“Does my Adirondack chair need to be finished with anything?” We get this question all the time, which is why I thought to give you some helpful tips to help your outdoor garden chairs keep their beautiful appearance as long as they can.
Siberian Larch, which is what our sturdy Adirondack chairs , footrests, and coffee tables are made out of, is the hardest of the commercial softwoods. Its slow growth and high density makes it extra durable against knocks scrapes and scratches. It also holds its own natural tannins preventing it from growing mouldy, and rotting. It is because of these characteristics that we use Siberian Larch.
However, there are some little things, which can help, keep your chairs looking nice for as long as possible.
You may find that over time small splits will appear in the wood. This is larch’s natural weathering process, but these small splits do not compromise the structural integrity of the chairs. However if the outdoor garden lounge chairs are left in full sun when they are not in use, this drying can happen too quickly, and the splits will end up being quite large. An easy practical solution would be to store them in the shade. This is only necessary for the first 12 months, as by then they should be as dry as they will get.
Obviously to keep Adirondack chairs out of the wet would also help, as they will not have to dry out again, and the splits will not continue to grow. We offer a made to measure, custom Adirondack chair cushion which will help you kill both birds with one stone.
Some customers choose to oil or stain their chairs to help keep them from splitting. This can help. We suggest using the Textrol HES oil for that, or you can also use Rustin stain. These will both help slow down the weathering process, which will help the chairs keep their natural colour. Once stained, the chairs will need re-coating periodically.
Doing these things will not eliminate the small splits. Our Adirondack chairs are made from wood, and will age as all wood does, but these tips should help them last for a long time.