eucalyptus myrtacaea (diversicolour)

-available on traditional range chairs and benches . (except for scandinavian chairs and trestle benches)

the eucalyptus, commonly referred to as ‘gum trees’, have long been associated with South African and Australian landscapes. indigenous to Western Australia and Tasmania, the eucalyptus family has hundreds of species. a few of them were successfully forested in South Africa and used extensively as sleepers for the first railway lines in the country and as tunnel props in the mines. karri is grown and milled in Knysna and is regarded as an alien timber.

karri is a hard dense, stringy timber, varying from light pinkish brown to dark brown in colour – hence its name. it quite rapidly assumes an attractive silver-grey colour and characteristic fine cracks when left untreated and exposed to the elements – approx. 6-12 months.

 if our maintenance procedure is followed  karri will give a lifespan of 12 – 14 years. (see below.)

manilkara bidentata

available on all products– traditional and 3

we have recently introduced a tropical hardwood sustainably forested in South America, massaranduba. also known as bulletwood, masssaranduba is offered as more cost effective timber than jarrah for all products. jarrah and mavsaranduba are a very similar colour new and aged.

it is an extremely robust, rot resistant, wood commonly used in exterior timber construction. resistant to fungi, dry wood borers and termites.
as a dense and hard species it is durable with a surface texture that finishes well to a deep rich colour.
the wood resists colour change but will eventually fade to grey. (12-18 months)
a notable difference with this timber is that is is extremely clear with no signs of resin pocket

-‘natural’ in our vocabulary is – ‘as from nature’… not oiled, not varnished … not sealed in any way
-all product images on the website are of new natural timber. see image below for new and weather timber example.
-timber surfaces have only been scrubbed with PRONATURE PLANT SOAP– a hand friendly saponified formula of linseed oil and potassium.
-the natural colour of new wood will gradually mellow to an attractive silver-grey ONLY if  exposed to the weather.
-characteristic hairline cracks will develop on the surface and especially on the end grain as the timber ages.
-tables planks are attached directly to the metal frame, with a 3mm gap between planks. in moist climates this gap will disappear as the planks swell and can increase in size up to 7/10mm in very dry conditions.
-marginal cupping (over the width of each plank) of the planks can be anticipated.
-exposure to moisture will initially cause the timber to roughen – this can easily be removed with the scotch brite pads.
-sand firmly in the direction of the grain

-wet the wood and scrub with scotch brite pads in the direction of the grain of wood.
-wash off the dirt and loose wood pulp residue.
mix PRONATURE PLANT SOAP 1:5 water.(200ml plant soap to 1 L water).
-apply to the surface and scrub in direction of the grain, with the scourer.
-in areas with severe marks: agitate across the grain, then with the grain.
-rinse off and allow to dry.
-lightly scour timber with a DRY scotch brite scourer to remove any cleaning marks

frequency: seasonally – 4 x a year. minimum -1x a year

commercial situations i.e. restaurants etc.

-mix PRONATURE PLANT SOAP 1:2 with water. (500ml plant soap to 1 L water).
-wipe surfaces with a cloth and dilute solution between sittings.

this will create a slight barrier on the surface which will help prevent penetration of spilt food and drinks.

–best for covered areas, not full sun

-OILED TIMBER WILL NOT WEATHER TO A GREY COLOUR AND WILL REQUIRE REGULAR RE-OILING
-this is an not a standard finishes. please enquire or fill in the request a quote form.

wooden components are oiled with PRONATURE OUTDOOR OIL.
-this penetrates the substrate and leaves a thin protective waxy layer on the surface.
-it is a natural plant oil based preservative and will break down with exposure to the elements.
-the level of exposure to the elements and the variable climate that the furniture is in will determine the frequency that re-oiling is required.
-it is best to re-oil when the timber appears dry or dull.

-scour the timber surfaces with scotch brite pads or 120 grit sand paper indirection of wood grain
-wipe clean and apply PRONATURE OUTDOOR OIL with a soft cloth or brush.

note: remove any excess oil with a dry cloth after approx.10 min… (timber will absorb only what it can) then rub dry. failure to do this will result in a horrible sticky mess and you will need to dilute it with plant turpentine to remove.
-apply a second coat if timber looks dry.

frequency: oiling 4 x a year (seasonally)

SEE ABOVE FOR COLOURS

-first primed with an oil rich primer and then hand-painted with two coats of oil based enamel.
-paintbrush strokes are subtly evident.
-products are hand-painted with enamel paints that are easily obtained from hardware stores.
-the high oil content of the paint provides flexibility to accommodate the natural expansion and contraction of timber exposed to outdoor conditions.
-paint deterioration on the end grain is unpredictable and will require attention when it occurs.
-paint will cloud with time as a result of exposure to the uv.

when paint deterioration is apparent

-scour the damaged paint areas with scotch brite scourers or 120 grit sandpaper
-then wipe clean of any dust residue.
-apply oil based wood primer to the areas of exposed wood and allow to dry.
-apply 1 coat (2 if needed for lighter colours) of plascon velvaglo paint by brush.
-allow 12 hours between coats and final drying time.

NOTE oil based enamel paint only reaches maximum hardness after 7 days.

frequency: seasonally -1x a year