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Garden Furniture Maintenance Guide
If you own outdoor garden furniture then you want it to last for as long as possible and be there for relaxing, year after year.
That means it’s really important to maintain it, especially when it can be exposed to the elements. The same applies for teak garden furniture, and once you’ve found the perfect furnishings, keeping it in top condition is easier than you think.
But how do you maintain your wooden garden furniture? Well, Cotswold Teak is here to help you with easy tips and jobs for looking after your garden furnishings. From cleaning to treating, this guide will help you make sure your teak furniture lasts for years to come.
Read on to find how you can maintain your teak garden furniture to keep it looking brand new…
Teak Garden Furniture
Teak is a tropical hardwood, so it’s naturally weather-resistant due to the high oil content. This makes teak furniture easy to look after, as you can keep it outside throughout the autumn and winter seasons.
It is important to note, however, that hardwoods can develop cracks along the grain after they've been exposed to the elements - which is why caring for them is vital.
How to Repair Your Garden Furniture
Obviously, Cotswold Teak garden furniture is made to the highest standards, but due to bad weather and continued use, there may be times that your garden furniture needs repairing.
With a quality hardwood, however, your furniture is unlikely to face too much damage as it is a material that stands up to all kinds of weather and knocks. However, when damage does occur, acting quickly stops it from becoming worse.
With some garden benches, for example, the slats on the seating area and the backrest can become weak or damaged. It may be possible to replace a broken slat but you should always use a hardwood intended for outdoor use, a like-for-like replacement.
Avoiding damage, naturally, is better than spending time repairing garden furniture. This means you have to keep it protected by ensuring it’s cleaned, varnished and treated regularly, as well as covered from the worst weather.
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Cleaning Hardwood Garden Furniture
Teak is one of the best hardwoods for outdoor furniture because it is impervious to changes in moisture levels, heat and humidity - ideal for British weather.
Keeping teak clean means there is less chance of it being damaged or eroded from grime that can sit on the surface of wood. Obviously, keeping your garden furniture covered will help minimise dirt but when you need to varnish or treat the furnishings, you will need to clean the surface. To do so, you will need:
> A scrubbing brush.
> A bucket filled with hot soapy water or a hardwood cleaning fluid.
> A few hours of sunshine in the garden.
> A pressure washer adjusted to a low setting.
By cleaning, you are simply removing any surface vegetation, dust or cobwebs. That means giving your furniture a good scrub all over with a brush and hot soapy water. Start on the top and then clean underneath. If it’s a bench or seat, turn it over to make it easier.
Shop Now - Figalia Outdoor Teak Kitchen
Once you have scrubbed and removed any surface debris, rinse your furniture with clean water. You can use a bucket, hose pipe or a pressure washer on a low setting. Unlike other woods, teak is very tough and will stand up to a pressure washer without any damage.
Once you have removed the dirt and grime, simply allow your outdoor furniture to dry for a few hours - this is why it’s best to do this on a sunny day. You should give your hardwood teak furniture a yearly scrub to keep it in good condition.
Treating Teak Garden Furniture
Once you’ve cleaned your furniture, the next step in maintaining it is to treat it with oil, more specifically, teak oil. When you treat your teak garden furniture, at least 2 coats of oil should be applied before allowing 48 hours for it to dry.
Note: Teak is already a very oily wood, so it is unlikely you’ll need to treat it within the first year.
Apply your first coat of teak oil with a long-haired brush, painting it on the furniture in the same direction as the grain. You should always stir the oil before you start to avoid any colour variations.
Note: Teak oil nourishes the wood, stopping it from drying out and weathering.
You will need to do a second coat, but let the first one dry for at least an hour before adding another coat. Your furniture will be ready to use again in 48 hours and will then be protected for another year.
Here at Cotswold Teak, we offer a superb range of teak care and protection solutions that are specially designed to care for and preserve your teak furniture. We guarantee that they will be all you’ll ever need to keep your garden furniture pristine. These include:
Teak Cleaner
Our professional Teak Cleaner is specially designed to thoroughly clean and restore discoloured, dark grey teak and hardwood furniture.
The formula is a highly concentrated cleaner that contains brightener so that bringing back the colour of your teak furniture to its original form is easier than ever.
Teak Protector
Our professional Teak Protector solution will help to maintain that beautiful golden brown colour that teak furniture offers, for much longer. Our Teak Protector is EcoSafe, meaning that the solution is completely water-based and solvent-free.
You won’t have to worry about causing a mess either, as this is a non-oily and non-greasy solution.
Teak Shield
Last but not least we have our Teak Shield. This is a near-invisible wood impregnator, making it almost impossible to damage teak with any spillages.
Our Teak Shield is also suitable to protect indoor furniture, helping to prevent any surface-level stains from occurring. The Teak Shield will also help to keep the natural look of the teak furniture, as it allows moisture and vapour transmission.
Garden Furniture Care Tips
Here are a couple of final tips for looking after your teak garden furniture:
> Invest in a correctly sized waterproof cover.
> Carry out any maintenance and/or storing of furniture at the end of the summer season in dry weather.
> For winter and autumn, don’t leave your furniture on damp ground. Raise it off the floor to prevent avoidable rotting or store it in a shed or garage.
> Allow Teak furniture to age naturally.
> Thoroughly clean your Teak furniture twice a year for it to maintain an attractive appearance.
We hope you’ve found our guide on teak garden furniture maintenance useful.
If you want the best furniture for your garden, you’ll find an extensive variety at Cotswold Teak today.
Find more garden furniture advice on the Cotswold Teak blog...
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