Wooden Garden Furniture

You simply can't beat the luxurious look of a top quality set of wooden garden furniture. Wooden garden furniture is often sold as a patio set consisting of a table, four or six chairs and a parasol. Outdoor patio furniture is made of woods that are weather resistant, so you won’t need to worry about those summer afternoon thundershowers. Ethical considerations should rule the choice of timber for wooden furniture.

Wood

The standard wood used for good-quality garden used to be oak, these days tropical hardwoods have taken the place of oak in the manufacture of garden furniture. Wooden garden furniture requires proper care and maintenance to keep them in good condition. There are many different types of wood used in the making of wooden garden furniture such as Brazilian cherry, cedar, mahogany, teak, eucalyptus, alder, cypress, pine and shorea.

Wooden garden furniture can suffer through exposure to the elements and therefore needs to be periodically treated, for example with varnish. Many people are unsure how to best care for wooden garden furniture during the winter months. Without treatment, your wooden garden furniture will gradually turn a silver grey colour but, even when this happens, your furniture will still give many years of service.

Teak

Teak is a commonly used material for outdoor furniture and is generally regarded as the best hardwood for garden furniture because of its stability, durability and resistance to wear. Teak wood is known for is durability and strength, and its timeless beauty even after being exposed to the weather is unequaled to that of any other material. Teak outdoor garden furniture never requires additional oils added to the finish of the wood the teak outdoor garden furniture may however mildew or the color will become irregular. Re-applying teak oil can only be done when the dirt which has built up over the season is completely removed by with warm soapy water and a good brush. To protect your clothing, please ensure that the teak oil has dried fully before using the furniture.

Maintenance tips

• Treat hardwood garden furniture at least twice a year to preserve its colour.
• Any oil which remains on the surface must be removed with a cloth and please make sure that the furniture is fully dry before you use it. We have known
• people to ruin a lovely set of clothes by sitting on newly oiled furniture.
• If you have the space, protect your wooden garden furniture by storing it inside during the winter.
• Store the wooden garden furniture under a cover for the winter to protect the wood against moisture rot.
• To make sure the furniture lasts, it should be cleaned every couple of weeks with a solution of mild washing up liquid and warm water and then rinsed well. Dark spots may occur if the furniture is placed in the shady spot under a tree due to falling sap and excretions from aphids.
• Another common problem which can spoil the look of your garden furniture is when small amounts of sap resin will appear on the surface of the wood.

Ecological And Ethical Considerations

Burma, a country run by amilitary dictatorship which severely violates human rights. Trade in Burmese teak causes large-scale deforestation and finances armedconflict in that country. Some wooden garden furniture is of questionable origin and sometimes either the source of the furniture is unknown or its source is forests which are not sustainably managed.