A helpful guide to choosing the right garden furniture and how to make it last.Make the most of your garden by choosing some gorgeous garden furniture to go in it.

It will be worthwhile doing some research before buying any garden furniture.This research will pay off when you have the right garden furniture that will last a lifetime.Here are some important tips to bear in mind.

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 have elected to keep the garden furniture outside all year round, you will need to go for hardwood, aluminium or wrought iron that won’t rust.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.

You will benefit greatly from choosing the best materials and design for the purpose.Decide what kind of material for your garden furniture would best compliment your patio or garden.Try to avoid materials that will upset the balance of your garden.

Because of it is lightweight, comfortable and beautiful, wood is the best material for garden furniture.Teak, iroko and courbaril are all great for garden furniture as they have a high oil content.You can leave such woods outside throughout the seasons.

Make sure that mortice and tenon joints are used for your teak garden furniture and not bolts which corrode.If there are metal nuts and bolts, make sure that they are made from rust proof materials namely: aluminium, stainless steel or brass.

All teak garden furniture should be made from premium materials so that it there are no surface defects that could affect the integrity of the material.Premium manufacturers dry the wood in a kiln to seal in the moisture and avoid cracks forming.

To ensure that the joints won’t fail in cold weather or rain, check that they have been glued with epoxy resin based glues.

The best way to clean your teak furniture is to scrub it with hot soapy water, this will restore the weathered silvery look.

If you do want to wash it down with a pressure hose, do so at 60-80 bar (psi 900 – 1200) but don’t get closer than 30cm from the surface.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.

You may notice small cracks appearing in the timber when the weather is dry.This is natural and no action needs to be taken as when the moisture in the atmosphere increases the timber will return to its original condition.

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.If the wood is wet, the teak oil will darken on contact so make sure it is fully dried out before you start.

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