As we all know, it rains more than it shines in the UK, though we occasionally manage to grab a few sunny days in the garden. But if your garden furniture doesn’t get the usage it deserves then you don’t need to leave it to ruin. We asked John Lewis for their advice on keeping your garden furniture looking good for years to come.
Can you recommend any weather resistant garden furniture?
If you’re buying wooden garden furniture then John Lewis recommend that you go for teak, courbaril, roble, cumaru or eucalyptus. ‘These types of woods are tropical hardwoods with a high natural oil content,’ say John Lewis. ‘This makes them weather resistant and the furniture can be left outside throughout the year.’
And if they start to crack you could use always use them for firewood on the bonfire…?
Don’t be so hasty, John Lewis cry! ‘It’s perfectly normal for these woods to develop cracks along the grain after they’ve been exposed to the sun and rain.’
How should you look after hardwood garden furniture?
To restore the surface, John Lewis tell us that ‘hardwoods require only an annual scrub with soapy water to remove algae and air pollution’.
What should you avoid?
‘If you prefer your garden furniture to look less weathered, it’s possible to restore some of the original colour of the timber through a three–stage process: applying teak cleaner followed by teak brightener, then finishing off with a sealer or teak oil – though we don’t actually recommend this as the oil can blacken the wood if it’s not completely dry when you apply the treatment.’
How should you look after metal garden furniture?
John Lewis recommends buying steel and wrought iron furniture which are low maintenance, and have tough anti–rust finishes. ‘And if you can store furniture under cover during winter, so much the better,’ they add.
Top tip…
‘Before fitting covers for winter, ensure that furniture, cushions and parasols are dry.’
How should you look after your folding summer chairs?
Though John Lewis can’t guarantee that steel will not corrode, the occasional summer shower shouldn’t harm your garden chairs. Their steel furniture is powder–coated for additional durability against the elements. They say that it is essential to touch up any chips to the surface of steel – and aluminium – using a matching car or metal paint and this will avoid further corrosion.
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1 comment
furniture stores los angeles says:
Oct 25, 2011
While took a over though of these furniture I was just suspect that these furniture are looks very natural in garden view, and also a better choice for enjoying every special occasion with have some cup tea or coffee.