How To Choose Your Garden Furniture And Make It Last

A helpful guide to choosing the right garden furniture and how to make it last.Garden furniture is now a fashion item as the patio and garden increasingly become an additional functional space to the home.

Do some research before you buy a set of garden furniture.This research will pay off when you have the right garden furniture that will last a lifetime.Following are some important tips you need to consider before you buy.

The first choice is between fold away furniture and solid furniture that will stay outside over winter.If you have elected to keep the garden furniture outside all year round, you will need to go for hardwood, aluminium or wrought iron that won’t rust.Don’t be tempted to buy cheaper materials as you will only need to replace them which will cost you more in the long run.

You will benefit greatly from choosing the best materials and design for the purpose.The best material will work in harmony with the materials already present in your garden.Choose a material that will balance out your garden.

Wood is the best all round as it is lightweight, aesthetically pleasing and comfortable but requires some maintenance.Tropical woods tend to be high in natural oils e.g. teak, iroko or courbaril, which make them ideal.These woods are weather resistant and can be left outside throughout the year.

Make sure that mortice and tenon joints are used for your teak garden furniture and not bolts which corrode.Check that all metal fittings are made from stainless steel, aluminium or brass all of which are rust proof.   

All teak garden furniture should be made from premium materials so that it there are no surface defects that could affect the integrity of the material.Additionally, Make sure your teak garden furniture is kiln dried to optimise moisture content and ensure shape is maintained and cracks are eliminated.

To ensure that the joints won’t fail in cold weather or rain, check that they have been glued with epoxy resin based glues.

If your teak garden furniture becomes dirty it is easy to clean with warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush which will enable you to restore the beautiful silver grey weathered look.

For more intensive cleaning, you might want to use a pressure hose at no more than 80 bar (1200psi) and no close than 30cm.Scrub your teak furniture once a year will a small amount of bleach, this will stop algae from growing on the surface.

Any stains and grease spots can be immediately removed by washing down using a light detergent then rinsing off with clean water as soon as they occur. However, this is not essential as nature will take its course over time.

You may notice hairline cracks in the surface when the weather is dry.This isn’t anything to be concerned about, the moisture in the atmosphere will diffuse back into the wood in time.

It is not necessary to use teak oil or varnish as these will not extend the life of your garden furniture and are purely cosmetic. However, if you wish to preserve the as new appearance of your teak garden furniture the application of teak oil when the furniture is new will give a more lustre finish than leaving untouched.Teak oils vary so make sure you read the instructions first.Only use teak oil on dry wood, moisture will cause the surface to turn black.