Castle and Cubby products are hand built using certified sustainable materials in Australia by our team of qualified carpenters and woodworkers. With the right consideration and care your Castle and Cubby products will last a very long time.
Please review our planning, preparation, and care tips below to ensure your products have a happy and healthy life and if you have any questions or concerns about your own space please reach out!
Planning the location of your cubby is not only fun but an important step to ensure the kids will use it and that it lasts a long time. Please consider these points.
The dark back corner of your yard might feel like a good use of dead space, but it's usually not so enticing to kids. A sunny spot close to the home where they can get your attention is a winner.
If you have the choice, a sunny position in VIC will be better than a shady damp spot. But in QLD shade might be your saviour. Plan for the weather in your location for fun and longevity.
If your cubby is under 2.4m high you can go wild and put it wherever. If you add a fort top, a screaming kid and a birds eye view into your neighbours home, you might have issues.
A level ground ensures the moving doors and windows will stay in position, the cubby is properly supported and will go together easily.
The perfect surface for drainage is crushed rock (10cm deep), or just ensure the spot is not prone to excess moisture. Dry = long life.
Trim branches and bushes and do a general tidy up. Don't forget to look up and prepare area around the whole cubby.
You can expect a bright timber when your products first arrive, and left without sealing, gradually they will 'grey off' to a silvery colour. The beauty of timber products is they age gracefully, so you get to enjoy them at their Ryan Gosling AND their George Clooney. Timber shrinks and expands with weather, this means sometimes you will have small gaps, this is normal so don't fret it; and like any timber product outdoors, care and maintenance is to be expected. Here are 6 things for you to consider.
Pine and hardwood timber if positioned with good ventilation and light will be fine to 'grey off' to its Silver Fox best. If you like the natural grey timber look (we do!) then go for it. You can sand it back and paint later.
Painting your cubby and accessories not only provides protection for the timber in harsher climates, but also allows you to tie the space into your design aesthetic. You will have a lot of fun designing and choosing!
Sealing your cubby with a natural oil is a great way to deepen and enhance the natural colours and features of the timber. It can provide protection in harsher climates and will need upkeep from time to time.
If you feel your cubby could use a face lift no worries! Give it a sand back and it will have a whole new life. Add paint later and you have a whole new look!
Dirt has a habit of making us feel poorly about things, kids are the same. When the dust, dirt and food scraps w build up, give the cubby a clean and see the kids get all revved up about their cubby again.
Position your space for good ventilation and access to light and if you do get the dreaded black spores, check your drainage, any water leaks, wash with soapy water and spray with vinegar.
