This Week: Renovating Garden Furniture

Nov 4 2007 Donny Sheridan

Diy Donny

Timber garden furniture weathers over the years and it's not long before the finish starts to look a bit tired.

This is due mostly to sunlight damage which allows water to penetrate and saturate the wood leaving your furniture looking the worse for wear.

Before you know it, your benches and tables start to turn green with algae.

At this point you may consider throwing out the furniture or donating it to the kids for their Guy Fawkes' bonfire. But think again!

The furniture is probably still in good condition and only needs a bit of TLC.

A quick clean, sand and a fresh coat of wood stain and it will soon be looking as good as new

You'll encounter many different brands and shades of woodstain while trudging round the DIY stores.

As well as adding colour to the surface of the wood, stains are designed to penetrate better than paint and provide protection against the elements.

A good starting point for advice is Smith and Rogers Ltd, Glasgow, call 0141 248 6341.

TOOLS YOU'LL NEED

Orbital/vibrating sander

Mixing stick

Small paint brush

Wire brush

Drill

MATERIALS

Screws

ESSAR Woodshield stain

Sandpaper P80 or P100 grit

Here's how it's done..

1 Garden furniture which has been left out in the elements a bit too long needs a bit of TLC to restore its former glory.

2 Leave the furniture to dry out, in a garage or shed is ideal, then use a wire brush to remove mosses, algae and mould.

3 If required, add a couple of extra galvanised screws to secure any joints that may have worked loose.

4 Sand the surface smooth using an orbital sander with P80 or P100 grit sandpaper. For awkward areas, attach the contour sander.

5 It is very important to stir the stain thoroughly to ensure the dye is well mixed so that you end up with an even shade.

6 Work the stain along the grain, spreading evenly. Allow first coat to dry then give a light sand and apply a second coat.

7 Job done

Donny's Top Tip: Wipe off surplus stain across the grain.