|
Many people want the
beauty of rustic log furniture but don’t know where to begin to shop for
it.
You can find countless retailers or manufacturer of rustic log furniture
on the Internet. Since its creation, the Internet has been a way for
people to advertise and sell their products to individuals who otherwise
would not have had a chance to either hear about the product or even
purchase it. The Internet has also been a source of information for
individuals who wanted to create their own rustic furniture. However,
for many of them they soon discovered that making log furniture
correctly was harder than they first thought.
When shopping for rustic log furniture the first thing you have to
decide is the species of wood you want. There are dozens of species of
wood, but only a few are good enough to endure and stand up to the
outside elements. For outdoor use, there is hickory, cypress, aromatic
cedar, eastern white cedar, Northern white cedar etc, pine is not
recommended for outdoor use. Hickory is a great wood, its extremely
tough, yet flexible. However, most of the furniture crafted from it has
small diameters of logs. Cypress has a very tight grain making it almost
invisible. Pine is not a very durable wood when left outdoors therefore
would not make very good outdoor furniture. Aromatic cedar is a
beautiful wood, which will turn a dark gray when left untreated in the
weather. Aromatic cedar is also known as red cedar and is naturally
resistant to rot even when it comes in contract with dirt. Eastern white
cedar is a very knotty wood and weathers to a silver gray color when
left out in the elements as does northern white cedar. Northern white
cedar, however can withstand the elements with some furniture lasting as
long as 50 years outside with proper maintenance and care, usually
however, most northern white cedar furniture only last for 20 years due
to a lack of maintenance. White cedar when freshly milled does not have
a lot of sappy, making it easy to stain or varnish, unlike pine that can
have the sap oozing from it for years.
After you have selected the type of wood, your next step is to locate a
reputable manufacturer/ retailer who sells the log furniture you want
crafted from the type of wood you desire. In addition, keep in mind that
if the retailer is only the middleman then there is a chance that you
may not receive the type of service you would receive from the actual
manufacturer. Be very weary of individuals who are not a manufacturer
but only a website owner, for this person may not be aware of the
manufacturer’s inventory or if the manufacturer is backlogged. Don’t be
taken in by factory direct, sales pitches either. When you deal directly
with the individual who actually crafts the furniture, you can tell him
directly what you want and he can inform you precisely when your order
will be completed.
Your next step is to examine the construction of the log furniture. Some
manufactures of log furniture sand the logs smooth, while others, use
skipped peeled logs, and still others leave the bark on the logs. As for
which is better, it depends on your likes and dislikes. However, in my
personally when you completely sand the logs it takes away some of the
rustic feel, whereas the skipped peel does give it a nice look. When the
bark is completely left on, it has to have some kind of finish in order
to ensure that the bark stays on the furniture. Furniture that is
crafted from logs that have been completely peeled has a smooth finish
that doesn’t have splinters. This furniture can also be easily treated
and stained and it also has a true rustic look and feel about it.
In addition to the finish, you also have to pay attention as to how the
log furniture is connected together. Some log furniture is only butted
together and nailed. This construction is not very durable. Better
quality log furniture use mortise and tenon connection, which is
extremely durable. However even with this type of construction, there
are things to watch out for including the size of the dowels. Usually
when a manufacture uses small diameter dowel they also use smaller logs
as well. When ordering your furniture ask the manufacturer the diameter
size. It is recommended that the dowel size is at least 1.25", since
this is the weakest point of the furniture. The diameter of the logs
should not be less than 3".
The hardware used on log furniture should be able to withstand the
elements so that it does not bleed or rust when exposed to the weather.
Therefore, all the hardware should be zinc coated. Many manufacturers
and garage builders cut corners, which cheapen the quality of the
furniture they produced. In addition, you want the hardware screwed into
the furniture instead of nailed. Screws are better for they will not
back out, however nails that are hot dipped in glue are just as good as
screws. When you take the time to question the construction of the
furniture you will guarantee that you will be purchasing a better
quality of log furniture.
Finally, you have to take a very close look at the company you plan to
do business. When building rustic furniture, it requires design work,
custom fitting, and alternately skill and craftsmanship. It is this
devotion to the craft that ensures quality furniture. Small furniture
companies, which have been in business for a minimal of 10 years usually
have a sense of pride in every piece of hand fitted, hand crafted
furniture will offer you quality rustic furniture, which will last you
for years to come.
|
