If you want to see some wood grain, we recommend using a high quality exterior deck sealer. If you want to paint the item, we recommend priming it with a stain sealing shellac primer (to seal the knots), then finishing it with exterior paint. For a clear finish, we strongly recommend using several coats of Spar Urethane, not polyurethane. If you plan to leave the item indoors and out of direct sun, you can leave it unfinished. The wood will yellow or turn golden brown and will absorb any spills, but it will remain quite stable.

Depending on use, storage, and the paint or sealer used, the finish will normally last from 1 to 5 years. The shortest lasting finish will be clear polyurethane. It may need attention annually. The longest lasting finish method will be to prime and paint. Depending on material and color, this may last several years. You do not need to dissemble the product to refinish it.

To keep your Adirondack furniture clean, you can either use a good wood cleaner, mild soap with warm water, or ask your local paint or hardware specialist to recommend a cleaner that is best suited to the finish you have chosen for your furniture.

If you live in colder climates you should store your furniture under cover during the winter months. An unheated garage or basement or an open, but covered porch is just fine. If you use a tarp or similar covering, be sure the furniture is completely dry before storing. In all storage situations, try to set the legs on something that keeps them off the ground or floor.

RED CEDAR furniture

We highly recommend that your furniture be ordered already treated. We use Cetol 1 by Sikkens (click here to find out why Cetol 1 is the best) . This initial protective staining process is very important if you want to maintain the fresh new look of the furniture and it is very important in protecting the cedar from the elements, especially if you intend to leave it outside 365 days of the year in contact with the moist ground. If properly treated and maintained, your furniture could last longer than a lifetime.

Like all woods, when cedar is left to age naturally in the sun without any protection or if the protective stain is not maintained, the color starts to take on a beautiful silvery gray patina. We know of many people who prefer it this way. It's all a matter of preference regarding color, but one thing is certain… a treated piece of furniture will simply last longer than one left untreated.

When you order a TREATED piece of furniture from us, we don't just ship you a product that has been sprayed with stain once or even just twice. Every single component undergoes an entire treatment process that gives it the foundation necessary to protect it from the elements and to help maintain that "fresh new look." Years of research have gone into investigating the best way of doing this, the best stain to use, the optimal amount to apply, and how many times it should be applied.

Our manufacturer uses a proprietary process that their competitors would love to get their hands on. Painstaking care is taken at each step and every stage in the process. From the initial application on each component which is done in a way that gives it a solid and thorough base that will last much longer than a first coat that has been sprayed or brushed on, to the final coat several steps later, each piece is treated just like an art museum would treat a Picasso. You won't find any drip stains, you won't find any (and we mean ANY) spot that has not been covered properly, and you won't be disappointed in the absolutely gorgeous, smooth, glossy finish that will last for years.

WHITE CEDAR furniture

Furniture manufactured by Old Adirondack comes sanded and ready to use. As in our pine furniture, you may apply a stain or paint of your choice. Again, we recommend a high quality exterior deck/fence stain or exterior primer and paint.