Category: Cedar Furniture Reviews

Mar 12 2012

Pine, Cedar, Blackwood and Huon Pine Antique Furniture is Becoming Increasingly Rare

Pine furniture in the walnut-stained original condition is under extreme threat, as few collectors buy it for its originality but rather for its desirable honey colour after stripping and refinishing. This is a shame, as often a good original piece of pine shows up and is considered virtually unsaleable unless priced as a restoration piece. It is very difficult for devoted collectors of original pine, as even restorers will strip and sand these pieces because they are considered to be undesirable by most pine collectors.

Cedar furniture is certainly in its original saleable stale, but will sell faster and to a broader cross-section of the collecting community if cleaned and brightened up the finish which is disappointing to me as a collector involved in the conservation offurniture. Nevertheless cedar has gained acceptance in homes without having to be radically restored as it would have been 10 to 15 years ago, but unfortunately there is still much more restored than being conserved, which will continue until all of the original pieces have vanished.

Blackwood furniture I personally feel is not well received by the majority of collectors and is grossly under-estimated. It bears the stigma of being a 20th century cabinet timber hut has been used in this country since cabinet making began. There are many good examples of 19th century Blackwood furniture as well as superb in this timber veneered furniture with its beautiful figure. It is a first-class hardwood for all types of cabinet work, allowing for exceptional detail in turning work and extremelydurable. Due to its hardness, however, it was more difficult to work and was less favoured as a cabinet timber until mechanised machinery was available.

Huon pine, probably the most highly regarded of our dominant native furniture timbers, is known for its brilliant birds-eye grain. Furniture in this timber is mostly acquired for its quality, originality and patina, as its followers are usually seasoned collectors that want only the best. One of its most important attributes is that it attains a beautiful mellow colour with age that most polishers have trouble replicating.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

Australian furniture has been manufactured from every indigenous timber and also many exotic imports by master cabinet makers. Each piece should be appreciated for its own charm and character, be itdecorative or utilitarian, and never underestimated. Remember, we are only guardians.

STEVEN & DENISE KOSZEK Gumnut Antiques and Restorations

Pine, Cedar, Blackwood and Huon Pine Antique Furniture is Becoming Increasingly Rare

Mar 10 2012

Durable Patio Furniture Made From Cedar Wood

If you like to spend lots of time out in your backyard then you should defiantly consider getting some cedar wood patio furniture. This is very useful and also extremely flexible and durable. These will be able to contend with all types of weather conditions, no matter how severe they are. Cedar wood furniture is also very easy to maintain and clean. Cedar wood patio furniture should be able to last a lifetime if it is treated properly.

Cedar patio furniture has a unique color and texture which is surprisingly soft and delicate. This is a fantastic material for seating. Cedar patio furniture will last for a very long time and is one of the most durable materials used for garden furniture. Whether you are sitting outside enjoying the furniture, or in the home with youropen draperies, you will enjoy your new furniture.

There are a number of different products which are made out of cedar wood which will work in a number of different environments. You can find very comfortable seating systems and tables all made out of cedar wood. There’s no better way to spend the start of your morning than sitting outside on a lovely comfortable seat and enjoying your cup of coffee.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

If you’re in to playing cards with your friends late at night then you should consider using this type of garden furniture. They will enjoy sitting on this furniture almost as much as you! You can even enhance the experience by giving out Cuban cigars! You have to be careful that you select the right type of furniture for your needs.

Your backyard should be an extension ofyour whole house, it should be a comfortable place where you can relax and spend lots of time with your family. By buying the right piece of furniture you can not only save time but also save money as you won’t have to do much maintenance on it. Cedar wood furniture can be considered as being a very long-term investment because it should last for a lifetime as long as it is treated properly.

Cedar wood patio furniture is one of the best ways which you can use to enjoy and relax in comfort in your backyard. It’s such a durable and dependable product that will last forever. The quality will always be something that you can be proud of, many people will no doubt ask you where you got this furniture from.

It’s important that you are comfortable when enjoying your outdoor space, byinvesting in this cedar wood which is high quality you have the perfect opportunity to enjoy beautiful comfortable furniture. Cedar wood has a lovely rich amber color which is unique and different to everything else.

You can improve your back yard even more by fitting some wind chimes, these will help you to relax even easier. Cedar wood is naturally beautiful with resists aging.

Durable Patio Furniture Made From Cedar Wood

Mar 06 2012

Tips for Choosing Log Furniture

If you just love that rustic look, and are finally ready to finally buy log furniture for your home, there are a number of “rules of thumb” that can help you in making good choices.

Begin by considering the overall style of your home. Do you have a log home that is overwhelmingly rustic? Or are you seeking to add a rustic touch to one or more rooms of a more conventional home?

Cedar Furniture Reviews

Size is Everything

Homes that feature large logs, spacious or roomy ceilings are in general require a different flavor of rustic furniture than their more conventional counterparts. If large logs make up the walls of your room, or you have a fireplace made from monster rocks from Montana, you’ll need a massive log look for your furniture as well. Otherwise, your log furniture will seemdwarfed and insignificant.

Even if the home for your furniture is a log cabin with 8-inch logs, a few large pieces of furniture will look better than many small ones. Larger furniture makes a room feel full without being cluttered.

If your bedroom has a high cathedral ceiling, log canopy bed can help fill out the dimensions. There is also much you can do with artwork and lighting to make the best use of your space.

Types of wood

A variety of wood types are used to create rustic furniture. Following is an overview of several which are available on our website:

Steam-bent Hickory

Hickory is a very durable, flexible wood. Many a child has climbed to the top of a green hickory sapling to ride it down as it yields to the weight without breaking. Whenheated with steam for a period of time, Hickory poles can easily be formed into various unique pieces of furniture. The steamed poles are placed in a jig and left to dry. They will become very rigid and retain this shape when dry.

Steam-bent hickory is strong enough to be used for tools such as hammers and axes, and unpeeled hickory accounts for one of the best-selling lines of log furniture. The Amish use steam-bent hickory dining room chairs to make, as the legs for dining room tables, coffee tables, and rockers.

Northern White Cedar

Northern White Cedar grows in Northern Michigan and Canada. It withstands abrasion the abuse of seasonal elements without breaking down or rotting like other woods. It is a beautiful light tan color when freshly milled.

It turns silvery-graywith age, but can be treated with a good quality finish to help retain its color. You will notice cracks-some small and some larger in your rustic furniture. This occurs naturally in the drying process and adds to the rustic look of our products. These cracks do not diminish the function or design of our furniture. They are not a manufacturing defect, just a natural part of seasoning, enhancing the beauty of the wood.

Red Cedar

The most surprising thing about Red Cedar (also know as Aromatic Cedar) is that it is not a member of the cedar family at all, instead belonging to the juniper family. Everyone knows the deep aromatic smell of the red cedar. The wood is heavy, and naturally insect and rot resistant.

Clothes stored in a chest made of red cedar will be protected frommoths. Red cedar has tight knots that add character and beauty. It is sometimes purple, but most often a rock red that will in time become browner even when preserved. Furniture built with red cedar will last a long time and can definitely be handed down from generation to generation.

Shopping for Quality

Not all log furniture is created equal–no matter how stylish or comfortable it may be. The quality of the materials used in log furniture, and the craftsmanship employed, vary widely–and this is often reflected in the price. While there are always some bargains to be had, it is quite true that you get what you pay for in log furniture.

With this thought in mind, buy the best furniture you can. It will look better and last longer if you do. In addition, lookfor all-wood or solid-wood furniture (as opposed to veneered plywood or particle boards). Solid wood furniture tends to show less wear at the joints and fittings, and also reacts better to seasonal moisture changes.

Look for well-fitted, carefully crafted connections. Dove-tailed drawers are especially known for holding together well. If you want your furniture to be finished, look for a long-lasting, tough and evenly applied coating. A word to the wise: unless you are experienced in applying furniture finish, leave the finishing up to the furniture manufacturer.

Choosing a Log Furniture Store

Let the buyer beware-there is a wide variety of customer service between log furniture stores. If you are looking to buy online, look for a store where quality furnitureand customer service are both top priorities. I have seen the log furniture manufacturers and stores that always deliver late, and I have seen some who deliver on-time with shoddy quality.

Look for testimonials on the site you are considering. Call and talk to a salesman at the log furniture store. A word to the wise–log furniture websites that merely drop ship log furniture have a lot less control over quality than those who finish building, and/or ship the furniture themselves.

Tips for Choosing Log Furniture

Mar 05 2012

Choosing Unassembled or Assembled Cedar Furniture Kits

Many Western Red Cedar products are available in two options. You can purchase your Cedar furniture unassembled or pre-assembled (knock-down).

Unassembled-All parts are packaged in an unassembled kit. This kit includes all necessary hardware and the same high quality materials and detailed craftsmanship as the pre-assembled (knock-down) kits.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

Every piece of the Cedar has been pre-cut, drilled and sanded. Included in the kit are easy to follow, fully illustrated instruction sheets. In most cases, customers will find the average assembly time is anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Taking advantage of this option will allow you to save a substantial amount of money. It will also give you the satisfaction of knowing that you had a part in assembling yourfurniture.

If you are not the type of individual who wants to spend the time and energy putting together your outdoor furniture, then maybe the assembled kit is the one for you.

Assembled-(pre-assembled or Knock-down)-This option is for the customer who cannot afford to take time or does not want to be bothered and would prefer to have the furniture arrive ready to enjoy soon after delivery. Most of the knock-down Cedar furniture, depending on the item, arrives to 90% 70% completed, with remaining structures pre-drilled and pre-fitted to allow a minimal set-up effort for the customer.

Choosing Unassembled or Assembled Cedar Furniture Kits

Mar 02 2012

Find Out About Rough Sawn Furniture

Rough sawn furniture refers to originally cut timber which are not smoothed or sanded in any way. There is no special finishing either.

Furniture made out of rough sawn wood is cheaper than ones with sanding or other finishing. It has a special beauty of its own as well. It reminds you more of Mother Nature. As a matter of fact, it is possible for you to make your own set of furniture if you stay around a timber wood area and have some woodworking skills.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

When it comes to wood, there are three main types, plywood, hardwood and softwood. Plywood is actually an engineered wood product. It is commonly used to build cheap furniture. But, generally, it is not of good quality and cannot last long. Some good examples of softwood which are used to make furniture are redwood,cedar and pine.

Generally, cedar and redwood happen to be the favorite pick for any outdoor wood furniture. On the other hand, pine is the favorite pick for tables, wardrobes and other indoor furniture items. Pine has been used since the good old American days for making furniture.

Taking care of pine is important to make sure that it lasts long. Generally, furniture made out of hardwood timber can last longer. Some good examples of hardwood timber are oak, mahogany, cherry and walnut. Hardwood trees are ones which are Gothic in nature.

If you use rough sawn furniture made of oak, they can last long even with hardly any care or maintenance. Oak has a natural anti septic feature. For a lovely rich brown color with purple hues, consider buying furniture made out ofwalnut. Both oak and walnut have natural grain markings. Hence, oak and walnut furniture have a special beauty, even without proper finishing.

To put it briefly, rough sawn furniture is cheaper due to lack of sanding, smoothing or other finishing touches. Nevertheless, furniture made out of good quality wood like oak, mahogany and walnut can last ages.

Find Out About Rough Sawn Furniture

Mar 01 2012

Wood Furniture in Costa Rica

Costa Rica offers different styles of furniture and many options of woods to choose from. In this country, wood is still affordable and at­tainable. Among the different types of woods used for furniture are Cedar, Guanacaste, Cenizaro and Melina among others.

One of the most important things to watch for when buying wooden furniture is the treatment that the wood has had prior to manufacturing. This, because Costa Rica has many different climates and the wood that is used for manufacturing in the Central Valley sometimes might shrink or expand when the items are transported and to the coast, for instance. The high temperatures along with the dry climate of Guanacaste, sometimes causes wooden items to crack or expand. Also, there are manufacturing companies that offer nice stylesof furniture and at reasonable prices with treated and dried woods under high standards. We have an interesting catalogue of Costa Rican made furniture that most of our clients love to check.

Another good option is teak wood. This furniture is of recent manufacture in the country because this wood has not been in the market for so long. Most teak in Costa Rica is used for outdoor furniture. In order to get aged teak furniture you need to look at items that Indonesian imported sometimes are not so bad in price considering the beauty of carvings and the quality of the woods. The balance in price is given by the low cost of labor in those countries compared to Costa Rican labor. Of course the items pay duties but you might be surprised to find pieces at bargain prices from certainsuppliers.

Comfort is not one of Costa Rican furniture pluses. We usually recommend imported items when our clients need couches or sofa beds due to the quality and density of foams, found here. Some custom manufacturers do a good job in sofas but we prefer to advice on imported items because the price is similar and sometimes lower compared to the locally produced items.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

Among the wood furniture that is mostly produced in Costa Rica are beds. With beds you will find something very different from the usual in the United States. Most beds in Costa Rica if don t take box springs. Instead, they have a platform that serves as a base and makes the bed very firm. This reduces the cost of the bed because if you don t need to buy box springs and you avoid bugs eating your boxsprings.

One interesting item that we sell a lot is the carved wood beds. Local manufacturers carve the figure of the animal you want. This way, people who live in the ocean like carving sail fish, turtles, etc. in their beds and also in the drawers of their nightstands.

Most of the wood manufacturers are located in the Central Valley near San Jose and Alajuela, Greece. They have a culture of working the wood and expertise in manufacturing. Some of our clients want to have custom made items from a magazine but using the local woods and our manufacturers will make anything they want. For their surprise, they usually accomplish what they want at very reasonable prices.

Wood Furniture in Costa Rica

Feb 29 2012

Why Choose Red Cedar?

Why choose Red Cedar? That is an excellent question! Cedar comes in a wide variety of colors including white, gold, silver or tan. Red cedar provides a unique look into shades of amber, red and brown, but brings the same superior qualities that other types of cedar bring.

Shall we review all the reasons why cedar is a great bet? Cedar is an exceptional wood for outdoor furniture for many reasons. First of all cedar rarely warps. It is a lightweight wood with incredible strength, so it tends to keep its shape, and stay straight. Furthermore, it doesn’t crack like many other types of wood may crack.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

Red cedar is also known for keeping its cool. That might sound funny talking about wood and keeping cool, but it’s true. Red cedar has what is called a good “thermalco-efficient. ” That means that it doesn’t radiate heat, no matter how long it has been baking in the sun on a hot day. Sit in it, and you’re likely to still feel cool and relaxed.

We already mentioned red cedar’s strength. In fact, it is estimated to be 80 percent as strong as oak. But what comes along with that strength is an inner strength; it has strong tendencies to be resistant to both bacteria and fungi. Plus, the natural oils on cedar work as a natural insect WinSafe XP-which is a beneficial feature for any piece of outdoor furniture.

Not sold on red cedar yet? If not, here are some more excellent reasons for you to consider it. It tends not to rot as quickly as many other types of wood because of the natural oils contained in the cedar’s fibers. These oils protect thecedar wood from moisture and humidity, which makes red cedar a great choice for use near pools and hot tubs.

Another reason that people love wood furniture in general is the smell. Red cedar has natural chemicals that give off a smell most people associate with the woods, the great outdoors, the fresh air, and cleanliness, childhood camping trips–we could go on and on. The basic point is that it evokes warm, good feelings. Can’t put your finger on the exact smell? Close your eyes tight and think back to your grandmother’s cedar chest.

Still need another reason to choose red cedar? Unlike today’s chemically treated woods, red cedar provides all of these benefits without the need for harsh manmade chemicals. You can’t say the same for plastic furniture.

Why Choose Red Cedar?

Feb 26 2012

Cedar Closet Lining-The Best Value-For-Your-Money Closet Upgrade

Of all the closet organization projects you plan, creating a cedar-lined chest or cedar closet could be the most satisfying upgrade you invest in. The fresh smell of cedar when you open up your closet just gives you the subconscious sense that your clothes will be safe, whether you use your closet everyday, or you have a long-term storage room which only changes with the seasons, or even longer.

The beauty in cedar is its natural resistance to insects, especially moths. With a cedar-lined closet there will be no more need for toxic (and awful smelling) mothballs. One thing to remember though is that cedar will have to be sanded lightly periodically, in order to release it’s fragrance which is what maintains its bug deterrent factor. And one more thing to note is that mothslike to lay their eggs on soil on wool and silk items … so to be completely sure that moths won’t be attracted to your wool or silk clothing, make sure it is clean before storing.

Ok, now that you know a little about how cedar closets work, how do you get one? Whether you are building a new closet, or already have one you want to face-lift, the process is essentially the same-line the closet with cedar. That’s all there is to it. You will want the closet itself (not the cedar) to be sealed as well as possible to keep the cedar aroma inside. Remember the cedar itself needs to remain unfinished so the aroma can escape. So no varnishing to make a nice shiny closet interior. You will completely negate the effect of your brand new (expensive) cedar closet.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

Cedar Closet Lining-The Best Value-For-Your-Money Closet Upgrade

Feb 12 2012

Dinner’s Beam Cutter Transforms Your Circular Saw Into A Chainsaw

I just discovered a cool new tool that I wish I had two weeks ago when I was cutting off the tops of my fence posts, the Dinner Beam Cutter

This Beam Cutter made by an innovative little company called Dinner, is a chain saw attachment that bolts on to just about any circular saw, both standard and wormdrive. This cool tool turns your everyday circular saw into a specialty framing saw that can be used to perform one-pass cuts on studs, rafters, posts, SIP panels, beams, stair stringers gang cutting and more. It is versatile, efficient, accurate and cost effective.

Cedar Furniture Reviews

Easier than changing out a blade or trying to leap a tall building in a single bound, the Dinner Beam Cutter takes less than a minute to attach as it easily connects, using 3 bolts onto your circular saw.There is no need to remove any saw parts or to permanently convert your circular saw. With the saw set square to the shoe, the Beam Cutter will cut to a depth of 12 inches. At a 45 degree angle, this blade will cut to 8 inches deep. It can perform one pass cuts for posts and beams, logs, enabling you to create perfect match ups. With edge guides and no kickback cutting, it is more accurate and easier to use than a chain saw for this kind of work. The Beam Cutter also cuts multiple stair jacks in one operation, no standard circular saw can make your life that easy!

One concern you may have is using this length of a cutter on a 13-amp circular saw motor. Take into consideration your specific job and how much you are going to use the saw. If it is a big job and you arecutting 12-inch beams all day long, then you may want to consider using the Beam wormdrive circular Cutter with a saw. But like Joe from American Builders in Buffalo, NY says, “You want the highest quality tool that is the most accurate, reliable and the lightest to work with.”

After all is said and done, this cost effective little attachment retails for about 150 bucks. That is much cheaper than hiring Joe to do the job for you, or purchasing, or even renting an expensive specialty tool.

In 1996, the Dinner Beam Cutter was named the most innovative tool by the editors of the trade magazine, Tools of the Trade. In December 1997, Building Systems Magazine described the company Dinner best: “A small manufacturer when compared to some of today’s giants of the toolindustry, USA Dinner nonetheless continues to come up with innovative aftermarket tool accessories. “

I say three cheers for them and the Dinner Beam Cutter!

Dinner’s Beam Cutter Transforms Your Circular Saw Into A Chainsaw