Finishing Green
S UTHERLAND WELLES LTD . WAS FOUNDED ON THE IDEA that wood finish should be beautiful , durable and environmentally sustainable . In 1965 , master finisher Frank Sutherland Welles founded the company with this ethos and has since been handcrafting pure polymerized tung oil wood finishes . Tung oil , derived from the nuts of tung trees , has been used for centuries in China to protect and finish wood . Tung oil penetrates the grain of wood , enhances the appearance and provides a protective , flexible , water-resistant finish . It will not yellow , darken , mold or mildew like linseed oil , or crack and peel like polyurethane , and surpasses both shellac and linseed oil in hardness , durability and water resistance .
Sutherland Welles uses the highest quality , cold-pressed , sustainably grown tung oil . It is polymerized to make it cure harder , faster and glossier than raw tung oil . This reduces the need for toxic chemical dryers and additives . Sutherland Welles ’ finishes are easy to use , repair and recoat . Once applied , you never have to sand to bare wood again — just scuff and re-coat .
Sutherland Welles offers a variety of finishes for any project : floors , countertops , furniture , doors and interior and exterior applications , and is an environmentally sustainable choice for your home or business .
In 2022 , Sutherland Welles relocated from Vermont to Rhode Island and is proud to be part of the Rhode Island business community . First-time customers can save 10 percent with the code HELLORI23 , valid all year to suit your refinishing needs . ◆
SUTHERLAND WELLES LTD ., 8 Robin St ., Providence , 401-443-1884 , sutherlandwelles . com
8 Robin St , Providence , RI 0290 401-443-1884 sutherlandwelles . com
Sutherland Welles Ltd . was founded on the idea that wood finish should be beautiful , durable , and environmentally sustainable .
I ’ m not joking when I say - someone needs to give you guys the Nobel peace prize for this finish — it is absolutely exquisite , and easy to accomplish . And I discovered your product , just in the nick of time — for the project , where it was most needed- my first entry door . I have been obsessive about using oil in place of polyurethane , but up until now I ’ ve been accepting of the typical low luster finish of oil ; however , this is the first time where I really wanted a high luster -and now I have it — and I think because I put the high luster interior finish below the medium luster exterior finish — the exterior finish has a pretty high luster ! — Stephen Lavalle Long Island , New York
“ Once I found out about Sutherland Welles and their amazing products , it changed my business . As an experienced furniture refinisher and woodworker , it is by far my favorite product I work with , and it is so easy to use . The finish and the grain definition created by their products is unmatched and allows me to do antique wood restoration on another level .” — Austin McCrory Radical Restoration TX San Antonio , TX
“ Always a pleasure doing business with you . We began using Sutherland Welles finishes nearly 50 years ago . We found out your products were used to make the beautiful finishes on the cherry bedroom set our friends bought from Sampler Cherry Furniture in Homer Indiana . They are still using that gorgeous furniture . We have a number of pieces of furniture in our house as well as summer cottage which we refinished with your products . Although we couldn ’ t afford a new cherrywood bedroom set at the time we did refinish my grandparent ’ s bedroom set with your Tung oil . The set we use to this day . Still looking beautiful .” — Gordon Burkhart-Schultz North Carolina
52 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY ’ S NEST | 2023