Useful info from JYSK about looking after garden furniture

Wood
Wood products require maintenance to stay looking good. If you follow the instructions below, you'll be able to enjoy your garden furniture for many years to come.

Hardwood
Hardwood is related to teak but does not have exactly the same properties. There is more tension in the wood and it doesn't contain anywhere near as much oil as teak. Although our hardwood furniture is oiled at the factory, we recommend that you re-oil yours before you start using it.

Teak
Teak contains a great deal of oil. When the wood has a high oil content, oiling is not required. Teak is also lighter than hardwood and tension does not occur to the same extent.

Treatment and care
Garden furniture must not be cleaned until it has acclimatized and had it’s first dressing of oil. It should be oiled immediately after being unpacked and assembled. With regular maintenance – oiling – and seasonal cleaning, with a product such as Jutlandia Care wood refresher, you will be able to enjoy your furniture for years to come.

   

Wash the furniture thoroughly and follow the instructions on the packaging. If the furniture is still dirty, repeat the procedure
  

If you own a pressure washer, it's ideal for this sort of cleaning                             
The wood in hardwood furniture has had a long journey from the Brazilian forests. Even if it's been oiled at the factory, we recommend that you give it an extra treatment before starting to use your furniture. The wood must be completely dry before it is oiled:

  

Use an oil, such as Jutlandia Care Hardwood Sealer Oil, which is specially formulated for hardwood. An oil treatment should be carried out 2-3 times over the spring and summer and is also recommended before the furniture is put away for the winter.
  

If the furniture is exposed to bright sunlight you should oil it several times. In order to achieve optimal life, apply the oil wet-on-wet at intervals of around 30 minutes until the wood is uniformly saturated. About 30 minutes after the last coat, wipe off the excess oil.


Teak


   

Teak does not require oiling and if the furniture is not treated at the factory, it will subsequently take on a whitish sheen. If you are not bothered about keeping this natural teak colour, you can oil the furniture in the same way as you would hardwood.

Use an oil formulated specially for teak such as Jutlandia Care Teak Sealer Oil. If you do start to treat your teak furniture it will then require regular oiling just like the hardwood furniture does.


Mould and fungal attack

Even if you regularly treat your garden furniture with oil, mould and fungal attacks may still occur. The commonest sign of this is parts of the furniture becoming dark and in some cases almost black. Generally you can rectify the problem as follows:
  

Wash the furniture thoroughly with wood cleaner (e.g. Jutlandia Care wood refresher). Follow the instructions on the packaging. If the furniture is still dirty, repeat the procedure.
  

If there are still dark patches after the furniture has been washed with wood cleaner, prepare a strong liquid chlorine solution. Wash the affected areas with the chlorine solution and then rinse thoroughly with water.
  If the chlorine treatment doesn't work either, only sandpaper and elbow grease are left. Sand the affected areas until you reach healthy wood. You can also use a pressure washer. Whichever method you use, you must always finish with the type of oil meant for the wood in question.


Mildew

Mildew is a harmless type of fungus that appears as dry white dust – usually on the thickest parts of the furniture. Mildew often occurs due to the wood being transported to Europe, as large fluctuations in temperature and high air humidity are ideal breeding grounds for mildew.
  Wipe off the mildew with a cloth or brush. Additional treatment is not normally required, but a coat of wood oil is a good idea.


Wind warping, warpage and retightening

  

Wood is a natural product that is sensitive to its environment. This means that wooden garden furniture reacts to different types of weather. Cracks ("wind marks") and warping can occur which are due to tension in the wood. Which means it's vital that you re-tighten fixings at regular intervals.


Winter storage

  

In the winter you should store your garden furniture properly. So don't put it in a warm, dry place as this will dry out the wood. The perfect place to store your furniture is a garage or carport where the furniture can stay under cover but still receive some ventilation. Don't cover your furniture with plastic or similar materials as this can lead to the wood getting rotten and mouldy.