Choosing and maintain your garden furniture with the help of this guide.As the garden and patio are becoming increasingly important areas of your house, so too is your garden furniture.

It will be worthwhile doing some research before buying any garden furniture.If you choose the right set for you it will bring you much enjoyment and longevity.This guide will help you to find the right set for you.

The first thing that you will need to decide is whether you want furniture that you can store away over winter or that you can leave outside all year round.If you want your garden furniture to be a permanent part of your garden for aesthetic reasons then it is recommended that you go for heavy furniture made from hardwood, aluminium or wrought iron with rust proofing.Don’t be tempted to buy cheaper materials as you will only need to replace them which will cost you more in the long run.

Getting the right construction and material will make all the difference.Choose a material that will complement you garden or patio garden.Try to avoid materials that will upset the balance of your garden.

Wood is the firm favourite for garden furniture it has all the necessary attributes but it will need some maintainance.The most common hardwoods used in garden furniture are teak, iroko or courbaril because of they are have a high natural oil content.These are good as they can be left outside all year round.

Make sure that mortice and tenon joints are used for your teak garden furniture and not bolts which corrode.Any fittings that are metal should be made from aluminium, brass or stainless steel so that they don’t rust when exposed to the elements.   

Make sure the construction is only premium grade teak for our garden furniture, so any knots, cracks and other defects are eliminated before the timber is used to build the furniture.Premium manufacturers dry the wood in a kiln to seal in the moisture and avoid cracks forming.

Check that glues containing epoxy resin has been used on the joints – this will ensure that they don’t crack apart in cold weather.

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.To stop algae growing on the surface and enhance the colour, you can scrub it with bleach once a year.

You can remove any grease spots by washing immediately with light detergent, or just leave nature to take its course.

During periods of dry weather, the wood might start to crack slightly.Don’t worry about this, the wood will regain its moisture naturally overtime.

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.Only use teak oil on dry wood, moisture will cause the surface to turn black.

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