Furniture Outdoor
Tips On How To Keep Your Outdoor Wood Furniture Looking Like New
Often the most attractive Outdoor Patio and Deck Furniture is made from wood. Wood is a natural product, but when exposed to moisture and changes in temperature and humidity, wood reacts in a number of different ways. Proper maintenance of your Wood Patio Furniture will give it a long life over many years exposed to variety of weather environments.
Teak is perhaps the most desirable, and, arguably, the most expensive outdoor Wood Furniture on the market. Teak is a beautiful, honey-colored, dense, tropical hardwood that is resistant to insect infestation and contains natural oils which make it resistant to rot and decay. Unfortunately, teak trees grow very slowly and take at least 60 years to reach harvestable size, and, because teak furniture is in such high demand, teak is not as easily acquired as supplies of other woods like cedar, oak, or pine. With supplies not able to meet demand, the price of teak has increased dramatically. The advantage of teak, though, is that, with proper maintenance, it can last for more than 50 years, which makes the initial investment worth it for many homeowners.
While cleaning teak is not mandated, it is not a bad idea to clean Outdoor Teak furniture each year to remove any buildup of pollen, sap, or mildew. Follow each cleaning with a coat of teak oil (optional) if you wish to keep the wood its original honey color.
Other tropical hardwoods, like Eucalyptus, have gained in popularity as the price of teak has grown prohibitive for many homeowners. Eucalyptus Wood, like teak, is alluring, durable, hardy, and resistant to rot and insect infestation. The fast maturity of eucalyptus trees makes them more readily available and more easily affordable. Like outdoor teak furniture, outdoor eucalyptus furniture can be treated with teak oil following an annual cleaning to help preserve the wood's natural color (if desired).
Varieties of other Outdoor Wooden furniture include cedar, redwood, oak, and pine. These woods, though (especially pine), must be treated with a preservative to prevent decay, which can occur rapidly if exposed to harsh weather environments. Protecting this wood furniture with a water-resistant stain, protective oil, or polyurethane is also recommended. Your local home and garden store will have many options from which to choose, and a store associate should be able to assist you in selecting the most appropriate product to be reapplied regularly (check manufacturer's instructions for details).
Outdoor wood furniture should be cleaned once a year. Mix one tablespoon of bleach, five tablespoons of a gentle dishwashing liquid, and a gallon of water, and softly rub the surface of your wood furniture with a soft bristle brush. Wash the solution from the furniture, and allow it to dry completely in the sun. Repainting or restaining wood furniture could be indicated at this time to cover and protect any worn or damaged areas.
All woods are susceptible to rot and decay if left in damp, humid, and shady areas for a long time. Wood that becomes saturated with rain water is more likely to warp and rot, so using waterproof protective covers when your furniture is not in use is strongly advised to keep your wooden patio furniture in good shape. The bases of furniture legs are definitely the most susceptible when it comes to water damage. If wood furniture is kept in the grass, at the poolside, or on a surface that collects even a small level of rain water, the legs can become easily saturated and damaged. Covering the bottoms of each furniture leg with rubberized material or small sections of cedar fencing material will help protect your furniture from rotting from the bottom up.
Finally, exposure to chemicals including solvents and chlorine, and exposure to common items such as alcoholic beverages, plants and flower nectar, and hot items (off of a grill, for example) can permanently stain and damage wood surfaces. Additionally, it is vital to prevent plastic objects, like plastic table cloths, toys, place mats, and appliance covers, from lying on wood furniture for a long period of time because plastic can discolor wood. Plastic can also stick to and damage a wood finish.
The lifespan for any wooden patio furniture depends greatly on the type of wood used and the weather it is exposed to. Properly maintaining your outdoor wood furniture can make it last for many years and maximize your investment. Outdoor wood furniture makes a beautiful addition to any backyard, deck, patio, or garden, and, with care, it will continue to make a great impression for years to come.
About the Author
Trey Collier is owner of BackyardCity.com, North America's finest Outdoor Casual Living Store, designed and created to help fashion Outdoor Living spaces. Since 2001, BackyardCity.com has offered internet customers quality outdoor living products, including Wood Patio and Deck Furniture, at very reasonable prices.
How do I protect wood Outdoor Furniture?
The salesperson told us to put marine grade oil on the table as soon as we put it outside, but I remember reading somewhere that oiling wood furniture makes it get mildew. So does anyone know the best way to protect it?
Oil seeps into the wood and prevents water from penetrating. But, since it doesn't completely keep water from touching the wood, it is prone to mildew.
If the wood is teak, it likely won't require more than the oil, as teak has natural anti-mildew properties. Any other type of wood, I would consider a marine spar varnish.
Spar varnish is a thick sealing coat of urethane that they use on all exposed wood surfaces on boats. It comes in a gloss or satin finish, which both give the same amount of protection. The varnish is kind of an amber color and gives a deep luster to wood. It also tends to yellow a bit with age.
First, you should sand the furniture smooth to ensure a good finished surface. Use a tack cloth, or Terry Cloth damp with mineral spirits to clean off any sanding dust. When that dries, you can apply the varnish with an oil-based type of brush (these are more expensive, but they have the perfect bristle density for applying oil-based paints and varnishes). Put on a fairly thin, but even coat. You'll be applying multiple coats to get it thick. But, if you try to get it thick in one coat, you'll get lots of drips.
After the first coat, let it dry for at least 24 hours. If you don't give it at least that much time between coats, the solvents in the next coat will dissolve some of the previous coat, causing blistering. And, the only way to fix that is to strip all the varnish off and start over.
Before applying the next coat, lightly sand with a fine grit (220 or higher) sand paper or with steel wool. This roughens up the surface a bit, so the next coat will stick better. Repeat as many times as necessary to get the surface finish completely covered (usually 2 or 3 coats will do).
Lawn Care : How to Revive Wooden Outdoor Furniture
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