How to Prepare Wooden Garden Furniture for Protection? When to use wood oil, when to use stain, and why should varnish be avoided? Why do screws on wooden furniture need to be checked and tightened?
Wooden garden furniture should be comfortable and serve as a decorative element for any terrace or garden. However, after years of use, the wood loses its original “freshness,” develops a patina, and the warmth of the initial colors fades.
This doesn’t mean you need to buy new furniture; with a little effort, you can restore your existing wooden furniture to look like new. Here are some tips on how to make your wooden garden furniture shine like new.
Thorough Cleaning Before Protection
Before applying any protective coatings, thorough cleaning is necessary. If possible, you can clean wooden garden furniture with a pressure washer. This method is effective because wooden furniture often has many crevices, grids, and channels, making a pressure washer much more efficient than wiping. Ensure the nozzle is always about four inches (aprox. 10 cm) away, to avoid damaging the wood.
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If you don’t have a pressure washer, a hose, water, and a microfiber cloth will suffice. If you live in an apartment, a basin with warm water and a cloth can work, although you likely have less furniture. Before any further wood protection work, make sure the wood is completely dry, not just on the surface.
Preparing Wood for Protection
Before applying protective agents, inspect the wood’s condition. Check for fungi that may have appeared during the winter break, identifiable as dark spots that weren’t there before. These can be easily removed with chlorine-based products available at any well-stocked paint store.
If the product doesn’t help, or if it’s older rustic furniture, fine sandpaper can be used to remove the stains. Additionally, if you notice the wood is rough or has damage in certain areas, lightly sand it with fine sandpaper.
Choose the Right Protective Agent for Wood
Carefully choose how to protect the wood, and it’s recommended to always use the same product. If oil was used the previous year, use oil again, and if stain was used, use the same stain. It’s recommended to use oil for wood exposed to the elements whenever possible.
Also, pay attention to the color. If your wooden furniture has a mahogany shade, applying the same shade will make the wood progressively darker with each coat, eventually turning mahogany into burgundy or brown. Therefore, if the wood already has color, use protection without pigment. The furniture will be refreshed, shine like new, but won’t darken.
Regular Screw Tightening
When it comes to wood, no screw is permanently tight. Wood is a natural, soft, and elastic material, so every season, all screws need tightening. This ensures the furniture remains stable and sturdy, reducing squeaking during use. Any joint that isn’t tightened and moves during use will become increasingly loose over time. Therefore, tightening once a year before the season starts is recommended for all wooden garden furniture.
Avoid Varnishing Wooden Garden Furniture
Varnishing might seem like a good idea to protect the wood from rain, but varnish isn’t a permanent solution. Every varnish, no matter how high-quality, will eventually crack, allowing moisture to penetrate the wood.
To reapply varnish, the previous layer must be removed, especially in cracked areas, which can be quite challenging for intricately shaped wooden garden furniture. On the other hand, oiled garden furniture can be easily refreshed annually with minimal preparation.
How to Know if the Wood Needs Protection?
Depleted wood is easily recognizable, and the simplest test is to wet it. If the wood quickly absorbs water, it’s a clear sign that it needs oil or another type of protection. You’ll notice that depleted wood quickly absorbs the first coat of oil.
The second coat will remain on the surface in some areas, indicating that the wood is sufficiently impregnated. Simply wipe these areas with an old dry cotton cloth.
Photo: Freepik