you can start with a light wood species like ash, oak or maple and seal it with a clear natural finish to gain the effect. the foot wear is not greasy, oily and muddy and has a good grip on the rungs. they all seemed to care about our pet. in other words, none of these stories are the truth. packages contain random length pieces up to 4' in length. seriously, my golden retriever dog could have gotten in the media entrance if she had a camera on her collar. and he is definitely among the tallest of those giants. 