“Find out how to care for whiskey barrel furniture from the pros.”

So I am guessing you own some of our items and now you are looking to find How To Care For Whiskey Barrel Furniture. Don’t worry it’s very simple. You should’t have too much to worry about unless your furniture is covered with varnish. Thats when the grunt work will come into play which might leave you just blowing off proper maintenance. In this blog I will go over the simple procedures and the difficult ones, hoping it will help your Whiskey Barrel Furniture last for many more years to come.

Lets start with you chair, table or stool is graying and drying out. The first thing you’d want to do is check through and make sure none of the major joints have become separated and the furniture is still structurally sound. I probably don’t have to tell you but if something is broken please replace before doing anything else. Once we are all good with the furniture frame we move onto a light sanding. Using a 150 grit sandpaper you’ll want go through all gray areas to bring back that nice oak’s colors and patina from the barrel. Most likely its going to be the flat surfaces that take the most sun damage. (Arms, seats, backrest) Always sand with the grain of the wood and wear some protective gloves from splinters. Keep in mind there is a general rule of thumb on where to place these furniture even when kept out doors. I will go over this important subject as well.

Once you have the chair looking the way you like its time to apply the oil finish. NO VARNISH! The oak needs to be moistened to keep from drying out and cracking. A varnish finish will just protect the surface from UV rays and the wood will still become brittle and weak. IF you still want to stand by a varnish finish by all means go ahead just make sure you cover the entire chair. I mean EVERY nook and crevice. The material must be sealed of completely for it to last. But again keep in mind that no matter what, throughout time the moisture will escape one way or another and with a layer covering the piece there is no way to refinish unless you are ok with stripping it all off.

The oil I prefer and stand by is called Penofin. They make a wonderful outdoor hardwood finish which is made from Brazilian Rosewood Oil. Provides excellent protection from weathering. Teak Oil is another good alternative along with Tung Oil or you might be able make your own secrete concoction if you know one. When applying the oil the furniture must be out of the sun. I’d say do it at nighttime right after the sun has set and then the piece can dry overnight. Apply heavily throughout and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Then with a dry rag wipe away all excess thats built up. You must wipe that away otherwise it can dry on the surface creating a top coat. Trust me, you don’t want that. It will leave blotchy shinny areas you will have to sand away.

I recommend repeating these steps seasonally but it’s really up to where you keep the furniture. Which brings me to this very important part of the blog. Where to keep you furniture. I understand you want to keep them outdoor but at least I must insist you keep them in a covered structure. The #1 enemy here is the sun. The sun will do far more damage than rain or anything else. When kept in a cover patio the refinishing most likely can be cut down, but I still recommend always doing it just to ensure the products life. Any furniture kept indoors will have virtually no problems. Unless kept by a big bay window of course. For indoor finishes use mineral oils and beeswax once or twice a year. Simple formulas available at local hardware stores.

Well I hope I didn’t leave anything out, if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Thanks for stopping by and have great day.

-Balazs Moldovan

how to care for whiskey barrel furniture