Unfinished
Products
Furniture made from Tamarack is very durable and capable of withstanding
the elements without any finish whatsoever. Left untreated, our
furniture will weather to a warm shade of silver-gray, blending
into the natural landscape. To restore the "new" look
of Tamarack furniture, simply clean the chair using a product such
as Sansin
Wood Cleaner or use a similar wood wash product.
Finished Products
To retain a finished look on your stained Tamarack outdoor furniture,
we recommend washing your furniture at least once a year with
a mild detergent and re-applying a coating of Sansin
Enviro Stain. The use of Enviro Stain will enhance the natural
durability of your chair's wood and it will provide added Ultra
Violet protection to the wood surface.
Checking
After exposing your Tamarack furniture to the elements, you may
begin to notice that slight cracks will appear in wood grain of
your furniture. This process is called "checking" and
it is a natural tendency common to all wood outdoor furniture,
regardless of the wood its made from. Checking is caused by the
release of moisture from wood. It in no way detracts from the
appearance of the furniture nor does it affect the wood's strength
or its structural integrity.
Maintenance Tips
Although Tamarack products are designed to face the challenges
of extreme weather conditions, simple maintenance can increase
the life expectancy of your furniture. We recommend you take a
few minutes each year to care for your products to ensure that
they will last a lifetime. Please follow these three tips whenever
possible.
1. Winter Storage: Although it is not necessary to store
your furniture inside during the winter months (witness our test
piece pictured on this page) storing furniture inside will reduce
the stress on the wood resulting from the freeze/thaw cycle. It
will also eliminate stress caused by the heavy weight of wet snow.
If you cannot store your furniture inside, we recommend you move
it to a sheltered area where snow does not gather (for example,
against an outside wall of a shed or house.)
2. Check all Fasteners: Periodically, check your Tamarack
furniture for loose fasteners. As with any piece of furniture,
constant use may cause screws to loosen. Simply tighten screws
with the driver head we provide with all our products.
3. Painting: We do not recommend painting Tamarack furniture
because paint is difficult to maintain on exterior wood products.
Exposure to sunlight and heat can cause moisture to be released
by the wood which can be trapped by paint. When this moisture
expands, it will cause the paint to blister and peel, resulting
in extra maintenance. Instead, we recommend you use a transparent
or semitransparent stain like Sansin Enviro Stain on our products.
Enviro Stain allows wood to "breathe;"It will not crack,
peal, or blister. If you still desire a painted finish, please
check with your local paint expert and recognize that painting
our furniture will result in extra maintenance.
