Choosing And Caring For Your Garden Furniture
Choosing and maintain your garden furniture with the help of this guide.Make a statement with you garden furniture by buying a set that will complement your garden or patio.
Do some research before you buy a set of garden furniture.This will make it more likely that you’ll get the right furniture and it will last for time to come.This guide will help you to find the right set for you.
The first thing that you will need to decide is whether you want furniture that you can store away over winter or that you can leave outside all year round.If you have elected to keep the garden furniture outside all year round, you will need to go for hardwood, aluminium or wrought iron that won’t rust.It is well worth spending the money on the heavier more durable materials as this will be much more cost effective in the long run.
Getting the right construction and material will make all the difference.The best material will work in harmony with the materials already present in your garden.Choose a material that will balance out your garden.
Because of it is lightweight, comfortable and beautiful, wood is the best material for garden furniture.Teak, iroko and courbaril are all great for garden furniture as they have a high oil content.These are good as they can be left outside all year round.
Joints should be mortice and tenon, be wary if they are just metal bolts as these have the potential to corrode.Any fittings that are metal should be made from aluminium, brass or stainless steel so that they don’t rust when exposed to the elements.
All teak garden furniture should be made from premium materials so that it there are no surface defects that could affect the integrity of the material.Ideally, your teak furniture will have been kiln dried so the moisture content is at an optimum, this will stave away the dreaded cracks.
Teak garden furniture that is assembled using epoxy based glues tend to have the best performance and durability of all the types of joints as the epoxy resin used will not be affected by rain or frost.
The best way to clean your teak furniture is to scrub it with hot soapy water, this will restore the weathered silvery look.
If required a pressure hose can be used at 60-80 bar [900-1200psi] at a distance of no less than 30cm.To stop algae growing on the surface and enhance the colour, you can scrub it with bleach once a year.
Wipe your table with a light detergent to remove any spills, or you could just let nature deal with it – such is the beauty of alfresco dining.
During periods of dry weather, the wood might start to crack slightly.This is natural and no action needs to be taken as when the moisture in the atmosphere increases the timber will return to its original condition.
It is not necessary to use teak oil or varnish as these will not extend the life of your garden furniture and are purely cosmetic. However, if you wish to preserve the as new appearance of your teak garden furniture the application of teak oil when the furniture is new will give a more lustre finish than leaving untouched.Please ensure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions as usually this is a three stage process.Unless you want a very black finish, be sure to apply teak oil to dry wood only.
