The acrylic is a mid-low gloss finish.

Q. What are the differences between the indoor and outdoor finishes you offer?

A. The finishes we use for our indoor furniture are different from the stain/finish we use on our outdoor furniture. The indoor furniture finish is flexible and will bend with the wood if the wood is accidentally dented. It will not chip like paint or cheap stain. The indoor finish we use is a non-toxic water based Acrylic which is made so that it can be cleaned regularly without wearing through, even finger nail polish remover won’t wear through Acrylic. If cared for the indoor finish will last for the life of the product. The outdoor stain/finish is an outdoor water repellant that has pigment added for color. Because it will be outdoors the stain/finish will wear off over time and need to be reapplied. You may apply any outdoor finish over the current outdoor finish.

Indoor Finishes: Whenever you order a product with one of our indoor finishes the product will go through a 4 coat finishing process. This in-depth process allows the product to soak up the first couple of coats while letting the last two coats provide an even protective surface. This ensures that the finish will be thick and durable enough to last through many, many years.

• Clear Finish –a clear finish that when applied to the wood brings out the natural colors of the wood. It is clear so no colors will be masked, the true natural beauty of the wood will still be seen but you will not have to worry about the wood getting dirty from the oils in your hands, dust, cup rings, etc.

• Light Honey Finish – the light honey finish also brings out the natural colors of the wood when applied but the lighter colors of the wood will be masked with the pigment in the finish. The best way to picture our light honey finish color is to take a glass and fill half of it with milk, fill it the rest of the way with water and then add a couple tablespoons of honey. When mixed the resulting color is very similar to our light honey finish.