Wooden surfaces in outdoor space such as terrace and garden furniture, need regular maintenance to endure the and natural wearing out. Terrace oiling or garden furniture painting are some of the most common home projects in summer season. With years of experience answering customers' questions, Tikkurila technical advisers have collected great tips to help you planning a successful garden maintenance project.
One general rule with maintaining outdoor space is to keep it clean. If terrace, fence or furniture surfaces are in good condition, using suitable detergent to wash off dirt is the top maintenance tip. Washing will not only keep surface clean from dirt but also reduce mold growing.
Tips on maintaining terraces and garden furniture
For preparation work
- Water drop test is an easy method to test out the wood oil treated surface condition. If water drop gets absorbed into wood quickly, it means oiled surface has worn off and needs treatment again. If water drop stays in shape, it’s a sign that your terrace oil surface is still in a good condition.
- To avoid wood oil forming film layer on wood, surface should be absorbing and without any previous treatment film while oiling it. It is important to scrap off as much as possible old treatment from surfaces. If washing is not sufficient, use sandpaper to sand off the remaining oil.
- It’s good to sand off discolouration part and loose fiber from old wood surfaces so oil treatment can be absorbed better into the wood.
- Colour from previously treated surface can affect new colour of maintenance painting or oiling. Make sure treated surface is washed and scraped off from old colour properly.
Painting
- Beginning of summer is a good time to oil terrace while wood had time to dry up after spring. Partly cloudy and warm day is the best weather to carry out oiling or painting job. Sunny day with direct sunshine is not ideal for painting job. After terrace oiling, there should be also a day without rain to allow surface to dry up.
- Previously oil treated surface should be maintained by oil only.
- It’s always recommended to use tinted or ready shade wood oil. Wood oil with colour pigment will give better protection against UV lights’ greying effect on wood.
- Always buy wood oil according to the size of your project. Left over oil doesn’t preserve long in opened can.
Tips on maintaining wooden fences
- One of the biggest challenges with wooden fences is vegetation that grows un-invitedly, such as mold or other type of fungus. It’s good idea to always keep an eye on the fungus situation and keep fence surfaces clean. Tikkurila Aitamaali is a perfect choice to keep fences clean from fungus.
- Do not paint over a moulded surface, use detergent to clean off mouldy part before painting wooden fence.
- Remember to paint properly both ends of wooden board on fence, several times if need. Sawed end will absorb generously moisture if left untreated and can affect that the paint peels off.
- If there’s no roofing, horizontal position wooden board on top of fences often wears off quicker than vertical ones, and therefore requires more care and maintenance.
- Cloudy and warm days are the best painting weather.
Looking for useful tips and inspiring ideas for your terrace and garden projects?
Order Tikkurila newsletter to get professional advice and inspiration for exterior painting season.
You’re visiting Tikkurila website from United Kingdom. Would you like to visit the local UK site?
