Last summer Steve and I mentioned wanting a fire pit for the backyard and my dad and bonus mom must have been listening. They gifted us this fire pit for Christmas. So come springtime, I was itching to find some outdoor chairs to go along with it.
I found these folding patio chairs in unfinished pine and decided a pair of them would be perfect for a portable fire pit area. (We actually looked into having a stationary fire pit incorporated into a patio design off the back of the house a few years ago but all the landscapers we talked with cautioned against it. They said the majority of the time permanent fire pits end up being wasted space – at least in our area. They recommended a portable fire pit instead. One that could be moved and / or removed as desired.) An oiled version of the chair is available for an additional $60 per chair but I figured I could save $120 by oiling the chairs myself.
This is a constant mental battle I have: Do I spend the extra money to save time? Or do I spend the extra time to save money? With three kids running circles ’round me, these days – more than ever – I’m inclined to spend the extra money and save time. But in this instance, I decided it was worth it to oil the chairs myself. I mean, I would have to re-oil those oiled chairs at some point anyway so I might as well get familiar with the process, right?
After reading up on oil finishes, I went with this 100% tung oil ($12). There’s a lot of conflicting information out there concerning tung oil vs. teak oil but I discovered that “teak oil” is really tung oil. Plus, pure tung oil (like the one I used) is non-toxic and that’s always a good thing in my book. I also like the fact that dilution isn’t required and it produces a natural, non-glossy finish.
I grabbed one of Steve’s old undershirts out of the Goodwill pile and used it to wipe on two coats of tung oil, lightly sanding between coats. To get in between the slats, I poured some oil onto the shirt then used it like floss. It was tedious but it didn’t take very long. I was liberal with the first coat and less liberal with the second.
That’s a side-by-side comparison of one chair unfinished vs. one chair with one coat of oil. It’s difficult to tell from these pictures because they were taken outdoors where the natural light brightens everything but…the tung oil really brought out the wood grain and gave the pine a warm, golden glow which I like. The oiled wood looks richer.
Here are the chairs finished with two coats of tung oil. Compared to the first image in this post, they are much warmer in color. But they aren’t shiny at all. I did not want a glossy finish. Immediately after oiling the chairs, they were a little greasy to the touch but after 24 hours the oil had soaked in and the chairs just feel smooth now.
I set the fire pit and chairs up in an unused corner of our backyard. (The fire pit was almost too easy to put together, requiring NO TOOLS. Yay for assembly that can be completed in five minutes with the “help” of a toddler.)
We’ve yet to light a fire but the pit is sturdy and I like that it came with a screen, cover and lift tool. And, yes, I am the person who uses a blanket next to a fire. During summer. Steve makes fun of me for being cold in the summer. What can I say? I chill easily.
The chairs are surprisingly comfortable and sturdy. I think the slats are close enough together that you don’t feel them individually. I love the low-slung profile and the natural wood.
Since pine isn’t the best outdoor material (teak would have been my preference but beyond our budget), I plan on bringing them up to the house when it’s raining. They fold up easily so I can carry them and lean them against the house under an eave. In the winter, I’ll be able to stash them in the attic or the garage. I love that they don’t take up a ton of space when folded. I plan to re-oil them every spring. I didn’t use that much of the tung oil so the $12 bottle should last a while.
All in all, it was totally worth the $12 and time (maybe an hour total?) it took to oil the chairs myself. The only thing left to do is pick up some graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. Mmmm…
This past weekend we also got around to planting the side and back beds, pressure washing the house, patios & deck, setting up the rest of the outdoor furniture and brainstorming ideas to disguise our ugly electric meter. Things are looking and feeling so good outside (notice the grass?!) that I’ve almost forgotten about our brutal winter. Almost.
images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
budget decor, DIY