Spirit
Wind Woodworks
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions We Have Received
About Our Furniture.
What do I do if my furniture arrives damaged?
Contact us immediately by phone or email; explain damage and we will handle immediately to your satisfaction
Introduction to Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar is a fantastic choice for outdoor furniture building because of its combination of unique properties. It is dimensionally stable meaning that it lays flat and stays straight. Even grain and consistent density make it less likely to warp, cup, or twist. It’s fragrant, dark-colored heartwood naturally resists rot and insect infestation in outdoor environments without the need for preservative chemicals. Western Red Cedar is more rot resistant than the Eastern varieties. It also comes from a significantly larger tree so it can yield a larger variety of dimensional lumber. It has a rich warm aesthetic quality offering a range of natural hues, tight grain patterns, and soft texture. Fresh cut Cedar will come in a wide range of honey/peach shades of light brown. When exposed to weather it will change in color to silver gray. The areas most exposed to the Sun’s rays may exhibit some weather checking; however this does not compromise the wood’s strength. Cedar’s softness makes it very easy to work with and readily accepts protective sealers or stains although its sawdust can be irritating to the skin and lungs. Its natural thermal properties allow it to stay cool to the touch in summer heat; staining or painting may alter this feature.
Western Red Cedar is similar to Redwood in many of its properties because both are from the same genus. Western Red Cedar however has more flexural toughness than Redwood meaning that it can flex more without shattering and is also less dense and has less natural oil that makes it easier to accept stain. Western Red Cedar has 85% of the strength of Oak. Western Red Cedar forests are also more abundant and present somewhat less of an environmental issue for commercial logging and managed responsibly.
Cedar Trees have a long history in the forestry industry and have been studied by scientists for over a century. The trees grow principally in the Pacific Northwest Forests; many reach heights of up to 200 feet tall.
Western Red Cedar holds both nails and screws well. Nails are faster and cheaper to install but may produce squeaking as the wood shrinks. Screws are a more labor intensive alternative to nailing, and may result in small cracks to form around the screw head. Stainless Steel fasteners and Exterior Construction Adhesives are suggested for best long lasting results.
If you should choose to stain your furniture you must select a product that is compatible with Western Red Cedar, check with stain or sealer manufacturer for recommendations and follow directions. If you decide to paint your furniture you MUST first prime the wood to stop any bleed thru that will affect the top coat (we suggest KILZS Premium Wood Primer). Any stain, sealer, or paint applied will most likely need to be lightly sanded and recoated annually to keep appearances.
What will happen if I don’t put any finish on my chair?
Over time your chair will change to a silver/gray color.
How can I find out about your new products?
By checking this website from time to time, go to the PRODUCT section as we continualy add new products. We update our website on a regular basis.
What if I want to learn about making/distributing this type of furniture?
You can make an appo intment to visit our production facility at Hwy 52 in Stover, MO. We will be very happy to show you how we build the furniture. We are also continualy looking for dealers to sell SpiritWind Furniture in Mid Missouri.
Building SperitWind Outdoor Furniture
SpiritWind Outdoor Furniture is constructed with the finest quality materials for exterior applications, and years of satisfactory service. We build furniture to last for years and become a part of the family’s treasured possessions.
The Wood: SpiritWind uses only Western Red Cedar shipped directly to our production facility from a saw mill in the Pacific Northwest. The wood is graded for use in furniture construction, for tightness of knots and clarity of grain. All the components for the furniture are cut out in our production facility in Barnett, Missouri. SpiritWind does not use any wood parts that have been mass-produced in a distant factory or KIT CHAIRS. Each piece of furniture is an Individual Hand Crafted Piece. You may notice no two pieces are identical; they are close but not exact clones of one another. The added benefit to you is that we can CUSTOMIZE and piece as to your needs and or preferences.
Fasteners: We use only Stainless Steel screws, bolts and miscellaneous hardware.
Adhesives: We use only exterior grade construction adhesive.
Sealer: When requested at your discretion and at optional charge we use a product (Ready Seal) manufactured in Texas compatible with Western Red Cedar and contains NO hazardous chemicals.
Primer: If you plan on painting a color on the furniture, we will at your discretion for an optional charge use a Paint Primer (KILZ PREMIUM) to prevent the Natural Oils in the wood from bleeding thru and affecting the top color coat.
Painting: SpiritWind will at an additional charge apply a top coat of color to your selected piece. We will require the primer coat applied and we also require the brand of paint you choose and the paint color code to ensure satisfactory results. (Contact SpiritWind Dealer for price quote)
Availability: SpiritWind made a company decision to only market our furniture thru selected Dealers. From years of experience in Customer Service, we at SpiritWind believe we can best serve our Valued Customers by only offering sales thru a Local Quality Dealer Network to continue to serve You the Customer for your future needs.
Cleaning dark mold spots off furniture
With the high hunidity in Missouri it is quite common for some dark mold spots to develope on Outdoor Furniture. On SpiritWind unfinished Cedar Furniture you simply mix one part household bleach with three parts water and teaspoon of dishwashing liquid then lightly spray with a hand held spray bottle, let mixture set on surface for a few moments then rinse with fresh water lightly rubbing with a soft cloth or sponge. DO NOT EVER PRESSURE WASH CEDAR or use a scrubbing sponge as this will cause the grain to raise and sanding will be required to return the surfce to its smooth origional condition.
What grit sandpaper do I use if needed
Depending on the job, if you just want to refresh the furniture for resurfacing we recomend 150 grit. If you are trying to remove (blend in) a deep scratch or gouge, you could start with 60 or 80 grit then work your way up to 150 grit for the new quility finish.
Does the furniture get hot in the summer heat
The unstained furniture surface tempature will remain at or just slightly below ambient air temp. Sealed furniture will at 95 degrees be about 10 degrees warmer. Still far below the plastic of metalic furniture st the same air tempature.
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