Wooden patio furniture is not cheap to buy. It adds style to your garden and allows you to enjoy your outdoor living space. You could have lunch or dinner on the patio or entertain guests there. You could also bring colour to your patio with flowers in wooden planters. If taken care of properly, your AMAZING wooden furniture will last a long time. Wooden furniture stays in good condition during the warm, dry, summer months but they’ll need some TLC in order to survive autumn, winter and spring in order to keep looking good.
How do we do this, you ask? We’re here, of course! Here we give you the top three tips that’ll help you to get the most from your furniture. Don't worry, you do not need to be an expert DIYer; anyone would be able to implement these tips. So, make sure you read to the end.
#1 Protect From Mold Stains & Dampness
Once summer has passed, you will begin using your outdoor furniture sparingly or, maybe, not at all. It is ideal to bring outdoor furniture inside. If you do not have the convenience of a big shed to house furniture alongside other belongings, the furniture can be left standing or turned sideways.
One great way to preserve your furniture to would be to cover them with protective plastic covers. This will keep it dry from the harsh elements of cold weather but not necessarily from mould stains. When spring arrives and you lift the covers off, you may expect to see your furniture (let’s say, a table) in the same perfect condition that it was in summer. But, sadly, that won’t be the case; you will find the wood discoloured and mouldy. The reason for this is that condensation can build in the places where the plastic cover touches the wood of the table. This ingress of water has the potential to cause discolouration and mould.
The top tip here is to place some empty plastic bottles on your tabletop so that it is between the table and the sheet and voila! The sheet won’t stick to the tabletop and hence won’t allow the buildup of condensation. Also, remember to not completely cover and seal with the protective cover, allow for some air circulation.
#2 Wood Preservatives
The first thing to check when using preservatives on wooden furniture is whether the preservative or treatment is suitable for wooden furniture that you can sit on and touch. This is because some preservatives are made specifically for sheds and fences. Once this is established, the next thing to consider is the option you choose to go for from the various ones available.
Wood stains are primarily used to change or maintain the colour of your furniture and may or may not contain preservatives to protect against rain. If your furniture has not discoloured or you do not wish to change the colour of your furniture, using wood stains won’t be necessary.
You can varnish your furniture - this will seal the wood and prevent water from soaking in, but you must ensure that you use varnish suitable for outdoor furniture. Otherwise, it will crack soon after application, opening the wood up leading to water ingress. The cracked varnish look may not be aesthetically pleasing to the eye either.
An easy and good option to go for is outdoor furniture oil. It seals the wood after a few applications and is easy to apply. Use a brush to apply and allow it to soak before wiping off any excess with a cloth. As with varnish, furniture oil can be purchased in clear and coloured forms. This allows you to maintain or change the colour as required.
Most weathering of furniture occurs in autumn, winter and spring but summer can also wear down your furniture. The intense UV rays cause the colour of the wood to fade. So, you may want to consider using a UV treatment based oil too, especially if your furniture is in a particularly sunny spot.
#3 Nail-in Plastic Caps for Furniture Legs
This is probably the easiest tip. Installing nail-in plastic glides! These are a MUST if you have outdoor wooden furniture. Good thing they are cheap! They will raise your beautiful furniture off the ground and prevent your furniture legs soaking up water and rotting when it rains. Nail-in plastic feet are usually round, made from nylon plastic and have a thickness of 5 mm. They are very easy to install - simply use a mallet to hammer them into the furniture feet. If you have hardwood furniture, you may want to drill a pilot hole first and then push the plastic feet in.
Before you get confused by all the various brands dancing in your head, check out SIMALA Nail-in Plastic Caps and you will already be well on your way to getting the best protection your furniture can get. These plastic caps are 19 mm in diameter and 5 mm thick. The sharp, thin nail goes easily into furniture legs with a few taps of a mallet. Not only are they suitable for outdoor use, but they can also be used indoors on hard surfaces like tile, laminate and vinyl. You won’t believe how useful such small objects can be! They can protect flooring from marring by furniture legs. Your furniture will also glide more easily across the floor surface. Browse our site here or visit our Amazon store for the latest deals on SIMALA Nail-in Glides and other useful furniture pads.
Now your outdoor furniture will sit nicely outside or wherever you decide to put them and they will be mould-and-rot free!
Most of all, maintaining your furniture in tip-top shape doesn’t have to be a chore. It is as fun and easy as enjoying them.