Basic Wood Patio Furniture Care
If order to keep your wood patio furniture in good shape in order to get years of enjoyment from it, you need to make sure that you know how to take care of it. Unlike cedar furniture which is very easy to maintain and weather resistant, wood patio furniture needs a little maintenance each season to keep it looking great and staying sturdy for a lot of use. But the work is easy and it is well worth doing it since you have invested some money into buying it and want to get your moneys worth out of it by using it often.
The most important thing you need to remember about wood patio furniture is that the wood will need to be sealed in order to protect it from the elements such as rain, snow and even the sun. You would seal your deck, right? Well, sealing your wood patio furniture is no different. Sealing the wood allows water to bead up and roll of the wood instead of the wood absorbing it. Your beautiful deck of warm, brown wood turns grey over time and the ravages of the elements when it is not sealed. You do not want the same thing to happen to your wood patio furniture. Use a sealant, sealing paint, or weather proof stain to protect the wood. This is even more important if the wood patio furniture you purchase is unfinished.
Once you’ve sealed your wood outdoor patio furniture from the elements, the rest of the maintenance is fairly simply. Once a year before you set the furniture out for the summer season, review each piece and look for rough spots or areas that the weather damaged or affected the previous summer. Gently smooth these areas with fine sand paper and then apply your sealer to the areas you have fixed. You will not have to worry about doing this again to your wood patio furniture until the next spring. Plus, by smoothing out the rough spots, you ensure that no one will get splinters or snag their clothing when they sit down.
Store your wood patio furniture during the winter in order to protect the wood from the elements. While you have applied weather sealant to the wood, the change in temperature can cause the wood to expand and detract, causing it to crack, split, and splinters. The heat and cold can also affect the effectiveness of the weather sealant you put on your wood patio furniture. Resealing your wood patio furniture every three to five years will depend on the region you live in and how the temperature varies.
Wood patio furniture made from logs is usually made from natural and processed wood. There have been no preservatives or ‘treatment’ enacted on the lumber, so this makes it hard to seal the wood. Put it inside or cover it with a tarp or other protective layering in order to keep the rain, snow, and other elements from affecting the wood.
admin @ May 27, 2008