Preserving your Garden Furniture

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.

As the weather starts to deteriorate, we begin to worry about how to best care for the furniture we have enjoyed using throughout the summer but which, for the most part will stand idle all winter. If possible, you can store your wooden garden furniture indoors during the winter. Many garden furniture sets come flat-packed and so can be stored in the attic or garage – or even under the bed! If it is not possible to store it indoors, you are best to use a good quality breathable weather cover to cover the set.

Do not use a cheap plastic cover as this will be counter productive and will, in fact, cause more harm than good. When using a cover, please be sure to arrange it so that the centre of the cover is higher than the sides so that rain water runs off.

Wood is a wholly natural product and will react to the atmosphere when left outside. This natural process is a means of the wood protecting itself against the elements. If the furniture is left outside, the air pockets within the wood will react to changes in pressure and temperature. Little cracks may appear in the wood, especially on the end grain, in hot conditions but will recluse when the weather cools and it becomes wetter. This is a common occurrence and doesn't alter the robustness or durability of the furniture.

Hardwood also protects itself by changing colour to a sliver-grey and this “patina” as it is called is purely cosmetic. Again, it does not affect the quality of the furniture and is not an indication of an inferior product. The exact colour of patina depends on the atmosphere in which the garden furniture is stored. You cannot stop this from happening but you can take some action to limit the effect of the process.

To keep the original colour of your furniture longer, you can apply teak oil can be applied sparingly using a lint free cloth once or at most twice a season. This treatment will slow the weathering process and could also minimise surface fissures.

Here is the process:

• Remove any accumulated dirt by scrubbing with a brush and warm soapy water.
• Any sap on the table can be scraped off using a small knife
• White spirit can also remove sap residue
• Allow the furniture to dry completely
• Sand any rough areas
• Apply teak oil sparingly using a lint free cloth
• Pay close attention to the end of the grain and to the joints
• Wipe of excess oil
• Allow to dry thoroughly before use
• Repeat once or at most twice a season

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

Following these handy tips that John of Garden Furniture Scotland has outlined, will help you to keep your garden furniture looking super for longer and ensure that you make the very most of your garden.