In the first part of this article, I discussed the benefits of wood for outdoor furniture. Of the various types of wood furniture available, the best of them, in my opinion, are cedar, acacia and teak.  Some people prefer to leave these beautiful woods to their own devices, allowing their natural oils to protect them against moisture, weather and time. And they will be quite content with the way their furniture looks and performs.  

However, it is generally agreed that, at the very least, it is a good idea to protect the new wood products from the beginning to enable them to have an even longer – and some say more beautiful – life. As mentioned in the first article, a car wax with good Ultra Violet protection is a very quick and easy way to ensure this longer life.

But is a car wax enough? Should you put in the extra time and energy to finish, stain, or paint your new good wood chair, rocker, or swing?  Many say that it is a good idea. But, if so – what to use?

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There are many possibilities, any of which will do a good job.  It just depends on your tastes. Whatever you decide, realize that all wood furniture needs care and will probably need to be finished – or refinished – from time to time.

A common solution for many people to protect their furniture is simply to paint it. Again, it depends on your tastes. But realize that paint will cover up the natural grains and beauty of these wonderful woods and will eventually peel or flake and need to be repainted. If you do choose to paint, it is best to use a good primer before the finishing coat to inhibit the flaking.

If you prefer to keep those natural grains visible, you can choose either an oil based stain or one that is water based. In general, liquid oils penetrate the wood without raising the grains. However, realize that the color of the wood can be darkened.

On the other hand, in spite of being easier and cleaner to use, water-based stains are much more likely to raise the grains on the wood. You may be able to prevent this by fine sanding in between coats that have dried very well. Also, water-based stains are more environmentally friendly, requiring only soap and water to clean up.

In Part 3 of this article, I will detail the various ways to stain or finish your new good wood furniture and the pros and cons of each.

Do you really want to know how bad your furniture looks?  You know you’re tired of it and if you’ve had it for any amount of time it probably looks a tad tired as well.  But do you want to see how bad it really looks?  Some times it’s best to start with the worse case scenario to get a real idea of what you need to do.

So give your space a new look and paint.  Nothing makes a room look bigger or fresher than a fresh coat of light colored paint.  The walls become the canvas for your decorating efforts.  While you’re at it, make your windows look bigger by hanging the drapes higher and wider that the windows actually are and then using a valence to cover the space from the top of the window to the curtain rod.

Once you have that done take a look at your furniture.  If you bought your furniture in the past 5 years and it looks beat up there really isn’t a lot of hope for it.  New furniture isn’t built anything like old furniture.  It falls into the same disposable category that appliances do.  It’s cheaper to buy new than to repair.

If you have old wood furniture that you’re just tired of looking at you’re in luck.  Consider painting it before you condemn it to the trash.  And if you paint it, use a brighter, bolder color than you think you want.  You’ll be amazed at the impact of painted wood furniture brings to a room.

If the upholstery on a dining room chair is wearing thin try this.  Go to a fabric store or upholstery shop and see if they will give you their old samples.  These are usually 20 pieces of fabric bound together that are used as sales tools.  When those fabrics are discontinued, the samples no longer have any value.  However, they are typically just the right size to fit the seat of a dining room chair.  If you score one of these then all you need is some foam and a staple gun and you can change out a seat in 20 minutes.

If you’re not into the handy man scene then check out the net.  There are some super deals on all kinds of furniture just make sure the shipping costs don’t kill you.  The other thing to consider is the cost of sending it back if it’s not really what you expected.

Don’t get stuck in the habit of just buying new cheap furniture.  It’s expensive and it’s not going to last.  Get creative and save some bucks while creating a great look.