Saturday, December 20, 2008

How To Preserve Your TIki? Wet Weather Vs. Dry Weather

Now that you own a Tiki, you may wonder how can I preserve it for many years to come? They are a few different factors to take into consideration: for instance are you in a dry weather type, hunid ot wet?
Also, what type of wood is your Tiki, the wood in fact has different properties like metal, plastic and many other materials. After nearly 10 years in dealing with Tiki products TIkimaster.com has come up with great solutions to not only maintain but preserve your "Tiki" investment.
Pine Wood: Pine is a light weight wood that has a tendency to reat very quickly to the element from expanding when it's humid to cracking when it's hot and dry. Remember, a crack is not a defect! It is the normal course that the wood takes when exposed to different elements. It is best to apply wax to any type of pine carvings which will one nourish the wood, two will repel the water when wet. If the weather is dry, inevitably you will see some some cracks which can be filled with some wood filler.
Palm Wood: Palm has the caracteristic to keep the water in that's why when you purchased your palm Tiki the weight felt really heavy...well it is a good thing. The drier it will get, the weaker it will be! The best analogy is your skin/body, if you don't drink then you become de-hydrated to the point where your skin would literally wrinkle at a certain extent. Same with palm, we recommend to water your totem from the top. But make sure that your totem is sitting on a concrete base otherwise your Tiki will rot from the bottom if it touches the ground not to mention that depending on your location, termites and other insects will get to it.
Monkey Pod Wood: Monkey Pod (Acacia Koa) is the ultimate wood for indoor and outdoor use. The wood is dense which allows the maximum details when carved. To maintain your Acacia Koa Tiki, simply apply some Thompson water sealant for complete water protection or some tung oil for a more polish oil looking finish.