Finishing
We price all our products unfinished, and ask additional for finishing. The way we calculate that is cost of the finish chosen, and the time to apply it. The overall cost of finishing will vary with the finish chosen, and also size of your order. For example, for a standard twin over twin bunk bed, using a wood finish only, the cost of finishing runs $30. Applying polyurethane will add an additional $40. We are working to update all of our pages with the exact cost of finishing for the bed sets pictured so you, the customer, have a little better idea as to what finishing will cost. Please contact us if you want a finish we don't have figured yet for an estimate.
Stains
For finishing with stains, we use Minwax stains unless otherwise requested. Please click on the highlighted text to view all 107 samples Minwax has to choose from. There are four different stain types to choose from.
Wood finish stains are the easiest and cheapest to apply. They are basically what they say, different shades of real wood types. Most take only one coat to get the desired shading. Without applying polyurethane over the top, the feel of the bed will not be like what you get in stores, it will be slightly rough to the touch in places, depending on the wood grain.
Polyshades are a mix of polyurethane and stain. They provide a deeper, richer color than the wood finishes do, but require more work to apply. They do take three coats to get the proper shading and need sanding and extra polyurethane to provide the store-bought smooth feel to the bed.
Gel stains come in different shades than do the first two options, and are a thicker stain designed to be used more on vertical surfaces. These take only one coat as far as I remember (I have done one bed with them) and do have the same not quite finished feel of the wood shades without polyurethane over the top.
Tint base stains are a stain that really is more like paint. They are mixed at the store like paints are, and come in mostly non natural wood colors. They do take two coats to apply, and have the same feel as wood finish stains.
Polyurethane is a clear coat finish that helps protect the finish and smooth up the feel of the wood to the touch. It tends to deepen the appearance of the wood finish stains a little, I haven't used it yet with the gel and tint base stains. It also protects the wood finish stains from fading, which they will do in rooms with quite a bit of sunlight. The fading won't be noticeable until you move the bed and look at the parts not exposed to sunlight (That was a surprise the first time I saw it). It also provides a hard shell that will protect the bed from minor dings and scratches. If the kids take a hammer to it, it won't protect from that, though.
Polyurethane comes in three different sheens. Satin is a no shine, flat finish. Semi-gloss is a middle of the road, partial shiny finish, and Gloss is a high shine finish. We use Semi-gloss as our default unless otherwise specified.
Wood finish stains are the easiest and cheapest to apply. They are basically what they say, different shades of real wood types. Most take only one coat to get the desired shading. Without applying polyurethane over the top, the feel of the bed will not be like what you get in stores, it will be slightly rough to the touch in places, depending on the wood grain.
Polyshades are a mix of polyurethane and stain. They provide a deeper, richer color than the wood finishes do, but require more work to apply. They do take three coats to get the proper shading and need sanding and extra polyurethane to provide the store-bought smooth feel to the bed.
Gel stains come in different shades than do the first two options, and are a thicker stain designed to be used more on vertical surfaces. These take only one coat as far as I remember (I have done one bed with them) and do have the same not quite finished feel of the wood shades without polyurethane over the top.
Tint base stains are a stain that really is more like paint. They are mixed at the store like paints are, and come in mostly non natural wood colors. They do take two coats to apply, and have the same feel as wood finish stains.
Polyurethane is a clear coat finish that helps protect the finish and smooth up the feel of the wood to the touch. It tends to deepen the appearance of the wood finish stains a little, I haven't used it yet with the gel and tint base stains. It also protects the wood finish stains from fading, which they will do in rooms with quite a bit of sunlight. The fading won't be noticeable until you move the bed and look at the parts not exposed to sunlight (That was a surprise the first time I saw it). It also provides a hard shell that will protect the bed from minor dings and scratches. If the kids take a hammer to it, it won't protect from that, though.
Polyurethane comes in three different sheens. Satin is a no shine, flat finish. Semi-gloss is a middle of the road, partial shiny finish, and Gloss is a high shine finish. We use Semi-gloss as our default unless otherwise specified.
Paints
For painting, we use Sherman William semi-gloss paints as a default, but you the customer have the choice, tell us what you want us to use. For different shades other than white, we do ask that you match the color then send us the information as to what you want.
For cost, we do the same as staining, cost of paint and time. For white paint, we track how much we use. For custom mixed paint, we buy the paint of your choice, and charge for the whole gallon, giving you what is left.
Please, please, please contact us with any questions that you might have. Oh, and you are more than free to get your order unfinished and finish it yourself.
For cost, we do the same as staining, cost of paint and time. For white paint, we track how much we use. For custom mixed paint, we buy the paint of your choice, and charge for the whole gallon, giving you what is left.
Please, please, please contact us with any questions that you might have. Oh, and you are more than free to get your order unfinished and finish it yourself.