Protect your outdoor wooden furniture from winter 

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Protect your outdoor wooden furniture from winter 

As the warm weather starts to disappear, the time we spend in the garden tends to decrease. And as the weather becomes wetter and windier, our outdoor wooden furniture can take a bit of a beating. While it’s not in use so much, it’s a good moment to check over and maintain your garden furniture. To protect it and give it a long life, follow these simple steps. 

Give your furniture a bit of TLC 

After a summer outdoors, much of your wooden furniture is likely to need a bit of TLC to keep it in good condition. The first and most basic thing you can do is give it a clean. It may only need a brush down. But if you’re planning to put your furniture away for winter, wipe it over with a damp cloth to remove dirt, debris and any insects. And make sure it’s thoroughly dry before folding it up and putting it away. 

It’s also a good idea to check your furniture over and carry out any necessary repairs while the weather is still mild. Check over bolts, hinges, and other fixings on your furniture, to ensure they’re properly tightened and rust-free. Adding a few drops of a lubricant such as WD-40 will help keep mechanisms protected and working well. 

Look over your furniture to check the condition of the wood. Flaking and cracking is a problem that’s only going to get worse if it’s left. So, take the time to sand, fill and treat where necessary. This will help any furniture, such as benches, remain outdoors and survive the winter. And it will ensure any stored furniture is ready to use again next spring.  

Preserve the wood 

Often when you buy outdoor wooden furniture, it’s pre-treated. But that doesn’t mean you never need to maintain it. From time-to-time wood needs a new coat of stain, preserver or paint to help keep it weatherproof.  

Not all products work in the same way or last as long. So, it’s worth spending a bit of time checking what you need and what will work the best. It’s wise to check wood preserver reviews, to be sure it goes on well and know you’ll get the results you’re after.  

Do make sure you apply enough coats of your preserver and follow the instructions on the tin to be sure it does its job properly. It should tell you what temperatures it will dry in and how long to leave between coats. 

If you’re using paint on your furniture to protect it, do check the paint is suitable for exterior use and wood surfaces. And make sure your furniture is suitable for painting. If it’s already treated with a stain, oil or preserver, it may not be suitable for painting. And untreated wood may need an undercoat or primer first. 

Store your furniture properly 

Ideally, you want to store wooden chairs and tables away somewhere dry with good air circulation to protect furniture over winter.  A shed, garage or outbuilding is usually a good option. But you may need to remove and store fabric cushions elsewhere, to prevent mould and mildew forming.  

Of course, it’s not always possible to store wooden garden furniture inside. Garden benches in particular tend to stay outside all year round. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to protect them over winter. Moving them to a more sheltered spot, so they avoid the worst of the wind and rain, is a good idea. And moving any wooden furniture legs from wet ground such as soil and grass, and onto a well-draining hard surface such as the patio, will help prevent them from rotting.  

You may also be able to buy covers for your furniture to help protect them. Covers that are waterproof and breathable generally work the best at keeping your furniture in a good condition. 

Following these simple steps, will keep your wooden outdoor furniture protected from winter.