All of our products are made from authentic whiskey barrels. Due to the nature of wooden barrels, you can expect to have periodic maintenance. Barrels are made to hold liquid and typically the staves (wooden pieces that make up the barrel) are still somewhat saturated with whatever liquid they held before emptying. Because of this, the staves will dry and during that drying process they will shrink. The finish that we apply to the barrels is designed to not only look good but to also slow the drying process somewhat. However, there is no way to prevent it completely, but you can reverse this shrinking and maintain the original look of your product by placing the barrel outdoors and filling it with water. This will rehydrate the staves and typically will bring the barrel back to its original look. Barrels that are kept indoors and especially those that have been opened in order to make a product will dry out the fastest. Barrels that are kept intact and/or barrels that are used outdoors will experience the least amount of this shrinking process.
Unless otherwise noted, all of our finished barrel products are coated with marine grade spar varnish. We have found this product to be the best at retaining its original finish. However, weather and in particular, direct sun exposure will cause this finish to eventually begin to break down. When this happens, you can clean your barrel and recoat directly over the original finish. We do not warranty against the natural tendencies of wood and wooden barrels.