Maintaining your outdoor furniture
Keeping your outdoor furniture well maintained can extend its life and allow you to enjoy it for many years to come. Fortunately, oak is a very resilient material for the outdoors and doesn’t need to be treated to last over autumn and winter like other materials such as softwoods. This makes the task of maintaining your furniture easier than you might think, just a few easy steps can go a long way in protecting it against the elements.
We always recommend conducting a thorough clean of your outdoor furniture in autumn rather than waiting until spring. Remove any dirt, moss, lichen and bird droppings as these all retain moisture which, when left over time, can cause issues such as rot. This is especially pertinent for any pieces of furniture positioned in shady areas which are typically cooler and more damp. When cleaning your outdoor furniture, we recommend using a stiff, but not metal, brush, warm water and a pH neutral detergent. For more stubborn dirt, we recommend using sugar soap or a wood cleaning solution.
It’s at this time of year that the placement of your outdoor furniture is also very important. If the furniture is in constant contact with grass or soil we recommend a piece of slate or quarry tile is placed under each foot. Alternatively, you might prefer to move the furniture to a different surface in the garden such as a paved terrace or balcony.