Making Your Garden Furniture Look Great For Longer
By John Duff
John Duff of Garden Furniture Scotland has some key tips for how to best care for your wooden garden furniture, regardless of whether it is made from keruing, red or yellow balau, or jarra wood.

Our customers often ask us how they might best care for their newly purchased wooden garden furniture when winter begins to set in. Remember, wood is a natural product and, as such will react to the environment in which it is store. If you have the space, it is recommended that in order to best protect your wooden garden furniture that you store it inside during the winter. If this is not possible, cover the set with a good quality breathable weather cover, ensuring that the centre is higher than the sides so that rain water runs off.

If hardwood garden furniture is stored outside during spells of hot weather, small cracks may appear in the wood, especially on the end grain. Such cracks are a completely common characteristic and will not affect the durability or strength of the furniture. The cracks will close again once the conditions become damper.

Another common problem which can spoil the look of your garden furniture is when small amounts of sap resin will appear on the surface of the wood. Dark spots may occur if the furniture is placed in the shady spot under a tree due to falling sap and excretions from aphids. Crystallised resin can be removed using a stiff brush. While the resin is still sticky, a sharp knife can be utilized to remove most of the resin and white spirit can clean the affected surface.

As it is exposed, wood naturally wants to change colour to a sliver-grey. This is known as patina and the exact colour the wood will become depends on environmental conditions in which it is stored. You can allow furniture to silver and not make any attempt to slow the process. Most furniture continues to look good even when the original colour has disappeared.

As has already been stated, this patina effect cannot be avoided. However, you can take some action which will help to slow the process. If you would like to maintain the original colour of your furniture for longer, teak oil could be applied once or at most twice a season. This should be applied sparingly with a lint free cloth. This form of treatment will slow the weathering process and could also minimise surface cracks.

Here is the process:

Finally, pay particular attention to the end grain and to any hidden surfaces when applying the oil. Also look carefully at any joints or services. Excess oil should be wiped off with a clean lint free cloth. To protect your clothing, please ensure that the teak oil has dried fully before using the furniture!

If you have the space, it is recommended that in order to best protect your wooden garden furniture that you store it inside during the winter. If this is not possible, cover the set with a good quality breathable weather cover, and make certain that the centre is higher than the sides to ensure the rain water runs off.

To summarise:

* Scrape any sap off the table with a small knife. You could also use white spirit to remove sap

* Scrape sap off the table using a knife

* Remove additional sap with white spirit

* Use teak oil sparingly, applying it with a lint free cloth

* Use a lint free cloth to apply teak oil sparingly

* Wipe away excess oil

* Dry thoroughly before use

NOTE: If the dirt is not removed before treatment, black areas will appear on the surface where the oil and dirt have mixed.

So, if you want your garden furniture to avoid the worst ravages of the weather, then the ideas John Duff of Garden Furniture Scotland has outlined might help.

Article Source: http://www.articlemap.com

About the author: John Duff is an expert in buying and selling Garden Furniture. See more of his stuff at Garden Furniture Scotland
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