Guide to Caring For Softwood, Redwood And Pine Furniture

Timber is a natural material which means that every Rattan & Teak piece of wooden furniture is unique because every piece of timber has its own distinctive features.

We recommend installing wooden furniture on a flat, dry surface.

Many of our softwood, redwood and pine furniture products come with a ten-year guarantee, but there are natural processes at work outdoors which may change their appearance. Changes in temperature and humidity will cause expansion and contraction, so give your Rattan & Teak furniture time to adjust.

Some splits or cracks are part of the maturing process and will not affect strength or durability.

Knots embedded in the wood are natural and you may notice variations in colour, but once exposed to the sun the colour will even out.

Some of our products are pressure treated – this will be featured in the product details and is a process to maximise their life. When new however, this may cause ‘green-spotting’ but this will fade over time.

The ageing process creates a lovely silvery colour, but if you wish to retain the original colour, you can wash down the surface with a wood cleaning product and treat with a wood stain or paint containing preservative.

Installing Your Wooden Furniture

We would recommend installing your Furniture on decking, concrete or patio slabs that are cemented down and flat. If you want to sit your Furniture on grass or AstroTurf, we recommend digging a footing and laying a concrete pad where each foot of the furniture will sit. If the ground is not flat for your furniture you risk that over time the furniture may bow as it adjusts to the curvature of the ground. We recommend that any wooden furniture is not installed onto wet ground as over time this will increase the chance of subsidence and increase the likelihood of premature damage and rot to the wood that is in contact with the wet moisture.

Why we don’t recommend varnish or creosote

Varnish and Creosote are not recommended. Clear treatments are also not recommended as they lack pigment (colourant) which protects the furniture from UV rays which will result in the deterioration of colour.

Covers must allow the furniture to breathe

Only cover your furniture with a cover that allows your furniture to breathe. Covering your furniture may cause mildew, damp, sweating or wet rot especially if covered for a long period of time i.e. throughout the winter. If you do cover any timber, air circulation is vital, and no part of the cover should be touching the furniture. This applies to all types of wood such as Teak, Oak, Mahogany and any pressure treated timbers.

Splits and knots are normal

Wood is a natural, organic product and some cracks and splits are normal as your furniture acclimatises. Wood may expand and contract according to weather conditions, therefore, we cannot be held responsible for cracking, splitting, warping and shrinkage as this is a normal occurrence in all types of timber.

They are not detrimental to the strength or longevity of the product. Likewise, a few knots are normal and just tell the story of the tree that made them and their uniqueness.

Because of these occurrences, it may be necessary to periodically check the tightness of the nuts, bolts and screws and tighten if necessary (do not over-tighten). Resin is occasionally present in timber and is of no detriment to the furniture. Should this appear then we recommend that you wipe with white spirit.

Splits are perfectly normal on all types of wood, especially in hot weather, usually on tops of chairs, end of tables and ends of arms. They will close when it rains, or the weather is cooler. Cracking will not affect the stability of the furniture.

Product guarantees

Most Rattan & Teak products have guarantees against manufacturer faults and against rot, but there are natural processes at work outdoors which may change their appearance. Temperature and humidity will cause expansion and contraction, so give your Rattan & Teak products time to adjust.

Pressure Treatment

This is a process to maximise product life and appearance retention, but when new it may cause ‘green spotting’ as salt leaves the wood. This is in no way detrimental and will fade away over time.

Wood Treatment

Our Bronte and RSPB ranges of furniture come with a coating of wood protection. This protection has an excellent penetrating and dispersing action that gives an even coverage and is non-hazardous to humans, animals and harmless to plants, it won’t blister or peel as some pol-urethane products do.

Simple Product Care

The ageing process creates a lovely silvery colour, but if you wish to retain the original colour, you can wash down the surfaces with a wood cleaning product such as Golden Care Hardwood and Teak Cleaner and Colour Restorer and treat with a wood stain or paint containing preservative such as Frogsuit Wood Protector. See our full cleaning and care product range