Archive for the ‘How To’ Category

The Fountain of Youth for Outdoor Log Furniture

Friday, March 11th, 2011
Outdoor Log Furniture

Lakeland Mills Cedar Log Tete-A-Tete, Model # CF1119

Last year I acquired a Contoured Comfort Log Chair from JHE’s Log Furniture Place. I have been very pleased with it; from the moment it arrived at my door, it has been an easy-care chair. I unpacked it and found it fairly easy to assemble. Proud of my fully constructed chair, I set it in an honored position on our covered front porch. It had the corner all to itself, receiving a fair amount of afternoon sunshine, and I arranged some potted plants and a footstool around it.

This chair arrived without any finish on it, and I chose to leave it in its natural state. This year I want to add a mate for it. The only problem is my one-year-old chair, even though it has been somewhat sheltered under a roof and close to our house, has started the natural graying that is part of the cedar wood’s aging process. A bright shiny new chair would not look the same as my original one, given the difference in Mother Nature’s weathering effects.

However, I have discovered the fountain of youth for outdoor log furniture that has not had a finish applied to it. Make a solution of baking soda and water and soak the weathered chair down with it. Let that solution soak in for a few minutes, then use a power sprayer to wash the weathering right off the chair. Be careful not to take too much of the outer covering of the wood off, just enough to get rid of the gray. (If only it were that easy with human hair!)

Once the chair is dry, it should look much closer to what it appeared when it was brand new. You can choose to apply a finish or allow Mother Nature to take over and weather all of your pieces at the same rate. If you repeat this process a number of times, remember that the fountain of youth is a wonderful thing but you cannot cheat Mother Nature too many times before you compromise the integrity of the wood. In lieu of constant pressure washing, a good quality clear finish is the best way to protect your chair, swing, or bench and keep it looking brand new.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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How to Get Rid of Burn Stains from Barn Wood Furniture

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

It is always great to take care of barn wood pieces for they are considered precious possessions. They are durable so they stay tough through the years. However as time passes by, misfortunes can happen. Inevitable events can happen and may cause damage to your wood pieces. One of which is burn stain.

How do you deal with burn stains on your wood furniture? This is unsightly to see, that is why a lot of people are trying their best to find the right ways to disguise or repair the burn marks. And if you are one of those people, then you might want to know some of the effective ways on how to get rid of burn stains from your barnwood furniture.

  • The first thing you have to do is to remove the warped wood. In case that the wood has bubbled or warped above its real surface, use a sharp knife to remove them.
  • Second, you can sand your furniture. Sand the part of the furniture with the stains. Work along the grain of the wood and not against it.
  • You can also use wood filler. In case you notice a deep hole, use a wood filler to repair it. The wood filler can fill in the spaces to level with the surface of your wood furniture. Remember to follow the instructions indicated on the label of the wood filler.
  • Lastly, you can also use a furniture repair marker. There are furniture repair markers that may match the tone or shade of your furniture. Use it to disguise the burn areas and achieve an even finish.

These are just some of the ways on how you can deal with burn stains on your wood furniture. Follow these tips and bring back the beauty of your barn wood furniture. Take care of your barn wood pieces!

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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Factors in Buying Log Furniture

Saturday, March 5th, 2011

A lot of online companies nowadays offer furniture pieces, particularly log furniture. And if you are going to browse the Internet, you may be overwhelmed to find numerous choices of furniture providers.

The problem here is choosing. How do you decide among these online log furniture shops? It is important to know the factors that you should consider when choosing. You do not want to end up with regrets, don’t you? Read on further and know the tips on how to select for your log furniture from online furniture stores.

  • The size of the log furniture is important. You have to consider your space when selecting for your log furniture. Take a look in the area of the house you wish to incorporate log furniture. It is important to consider this so the log pieces you have will not compromise on the overall look of your place. If you have a spacious ceilings and your house is roomy, you can try to select large log pieces to complement your place. If you are not going to assess the overall size of your home or room, log pieces may be insignificant and will not any effect at all. Also, if your house is made of 8-inch woods, you have to consider on purchasing larger pieces of furniture because they will be better to look at than buying smaller ones.
  • The type of wood is also important to look into. There are different available choices for log furniture in the market. You have to take a look into what type of wood furniture would work best for your home. Getting a general detail of the type of wood is vital in making the right choice. You do not want to settle for anything less. Your choice of wood is as important as the size of your room or space. One best example of wood is the hickory. It is a durable and tough wood. Your kids can climb and play with it without any damage that can be incurred.
  • The quality of wood furniture should also be on top of your list. You have to think of the best quality pieces when considering buying one for your home. When you talk of quality, you can think of durability, too. Your furniture should be durable and tough to make them last for years. Another thing on quality is elegance. Since they are sold online, you can choose from their different models and designs available.

These are only some of the factors you need to think about when selecting your log pieces. The final decision is yours! For more details log in to JHE’s Furniture Place for more choices, too.

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How to Remove Water Marks from Log Furniture

Monday, February 28th, 2011

Log furniture, whether for living room, bedroom, garden or kitchen are always the excellent way to accentuate homes. They are versatile and elegant pieces that can create a certain style for your place. Isn’t it wonderful to see how your investments are working for your place? They make your space more interesting and stylish and most importantly, log furniture last for generations.

However, sometimes you would notice water stains on them. Worried that the marks will stay on your precious wood forever? Don’t be because help is here! To remove water stains on your wood, you have to follow these simple instructions:

  • Get 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and spread it evenly on paper tissue.
  • Place the tissue over the water marks on your wood furniture and press lightly.
  • Let it stay for about 15 minutes.
  • Take the tissue out and check if the marks are gone. If not, repeat the process again until the stain is gone.
  • If the stains are hard to remove, contact your local log furniture specialists for repair.

Tips and Suggestions:

  • Always heed the instructions given by the manufacturer for specific types of wood furniture.
  • Attend to the stains right away. Do not let it sit on your furniture for quite some time. This will make the stain harder to remove.
  • For older water marks or stains, leave the mayonnaise to sit on it for 24 hours.
  • Substitute mayonnaise with oil if it’s not available.
  • For stubborn stains, seek the help of an expert for refinishing concerns. Get the help of a professional knowledgeable on antique furniture.

When purchasing log furniture, it is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean and maintain them. Treat them with value. Remember, if you want your log pieces last longer, know how to take care of them.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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How to Maintain Teak Furniture

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Teak has become one of the most popular choices among people who have decided to adorn their home with log wood furniture. This is most especially evident in terms of outdoor pieces for the garden or in the patio. It can liven up the outdoor space because of its elegance and style. However, it may be hard to accept to see it with stains or impurities.

If you are having problems with your teak furniture and you want to clean it, you have to read this article. Here are the ways on how to clean your teak pieces:

  • There are people who want to see their teak wood furniture in its natural honey color while others want to maintain its silver shade. You have to decide which finish you want so that you’ll know how you can keep the natural color and gorgeousness of your pieces.
  • Treat your teak furniture with protectants..
  • The general rule in cleaning the teak furniture, as advised by manufacturers, is to brush it with a 2:1 ratio of detergent combined with bleach and water. Use a soft bristle brush to avoid unnecessary marks on it. Be sure to rinse it very well.
  • However, if your teak is already weathered and you would like to restore its natural shade, you can rely on these two products: caustic cleaners and acid. Read the application instructions carefully to avoid further damages. When done, use a sanding paper for a 100% restoration of your teak furniture.
  • If you wish to keep the original honey hue or the natural color of it, use sealant. This is to prevent mildews and molds on your teak wood furniture.

For additional tips:

  • More often than not, water sealers, varnish and oil are not good for your teak furniture. As a matter of fact, even manufacturers do not recommend them. Natural water from the wood itself takes out water. When flakes or chips occur, sanding is often recommended.
  • Stains like drinks, ketchup and oily foods can stain your wood pieces. In this case, you have to apply clear coating against these elements.
  • You also got to keep your teak wood furniture away from the pool area to keep its natural appeal.  Even though it is resistant on water and decay, it is still not recommended to locate them near the pool.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

Contoured Comfort Cedar Log Bridge, Model # CF2960

Springtime is just around the corner. That’s good news for most people. I remember growing up in the Midwest, and I was always ready for spring by the time February rolled around. Then, come March or April, the spring thaw welcomed us with warmer weather and tinges of green in the grass and trees. In rural areas, the thaw can bring with it bottomless gravel roads and water setting and running everywhere, trying to make its way to the creeks and rivers.

According to nursery rhymes and folklore, April showers bring May flowers. Just as the spring thaw is drawing to an end, the spring showers add to the onslaught of water that is making its way towards the ocean. Your yard, garden, and flower bed can be a soggy mess just as you are getting the itch to start preparing them for planting and summer’s bounty. For high problem areas, you can beat the water by adding structures that help you to step up and over the standing and running water. You might even consider encouraging the water to run in designated areas to help control watershed and dry your planting areas more quickly.

By adding a log bridge to your garden, you can walk over wet spots easily. Running water can be routed under the bridge, leaving your planting areas high and dry. To control runoff, build a creek bed under the bridge and then line it with waterproof liner and stones. This protects the soil against erosion. To avoid setting and running water altogether, plant your spring flowers in planter boxes or raised stands. Water will run right through them and leave the soil dry enough to plant. Spring water need not trouble your gardens and flowerbeds any longer.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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How To Take Care of Log Pieces

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Barnwood furniture is timeless and classic! Can you imagine how happy your wife will be if she saw some new pieces of reclaimed wood in your home?

The beauty of log furniture is unprecedented. It has captured the rustic touch of wood and the magic of modern living. It is a wonderful piece you should be living with for the rest of your life. How do you keep it this way?

It is understandable that rustic wood pieces are precious. Therefore, it should be maintained and taken care of mindfully. To do this, you have to keep its shine and sturdiness. How? Here are the ways:

  • The best way to keep its rustic appeal, you have to achieve its natural shine by wiping the entire wood furniture thoroughly. To achieve the best results, use a furniture wax. (Furniture wax can be ordered online or in furniture care shops in your neighborhood.) You can use a European wax that is readily available in a variety of shades that will suit your needs.
  • When you are done with wax application in the entire furniture, you can now start using a steel wool. However, be mindful of choosing the “not so rough” steel wool so as not to damage and ruin the finish of your furniture.
  • Keep in mind to check on the components of your wax ad it should be made with a part of beeswax in its mixture. You have to check out which color will be best suitable for your furniture. Because in this way, you can hide wood defects or discoloration with the shade that the wax have. This is basically true especially if your furniture has some scratches.
  • Remember to repeat the same process of applying wax to your wood furniture after 3-4 months. This will ensure that the wood pieces will be thoroughly clean and they will be free from damages and deterioration.
  • Do not use any aerosol spray on your furniture because it will do no good to your wood furniture. It will destroy the balance of shine and durability of your wood piece because of their chemical ingredients that are not suitable for wood. If you want to use such spray be sure not to directly spray it on your furniture. Instead spray some on a piece of rag. Then wipe the furniture with the rag as necessary but DO NOT SPRAY IT DIRECTLY.

These are just some of the tips to maintain the beauty of your rustic furniture. For extra tips:

  • Do not place the furniture under direct sunlight.
  • Do not expose it to moisture and humidity.
  • Do not stain it with any kind of material. When this happens, wipe it right away with a soft cloth which is especially handy for this purpose.
  • Wipe it regularly with a wet soft cloth.
  • Repeat the same process with a dry one to keep the wood’s natural look.
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Spring Fever

Monday, January 31st, 2011

Groovy Stuff Teak Wood Garden Trough Planter, Model # TF-539

Across most of the Western hemisphere, the dark and cold days of winter are beginning to seem longer and longer. February can feel like a month that will never end. Even the most diehard snow lovers probably tire a bit of dealing with the fluffy white stuff towards the end of winter. Days spent inside, seeking shelter from the cold temperatures and bitter wind, bring on a slight case of cabin fever. We ache to see the green buds and warm days of spring come around again.

There are ways to dispel the darkness of long winter days. Fresh flowers can add brightness to any dreary day. Buy some cut flowers at your local market (preferably a type that will last awhile), arrange them into a nice bouquet, and place them on your dining room table or kitchen island as a cheery centerpiece. Bring one of your planter boxes or plant stands inside and position some bright live greenery in it, then place the ensemble in a high traffic and light area so your fragile spring visitors can thrive and be enjoyed by all who pass by.

For those who want a bit more challenging project, create an indoor goldfish habitat. Start with a pot that contains a large, open bowl as its interior. The Groovy Stuff Teak Wood Farmers Bucket would be a great choice for this project. Next, visit your local hardware or pet store and find a liner that will fit inside your fish pot. When installing the liner, be sure there are no holes or tears in the portion where water will be held. Purchase a small pump to place in the pot. This will aerate the water for your fish. Set the pump in the bottom of the pot, then place some aquarium gravel around it so that it stays in place. Fill the pot about 2/3 full of water, turn the pump on, and make any needed adjustments to its flow or to water level. Then, shop for a nice colorful little goldfish or two and introduce them to their new home. Be sure to feed them and provide them with some water plants for hiding places. Place the pot in a corner of the house where the burbling sound will provide a Zen-like feel and you can sit in a cozy log chair to admire the fish swimming in its midst.

Any of the three projects above can help you and your family cast away the darkness of winter and bring about the excitement of spring fever. From something as simple as a cut flower bouquet to a goldfish pot cheerily burbling away in a corner of your home, the smiles you get from admirers of your effort will be all you need to brighten your winter day. At least it will be a subtle distraction until the calendar reaches April and spring fever strikes with full force.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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Blowing Things into Proportion

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Log homes have a large amount of a lot of things: character, grandeur, beauty…and open space. If you live in a log home, chances are good that it has an open floor plan and cathedral ceilings. While that open air allows a lot of natural light to filter inside and provides a breathtaking view of the major living areas of the home, it also presents some challenges for decorating.

Breaking up a space that large with furniture involves sitting back, analyzing the area, and mental imagery. Because there are a limited number of walls to physically break up the room, you must instead do it with strategically placed pieces of furniture. If you want to create a seating area around the fireplace, sofas, chairs, and coffee and end tables can be placed in a horseshoe arrangement in front of the hearth. A few feet away, to distinguish the dining area from the rest of the room, you situate a dining table with dining chairs a logical distance from the kitchen island. One key factor to keep in mind is the scale of the furniture in comparison to that of the room. In order to keep a large open room from feeling too overwhelming, use large and overstuffed furniture and heavy, sturdy dining pieces. Multiple groupings of furniture pieces also assist in breaking the room up into separate areas.

On the flip side of this coin, the rooms in which you are placing your furniture may be very small. Of course, the pieces you use must be considerably smaller than those you’d see in a large, open air room. It is also helpful if the small room pieces have multiple functions, such as a log futon that opens into a bed and a sofa table that can double as a small desk. By creating a room that can be used as an office, reading area, or spare bedroom, you create many uses in one room without adding additional furniture that can clutter your small home.

Whatever the size of the room that you are decorating, take the time to stand back and analyze the space. Get out the measuring tape and draw out the dimensions before purchasing furniture for the room. Close your eyes and imagine how the room will look once you add the furniture you selected. By slowing down and preparing for your furniture, your final result will be an area that is proportionally pleasing.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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Christmas is for Cabins

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Aren’t Christmas decorations one of the best things about the holiday? They are so beautiful and festive, lovely scented evergreen boughs with twinkling lights interspersed. Something as simple as a pine wreath with a big red bow can put me in a better mood immediately. The simplicity of such a wreath speaks warmly of the true meaning of Christmas.

Greenery makes any location look festive, but it takes on a homey holiday charm when it is hung outside of a cabin. Maybe the timber of the log home is happy to see some of the boughs it lost, or maybe when both parts of the tree are rejoined they create their own special kind of holiday magic. Whatever the reason, a cabin adorned with Christmas decorations looks and feels like the perfect holiday setting.

A great place to begin festooning the cabin is by hanging swags of pine boughs on the deck and porch railings. Well-placed bows accentuate the delicate needles of the greenery. Outdoor planter boxes can be filled with evergreen boughs and twinkling lights for a nice holiday accent around your entryway. For a romantic touch, hang a nice sprig of mistletoe from the top of the garden arbor. Don’t forget to bring the outside in by placing a vase of pine sprigs on your coffee table. Use more of those sprigs and perhaps some additional twinkling lights to create a dazzling centerpiece on your dining room table. And, perhaps of utmost importance, designate the best location in the cabin for the Christmas tree. The tree should be able to be enjoyed from every seat in the house.

This Christmas, enjoy the simplicity cabin decor in your home for the holidays. The time you spend hanging pine boughs is best enjoyed with family and friends, maybe followed by a nice mug of hot cocoa. And remember, all homes look wonderful when wrapped in greenery. But, in my honest opinion, Christmas greenery looks best when hung on cabins.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 JHE’s Log Furniture Place

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