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How To Choose Your Garden Furniture And Make It Last
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Learn how to choose the right garden furniture and treat look after it properly.As the garden and patio are becoming increasingly important areas of your house, so too is your garden furniture.
Be sure to do your research before buying garden furniture.Doing so will greatly increase your chances of buying garden furniture that is right for you and will last you a long time.Here are some important tips to bear in mind.
The first choice is between fold away furniture and solid furniture that will stay outside over winter.For permanent garden furniture, consider hardwood, aluminium or rust proof wrought iron.It is well worth spending the money on the heavier more durable materials as this will be much more cost effective in the long run.
Getting the right construction and material will make all the difference.The best material will work in harmony with the materials already present in your garden.Try to avoid materials that will upset the balance of your garden.
Apart from the need for slight maintenance, wood is probably the best material that for garden furniture.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.
Any bolts should be made from metals that won’t rust, but ideally the joints will be mortice and tenon.If there are metal nuts and bolts, make sure that they are made from rust proof materials namely: aluminium, stainless steel or brass.
Ensure that the furniture is made from premium grade teak, otherwise you may find cracks, defects and knots appearing over time.The best process for drying teak is to dry it in a kiln, this locks as much moisture as possible making it less likely to crack.
All joints should have been assembled with glues containing epoxy resin which is weather resistant.
You can give your teak furniture a spring clean using hot soapy water and a scrubbing brush, this will restore bring out the natural colours in the wood.
If required a pressure hose can be used at 60-80 bar [900-1200psi] at a distance of no less than 30cm.Add a small amount of bleach to the water once a year. This will stop algae growing on the surface.
You can remove any grease spots by washing immediately with light detergent, or just leave nature to take its course.
You may notice small cracks appearing in the timber 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.
Teak oil will enhance the natural finish of the wood, for best results apply it to new furniture.Be sure to read the instructions carefully before use.If the wood is wet, the teak oil will darken on contact so make sure it is fully dried out before you start.
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