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Garden Furniture Scotland expert, John Duff, has a put together a simple strategy which can be applied to keruing, balau or jarrah wood furniture.
The first thing to remember is that wood is natural and the appearance of wood will change when left outdoors. This is part of the natural process of protection which the wood undergoes as it acclimatizes to being exposed to the atmosphere.
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.
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:
In the sun, you might find that sap will appear on the surface and the sun might cause it to harden. Dousing it in soapy water and then scrubbing it with a hard brush will bring your furniture back to its former glory. Sticky sap can be scraped off and then an application of white spirit can remove any residue. This will help your garden furniture stay looking better for longer.
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:
* Allow the furniture to dry completely
* Dry the furniture completely
* Remove additional sap with white spirit
* Sand away roughness
* Ensure the joints are given extra treatment
* Wipe off 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.
All the staff at Garden Furniture Scotland join me in hoping that these tips will help you to enjoy your furniture and to maintain it well throughout its lifetime.
Get more of John’s superb ideas at Articles by John Duff
Click here for other unique garden furniture articles.
Article Source: Home and Garden Advice
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