Sprucing up Garden Furniture

With the recent warm weather, it’s time to head into the garden

Eating alfresco and enjoying the summer weather outside has been a rare treat. It’s important in these eco-conscious times, to make sure we maintain our outdoor furniture.

Rather than disposing of our old weathered furniture, a quick spruce up with a dash of elbow grease means we have picture perfect furniture in no time.

Seven steps to sprucing up wooden garden furniture

• Wash down your garden furniture with warm, soapy water
• Disassemble the furniture as much as you possibly can. Remember to clearly mark each part so you know how to fit it back together afterwards.
• Use a sanding machine to give your furniture a quick once over, and then switch to sheet sandpaper that you can fold and scrunch to get into difficult areas. Use sanding sponges on any rounded areas with a buffing action and try to sand along the grain, even if the wood slats change direction. You want to do this until fresh, new wood is exposed.
• When you’ve sanded all parts of the furniture, wipe down with a dry cloth before using a vacuum cleaner nozzle to get the last of the dust off. Make sure that there’s the dust that is deep in the grain is all off, so that it doesn’t interfere with the finishing.
• Use a quality exterior oil that has been specifically designed for the material your furniture is made from (oak or teak etc.) Soak the raw wood with plenty of oil on the first coat, using a rag on the flat areas and a brush to get all the tight areas.
• Allow the furniture to dry completely before scuffing lightly with 320 grit sand paper. Wipe and vacuum off the scuffed dust before applying a second coat of oil with a foam brush. This will provide a smoother coat with fewer brush marks.
• Ideally, you want to try and get as many coats of oil on the furniture as possible. This will mean that you will only have to repeat this process every few years, instead of more regularly.

Worth the hard graft

A spokesperson for BillyOh.com said: “Although it’s generally advised that you should bring garden furniture inside, or at least cover it during the winter, thousands of families in the UK leave them outside to fade and go grey in the harsh winter.

“So, when it comes to wanting to sit outside in the sun once again, it’s tempting to just get rid of your worn out wooden tables and chairs and replace them with brand-new models instead.

“But with just a few hours of hard graft and some super affordable items, your old furniture can be revived and looking shiny and welcoming without your bank balance taking such a hit.”

Do you have any tips to add to these? Let us know