The care of wooden garden furniture

The garden is an important space in the home. Furnished with wooden furniture, it has a unique and timeless charm.

Natural wood furniture has a very pleasant appearance, whether used for the interior or exterior of the home. But while from an aesthetic point of view, wood has no equal, from a practical point of view it requires more care than more innovative materials. Only through correct and constant maintenance can wooden garden furniture last over time and remain intact in appearance and thus also in use. The care of wooden garden furniture is therefore essential for the furniture to keep well and for a long time. Here are some tips on how to do this correctly.

The best woods for garden furniture

Wooden garden furniture can be made of hardwood or softwood. Among the hard woods are ash, beech and oak. Softwoods, on the other hand, include coniferous woods, birch and poplar.

The best woods for making garden furniture, i.e. outdoor furniture, are tropical woods because they are more resistant to sun and humidity. These are the teak wood, which is water-repellent, resistant to salt, weathering and quite robust, and the iroko wood, which is hard, yellow-brown and resistant to humidity and temperature fluctuations.

Caring for garden furniture: keeping the wood protected during winter

Caring for garden furniture means doing it consistently, starting with optimal daily care. What does this mean? It means that if you want your wooden tables, chairs, loungers, armchairs and small tables to remain aesthetically intact, you need to take care of them regularly so that you don’t then reduce your effort.

The first tip, however, is to protect wooden furniture from the weather during the winter period, if possible by placing the well-preserved furniture in well-aired basements, garages or garden sheds. The space should be neither too hot nor too cold nor particularly humid. Moisture would penetrate the material and cause it to swell, forming deep, unsightly cracks that would eventually lead to deterioration of the furniture.

It is also possible to opt for breathable PVC covers to protect wooden furniture not only from rain, but also from the sun’s rays and dust, which in the long run could ruin the surface of the furniture.

If wooden furniture must, by necessity, remain in the rain, it is good to at least remember to tilt it so that water does not stagnate on it for a long time.

Garden furniture care: daily handling

For routine cleaning, only use wood-specific detergents, never aggressive or corrosive products. An important step is to oil wooden garden furniture. Not only to make the wood more resistant to water and dirt, but also to keep the colour of the surface in good condition.

Oiling wooden garden furniture: correct steps and timing

The wood of tables, seats and garden furniture should be treated with a specific oil at least twice during the year, at the beginning of the spring season and at the beginning of the autumn season. The oil must penetrate well into the wood and dry thoroughly before the furniture is used and stored.

To oil wooden garden furniture so that it is well impregnated for use in spring and summer, you need to proceed in 5 steps:

1. clean the wood thoroughly by first removing coarse dirt with a brush and then using a soft sponge and natural soap to remove dust and stains;
2. sand the wood, so that the oil can penetrate well, with not too coarse abrasive paper;
3. remove all sanding dust with a soft, slightly damp cloth;
4. oil the wooden garden furniture (one or two coats) with a brush or a clean cloth, always proceeding in the same direction, i.e. following the grain of the wood;
5. allow the specific oil to dry and remove excess product using a dry cloth.

On Arredare Moderno you can find a vast assortment of wooden garden furniture, and more, to furnish an original and trendy garden!