Table, chairs, benches, wooden furniture brings an undeniable charm to a garden. However, as a natural and living material, wood has to face many climatic hazards. It therefore becomes important to take care of it if you want to enjoy it as long as possible.
Keeping them in good condition is essential to enjoying them. Proper maintenance combined with good polyurethane resin can extend the life of your furniture for many years..
Contents
1/ CLEANING
It is advisable to maintain your wooden garden furniture twice a year. A first time in spring then at the end of summer. Cleaning is done with a brush and warm soapy water. But not with just any soap. The use of black soap or Marseille soap is preferred. Then rinse well with lukewarm water. In any case, do not use a high-pressure cleaner.
2 / SANDING
If there are stains left after cleaning. You can then sand the surface with fine grit sandpaper. This is the advantage of solid wood. If you have neglected the maintenance of your wooden furniture until today, it is not too late to repair the damage.
3 / THE SATURATOR
outdoors, a wood will gradually turn gray. This natural and superficial phenomenon in no way alters the physical properties of the wood. Graying only affects aesthetics. This reaction occurs when the wood is subjected to strong humidification. This is why in a cladding, the blades protected from the rain retain their original color while the areas most exposed to the weather end up turning grey.
- Finely sanded wood will gray less quickly than planed wood, the coarseness of which will allow spores to adhere more easily. This explains why the use of high-pressure cleaners, which erode the wood, should be avoided: the more you use them, the sooner the phenomenon of aging will reappear.
- The application of a saturator will make the wood more or less hydrophobic by preventing water from penetrating into the first cell layers. Mold spores will not be able to thrive due to lack of water. However, the application is restrictive because it must be very regular and frequent.
- Once the wood is grey, an oxalic acid-based “grey remover” can be applied to revive its original color. The effectiveness of these biocides has been demonstrated.
4/ PROTECTIVE OIL
This is the last step. Some woods are naturally rot resistant. But if you want to prolong the new look of your wooden garden furniture, you must apply an oil suitable for your type of wood. This treatment protects, beautifies and delays the appearance of white hair.
- Outdoor furniture must be perfectly dry, to the core.
- The application of the oil is carried out at least 2 days after the passage of sobriety.
- Make sure there is no chance of rain within 24 hours after the 2nd coat.
- Do not apply in direct sunlight or at temperatures above 25°C.
- Apply the oil in the direction of the grain of the wood.
- As soon as the wood loses its wet look, apply a second coat. To obtain a very pleasant effect, smooth with a brush after a few minutes any excess product to avoid traces of drips or reflections.
- Allow to dry well before use
You already know everything about maintaining wooden garden furniture: cleaning with natural soap, sanding stains, applying a saturator to slow down aging, a make-up remover to revive the colors and protect the wood with a suitable oil.