Tips on buying bespoke garden furniture and protecting them against bad weather conditions.

Posted on November 29, 2010

Selecting your bench or table can be a tricky task and you should look out for helpful signs such as the strength and quality of timber used, timber from sustainable sources, any durability guarantees and whether the piece of hardwood furniture is mass produced or not. Hand built products, generally have pride, time and workmanship invested into them. This doesn't mean that mass produced items cannot be strong and long lasting so don't rule them out but make sure that the quality of wood isn't inferior and usually if they manage to meet any kind of sustainable standard or quality guarantee then that would suggest the maker of these products has a certain amount of pride attached to them.

Search online for the company's registered name and see if they have had any press or reviews. You may find previous customers who have posted a review on one of many forums out there about the company you are thinking of buying from.

Treating your garden furniture is your responsibility! If you do live in areas that experiences harsh Autumns and Winters then make sure you protect them as much as you can. Make sure you use a good quality timber care product and cover over in protective sheeting when out of season. That said, it is quite acceptable to simply leave quality made hardwood garden furniture outdoors without any treatment whatsoever and it will weather naturally, however, timber care products can play a key role in ensuring your garden furniture's lifespan is long lasting.

You should apply multiple coats of quality teak oil. This will enhance the grain and give a lovely oiled finish. This process, is not permanent, and should be maintained from time to time to return the rich natural colour of the timber. These applications will darken the timber over time. A more permanent treatment, such as Alfresco Protector can be applied to restore your weathered outdoor furniture.

At Woodcraft UK we hand build all of our hardwood bespoke outdoor furniture in Yorkshire with strength, seasoning, luxury, comfort and weather resistant properties as a priority. We can advise on best types of timber to use, product care, overall design, fixing systems and above all assurances of the longevity of our products.