Caring for your Furniture

Setting up your collection is not difficult at all. But there are some things to consider:

• Find a smooth and level surface for your furniture where all four legs are flat against the bottom to prevent a twisting effect on the frame which could stress the fasteners and work them loose.
• If you choose to place your pieces in direct contact with soil it would help to seal the bottom of each leg to prevent absorption into the capillaries of the wood. 

Under normal use, your piece should hold up just fine. Here are some suggestions:

• When you move them, it is best NOT to drag them across the ground or pavement.  
• Have someone help you pick them up to prevent damage to the bottom of the legs.

Southern Cypress has great information on caring and restoring your cypress.   I highly recommend you to visit this site to get professional advice on finishing and restoring your furniture or other outdoor cypress goods.

Southern Cypress FAQ's

Cypress wood (TAXODIUM) is excellent for outdoor use because of its durability, beauty and stability.  Mature Cypress contains its own oil called cypressene a natural preservative making it resistant to insects, chemicals and rot.  Cypress is stable and usually doesn't split or crack easily.  For this reason, it is used in many outdoor applications such as siding, dock piling and some utility poles and much more.  Cypress also has a golden hue making it a top choice for some builders to use on cabinets and furniture.  My furniture is built using southern cypress with a moisture content near 17% or less.  The wood is harvested from strict managed forests in the southeastern U.S.  NOTE: Jimmy's Cypress offers great detailed information on cypress.  Visit his FAQ page here. 

Cypress is friendly to the environment because it requires only saw mill work  and in some cases, a kiln to cure it.  Unlike pressure treated lumber, no dangerous chemicals are used for preservation.    It is also recyclable and biodegradable.  

Most of the pieces I deliver were built within few days or weeks of delivery and have a low moisture content near 17% or less. Therefore, you could dust them off and apply stain or if you want to really prep them, use a wood preparation cleaner recommended by the stain manufacturer you purchase & follow directions.   If your piece has started to blemish (gray or darken) you can still clean the wood and apply stain.  The pieces in my yard had some dark spots that developed in the wood but the stain covered them enough to make them look just fine. 

You may also wish to check out the Southern Cypress Web Site for finishing tips - Their site is loaded with information on Cypress.