This guide will help you to choose the right garden furniture and make it last.As the garden and patio are becoming increasingly important areas of your house, so too is your garden furniture.
It will be worthwhile doing some research before buying any garden furniture.If you choose the right set for you it will bring you much enjoyment and longevity.The following guide will help you to choose the right furniture.
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 made the decision to keep the furniture in the garden throughout the year, it will need to be made from hardwearing materials like hardwood, aluminium or rust free wrought iron.Although the initial cost of the more durable materials will be high, it will be worth it in the long run as they will last much longer than cheaper alternatives.
Choosing the right type of material and construction is paramount.Choose a material that will complement you garden or patio 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 woods will fair well in the winter months as well as through the summer.
Joints should be mortice and tenon, be wary if they are just metal bolts as these have the potential to corrode.If there are metal nuts and bolts, make sure that they are made from rust proof materials namely: aluminium, stainless steel or brass.
Ensure that the furniture is made from premium grade teak, otherwise you may find cracks, defects and knots appearing over time.The best process for drying teak is to dry it in a kiln, this locks as much moisture as possible making it less likely to crack.
Check that glues containing epoxy resin has been used on the joints – this will ensure that they don’t crack apart in cold weather.
You can give your teak furniture a spring clean using hot soapy water and a scrubbing brush, this will restore bring out the natural colours in the wood.
If you do want to wash it down with a pressure hose, do so at 60-80 bar (psi 900 – 1200) but don’t get closer than 30cm from the surface.Scrub your teak furniture once a year will a small amount of bleach, this will stop algae from growing on the surface.
You can remove any grease spots by washing immediately with light detergent, or just leave nature to take its course.
In dry weather small cracks will appear in the end of the grain timbers.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.Only use teak oil on dry wood, moisture will cause the surface to turn black.
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