While the image above may be a little extreme and over the top (albeit very picturesque), it’s safe to say the time has come to start getting our gardens ready for a cold and icy winter. For many of us, this will mean giving the grass a final cut and giving the paths a wash and a sweep. But the most important things that should be on all of our lists is to properly care and protect our garden furniture over the winter season. Now, it is important to know that this process may be different depending on what kind of garden furniture that you have. Today Inside Out Living will be focusing on how to protect wooden garden furniture over winter…
Give Your Furniture A Wash
The first step in protecting your wooden garden furniture over winter is to make sure that is lovely and clean. When it comes to cleaning, we recommend using a lint-free cloth, such as a duster, when gently wiping over the top. You may want to look into picking up a small brush at the shop to help remove any dust or crumbs that may have fallen into the small nooks and crevices. It is important to ensure that your wooden garden furniture is completely dry before storing it away to prevent any rotting.
Treat Your Wooden Furniture
Treating garden furniture is an essential part of protecting it over the winter period. Once you have washed your garden furniture, it is time for the wood treatment for outdoor furniture. This step takes slightly longer than the rest but is essential in ensuring you protect wooden garden furniture.
- Before treating any wooden furniture make sure the surface is clean and lightly sanded. Making sure to brush away any dust afterwards.
- Apply your first coat of oil with a long-haired natural-bristle brush, painting it on in the direction of the grain. Stir the oil before you start to avoid any colour variations.
- Apply a second coat, but we would strongly recommend letting the first one dry for at least an hour before applying the next.
- Your furniture will be ready to use again in 48 hours and it’ll be protected for another year.
- Treating garden furniture is now complete.
Protect Your Furniture
The final step to protect wooden garden furniture is to get well-fitting protective covers, which is arguably the most important step. Winter cover for outdoor furniture is more than simply covering your outdoor furniture in tarpaulin and a heavy object, although we have all been guilty of it at some point in time. Protective covers are especially important if you have recently made an investment into a new garden furniture set that you intend to last for a long period of time. Well fitted protective covers ensure that your beautiful garden furniture is preserved in a fine condition, something that another type of cover could not offer. We would highly recommend purchasing protective covers at the time of purchase so that you have the dimensions readily available.
Bring Your Outdoor Furniture Indoors
Even better still, if you are lucky enough to have a shed or a garage with enough storage space to protect wooden garden furniture, then we would certainly suggest opting for this solution. However, it is also a good idea to think about how you can turn your outdoor furniture into indoor furniture. This can easily be achieved by a few simple steps of softening the look of our outdoor furniture, by adding soft furnishings and accessories to it. Inside Out Living has also put together a handy guide on how to make the most of your outdoor dining furniture.
