Prepare for those outdoor summer parties and keep your garden furniture looking tip top!
The garden is a great place to relax or to entertain and a good set of garden furniture can bring many years of pleasure.
To keep your garden furniture looking tip-top, Dobbies has put together some useful hints and tips.
Over time, the appearance of hardwood furniture can vary widely. It may be left to turn a soft, silver grey, with just occasional cleaning with soapy water. However, a beautiful rich finish can be achieved from an oil-based treatment, which not only looks wonderful, but can help to preserve the life of the furniture.
Treatments such as Timber Treatment Plus from Alexander Rose is specially formulated to enhance, protect and preserve the natural beauty of hardwood furniture. A timber sealer such as Pattinizer will provide a protective micro porous coating which is designed to let the wood breath whilst protecting against weathering and reducing dirt, moisture absorption and mildew formation.
As part of the weathering process, cracks and splits can appear on the end grain and, to a lesser extent, on the surface within a few weeks. As with other close grain hardwoods such as oak, this is normal. Natural oils and minerals in the timber evaporate due to exposure to the elements. Garden furniture is designed with this in mind and its strength and durability remain unaffected. With changing weather conditions, cracking will appear and disappear. The drier it is, the more cracks will appear.
A number of cleaners are available to help remove stubborn staining and blackening problems, encountered by exposing hard wood to the elements. A wood protector will nourish and give a more uniform appearance to the timber, which will last and help to reduce discolouration caused by sunlight.
Dobbies has a wide range of furniture and furniture care products available to help make the most of outdoor living space, with many stylish collections in a variety of finishes – check out the new collections in-store now. There’s also plentiful advice and assistance from expert staff.
