Wood Characteristics, Paint and Stain Choices

As a company that has created literally thousands of pieces for hundreds of clients, we continue to enjoy being one of the leading choices for furniture and decor, and to better assist our customers, we have created this document that answers frequently asked questions. Please note that as a shop with a diverse inventory that includes rustic farmhouse style furniture as well as luxury modern styles we always take style into account while selecting materials for our builds and the attached article is meant to provide a brief over view. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns that have not been addressed in this article. Although currently we almost exclusively our unique creations that we sell, we still do a few custom orders here and there. For a PDF version of this document, please click on the image above.

Thank you for choosing JJ Benson Inc. for your custom furniture piece. We are excited to provide you with quality custom furniture. As a valued customer, there are a few items concerning the natural characteristics of wood and wood grain that may affect the appearance of the final product. We would like you to know what these characteristics are to ensure you are fully satisfied with your custom piece:

Natural Hardwood/Softwood Characteristics

Wood is a product of nature which sometimes causes variations in the color and wood grain, and affect the look or application of stains and paints. The following are natural wood characteristics sometimes found in manufactured wood used in fabricating the custom furniture piece:

Knots – are caused by the base of a branch or limb that was broken or cut off from the tree and appear as a dark circular hard ring.

Splits - are a rupture or separation in the wood grain and can be caused by a variety of factors including bacteria, tree wounds, tree age and environmental conditions.

Dark streaks or stains – are natural to wood and may appear as light brown, dark brown or black areas on the wood. These are not considered defects or considered as a reason to return the item.

Insect holes – are caused by a variety of insects leaving small holes and tunnels in the wood

Decay – are found due mainly from fungal infections that destroy the composition of the wood leaving hollowed areas or a powdery look to certain areas on the wood.

I will try my best to avoid utilizing wood that contains certain characteristics (ie: splits and decay) that will cause issues with the piece structurally. There are some species of wood where characteristics, such as; knots, insect holes or dark streaks and stains are very common and are unavoidable. These characteristics should be considered as enhancements to the uniqueness and beauty of the custom piece. Customers should be aware that choice of wood greatly impacts the characteristics that may be present; therefore, these will not be considered as defects or a reason to return the product.

Expansion and Contraction of Hardwood/Softwood

Wood will expand and contract due to changes in temperature and humidity. Your custom piece will be made to allow for the expansion of the wood. Customers may notice small amounts of space left in certain areas of the custom piece and at the joints. This is not a defect; it is there to allow for the expansion of the wood and avoid cracks and split. This does not affect the structural integrity of the furniture. Prolonged exposure to water or heavy moisture may cause damage so please ensure to wipe off excess moisture from your piece as soon as possible.

Paint and Stain Finishes

Upon request, up to four different 2” x 3” samples of wood stains and paint finishes are provided to the customer. However, the unique qualities and natural characteristics of the wood used in your piece may create variations in the look and finish of the final product. This is to be expected as the natural qualities of wood absorb paint and stain finishes differently. Other reasons stains or paint may appear different are: humidity, wood is too rough or smooth sometimes as a result of sanding to remove flaws in the wood, the type of stain/paint used, moisture content of the wood, how the wood was cut, the chemical make-up of the stain, or poor size of the wood. Some species of wood have unique grain characteristics that may cause the final finish on the product to appear darker in some areas. The type of wood used may also affect the tint of the stains. I am unable to guarantee an exact match to samples provided but will do my best to make the final finish as close as possible.

Finishes are susceptible to discoloration due to airborne particles such as cooking, grilling, smoke, fireplaces, candles, grease, etc…Prolonged exposure to natural or artificial light and/or moisture may also cause discoloration; as well as, the age of the wood.

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