Essential Tips For Maintaining your Garden Furniture

Guest Blogger #995, Entry #2558, June 24, 2013

The summer is finally here, it’s time to dig out the sunscreen and venture into the garden! We love nothing more than to sit back and relax with friends and family, in the comfort of our own home. The one thing that most of us will use is some kind of garden furniture, it is therefore important to keep this in tip top condition. Maintaining garden furniture is the most cost effective way of ensuring long lasting furniture to use for many years. Below is some advice that will help you with your maintenance.

Wood garden furniture is great for hot and rainy climates

Image via: Amber Freda Home & Garden

A little bit of preparation:

One of the most popular forms of garden furniture is wooden tables and chairs. These are also one of the most prone to wearing and getting damaged. The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way. All it takes is a little bit of preparation and your furniture will be protected. One of the best ways to protect your furniture is by giving it a coat of quality wood stain such as the Ronseal one. It would be easy to think that the only use for wood stain is to make the furniture look good, but it has many more benefits than that. It is highly water repellent and UV resistant to prevent colour fade. It also helps to prevent cracking and blistering. It is always good to give your furniture a yearly coat to keep it well protected.

Protect your garden furniture throughout the year

Image via: Lusona Home

Survive the winter:

It goes without saying that the long winter months cause the most damage to garden furniture. This is why it is very important to protect them as much as you can during this time. Garden furniture can be made with many different materials therefore different methods can be used. Furniture that is made from plastic or canvas is always best kept indoors. It is always a good idea to give them a good wash down and store them in the back of a garage or shed.

If you don’t have room another alternative would be to cover them with a thick protective sheet. The downside to this is that the weather may cause them to become brittle over time. Some of the heavier materials such as wood or metal would be a lot more difficult to move. What you should do is clean them and check them for any damage. It is also a good idea to give them a coat of protective paint and repair any damage. You must then cover with a thick protective sheet and secure down with a heavy material such as bricks to prevent wind blowing the sheet away. If you get a dry day in winter it is always a good idea to give them a check over to make sure they are fully covered and no damage is been caused.

Outdoor summer garden furniture

Image via: Axis Mundi

It’s more than just furniture:

With any garden furniture it needs its own dedicated areas in the garden to call its own. One of the most popular areas to have furniture is on decking. It is therefore every important to maintain your decking to ensure you garden furniture’s longevity. Decking is easy to maintain as long as you follow a few simple tips and advice. It is good to sweep up any debris and give it a wash down with a hose pipe or pressure washer. You can then add water and bleach to a bucket according to the correct ratio on the back of the bottle. Scrub into the decking, leave for 15 minutes and wash off. Once it is dry it is then a good idea to give it a cost of decking stain such as the Ronseal one, to make it look brand new and also add a vital layer of protection.

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