subject: How to Maintain Wooden Garden Furniture [print this page] How to Maintain Wooden Garden Furniture How to Maintain Wooden Garden Furniture
Aluminum, wrought iron and PVC furniture just can't hold a candle to wood garden furniture. And while it may seem to be more maintenance intense, it's really not.
Obviously, wood is pretty good at weathering the elements all by itself. Trees are proof of this. While cut wood is a little less resistant to the elements, it still can continue to look good for many years to come, with just a few precautions.
Of all the wooden garden furniture, teak is perhaps the most desirable. While more expensive, it ages beautifully over time, going from a rich honey color to a silvery gray as the years go by. With proper maintenance it can last 50 years or more, which makes it a very cost effective option if you amortize the cost of the furniture over its lifespan.
Teak is naturally resistant to insects and the oils in teak make it resistant to decay and rot. Thankfully, a lot of the teak on the market today is grown in sustainable forests, so you don't have to worry about stripping old growth forests or depleting our natural resources.
If you want to keep your teak garden furniture in top form, you'll want to clean it once a year, removing any buildups of mildew, sap, pollen and dirt. Once it's clean, you can apply a little Danish oil to it to retain its original honey color. Otherwise, just let it grow gray over time.
If you need to maintain wooden garden furniture that is made of cedar, redwood, oak or pine, it may require a little more work. These woods are more prone to insect invasions and water damage.
Western Red and Northern White cedar are good choices for your outdoor furniture. Over time they will turn silver gray as well. Both can be left untreated and won't shrink or warp over time. You will want to keep them clean and it's wise not to leave them outdoors in the harsh winter months. If you do, cover them with a light tarp to keep them out of the elements. While strong, they can be susceptible to getting water in between cracks. When it freezes, it can make a small crack a larger one, reducing the lifespan of your furniture.
It's a good idea to treat these woods with a water-resistant stain, polyurethane or protective oil. Which one is best depends on the type of wood and your locale. Your home improvement salesman should be able to make a recommendation.
If you need to give your wooden garden furniture a deeper cleaning to remove end of season dirt or grime, add a tablespoon of bleach and five tablespoons of dishwashing soap to a gallon of water. Use a soft bristled brush to remove the dirt. Once it's clean, rinse it thoroughly and allow to air dry.
If you are storing your furniture outside during the winter, you may want to lift the legs off the ground. This will keep water from soaking into the wood during heavy storms. It will also keep the wood from swelling and cracking over time. Even a small amount of rainwater can cause a lot of damage. A small piece of wood will work fine, or a brick.
Finally, you don't want to be tempted to store any plastic toys or items with your wooden garden furniture. While it may seem like a good idea to toss the inflatable pool on the seat of a chair before covering it for the season, the colors of the plastic can leach onto the wood, discoloring it permanently. You certainly don't want to get an unpleasant surprise in the late spring when you discover a bunch of cartoonish ducks have been imprinted onto your expensive teak chairs. That could ruin anyone's summer.
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