Choosing the Right Finish for Redwood Furniture
Custom finishing services are available! All the slabs listed on our site are raw and unfinished since many of our clients prefer to finish these pieces themselves. However, we also offer several different options for those looking to buy finished redwood furniture, including burl tables, mantels, headboards, and more. Due to state regulations, there are some limitations on the types of finish we can use in our shop.
Choosing the right finish for redwood furniture can sometimes be a challenge. In our shop, we use tung oil, Danish oil, conversion varnish, and Stone Coat epoxy. These are all excellent options for burl wood furniture and offer an array of different sheens and degrees of durability. The best finish for your custom project will depend on your preferences for appearance, durability, and ease of maintenance. In this blog post, we’ll explain the options we offer in a little more detail to help you choose the right finish for your custom redwood furniture.
Tung oil
Tung oil provides a smooth, matte finish that brings out the piece’s color and character. Meanwhile, keeping the look to a more natural feel. While it is not as durable as other finishes, it is the easiest to maintain and preserve your redwood furniture. Additionally, this wipe-on finish allows for an easy re-application when necessary. By far, it is the most convenient and sustainable finish for redwood. Tung oil finishing is a great choice for burl coffee tables, mantels and shelves, table bases, and more… It is an especially good choice to bring attention to details and figure grain, like curly burl grain patterns. The burl wood headboard shown above was finished in tung oil. Visibly, the matte tung oil finish does wonders for intricate pieces, giving a subtle and natural look to your wood.
Conversion Varnish
Different from tung oil finishing, conversion varnish gives burl wood furniture a bit more gloss, as well as a more durable surface. Burlwood slabs finished with conversion varnish show the beauty of the wood through a thicker, glossier layer of finish. This commercial-grade finish is often preferred for desks, dining tables, countertops, or other pieces that see a little more regular wear and tear. Most frequently, you can find this type of seal on industrial style redwood, like bar tops and restaurant tables. If properly cared for, the finish will remain in its glossy condition for many years. The restaurant tabletop shown below is a great example of the shine and durability conversion varnish adds to a piece.
Danish Oil
Danish Oil is our recommended finish for redwood mantels and shelves. While we can finish our fireplace mantels using any of the options listed above, most of our clients prefer Danish oil. This finish consists of a mix of tung oil and varnish, which gives our mantels a light satin sheen that draws attention to the natural color and character of the wood. Like tung oil, it is easy to maintain and reapply when needed. The two mantels shown below are great examples of how Danish oil highlights both rustic live edge mantels and more modern, square-cut pieces.
Have More Questions on Finish for Redwood?
Since every project we finish is one of a kind and completely custom, pricing and timing will vary. If you’re interested in a finished piece of burl wood furniture, contact us with the dimensions or item number you’re looking at, your preferred finish, and any other information you can provide about your project. We’ll be happy to provide a quote and work with you to create the perfect finished piece.