Sanded garden furniture, what now?

[Brom]

Hi Everyone

This is my first post and I (British Expat now living in Germany) really in need of some help!

Two years ago I bought some (acacia) garden furniture in a shop in Cologne, Germany. After one year the original color faded and became blotchy so I decided to sand all of the furniture down and start again. I went out to the local DIY shop and asked for some Danish Oil after reading that it is really good. However, they have never heard of it and gave me some teak oil. I applied one coat of oil outside and went off to do some shopping. Whilst I was out it rained and I now have horrible black marks on my table. I've tried washing the table off but the marks remain. I have now sanded the table again but do not know what to do next. I have since found out that Amazon (Germany) sell Mylands Danish Oil.

Can anyone give me some suggestions as to how I should finish the table so that I don't have black marks on my table after rain.

Thanks in advance.

Brom

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

I'm not sure why you got black marks after rain, but teak oil should be fine for your furniture, just make sure you apply it when it is not going to rain. You can apply it by rag or brush, with your first coat, put plenty on, allow to stand for ten minutes (less if its hot) then wipe off the excess with a clean rag or kitchen paper. ( with oil, less is more). repeat this three or four times, allow to dry hard then sand flat with 240grit paper. Apply two more thin coats of oil with a rag, smoothing the oil out as you go. This should give you a very nice finish that will last and will be easy to maintain, when it is looking a bit tired all you will need to do is give it a cut back with a green kitchen nylon pan scourer and apply one or at the most two more coats.
If all that is too much work for you, you could buy some osmo wax oil, (http://www.agwoodcare.co.uk/prod/osmo_u ... n_oil.html ) brush on two coats and your done!

 

[Harbo]

I now use Osmo UV Protection oil - works really well on my garden furniture.

Rod

 

[paulm]

I can't be bothered with the time and effort involved with maintaining outdoor furniture, too much else to be doing !

All our benches, chairs and tables are left to weather naturally, why not, looks fine and natural, and the table and chairs must be eight to ten years old now I would think and still perfectly functional !

Cheers, Paul

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Leaving your garden furniture to weather naturally is all well and good but you are forgetting that Brom is in Germany, if he did that he would have the "untidy garden police" pay him a visit. Unless the germans have chilled out since I was last there

 

[wcndave]

I had to restore a piece recently, that had been out for 8 years with no treatmet and was just grey and horrible. Did the full works and looks great now.

My preferred routine is a bit of all the above. Light sand every 4 years, 2 quick coats of oil with a cloth every 2 years. Certainly could not be bothered with full sanding and oiling every year. I rotate, half one year, half the next. The furniture has a weathered look, not "shop new", but not totally decrepit.

I think this gives te best look and some protection, with least effort. Wiping with a cloth is so fast. I use something called "oil for wood" which has the word "straw" on it, however whether that's colour or source is not clear. I think any oil will do. Linseed, tung, danish blend, olive, sunflower....

 

[Brom]

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

I bought the Osmo UV oil on Saturday together with some water based stain. I stained one of the chairs yesterday which now looks good and has evened out the color of some lighter and darker parts of the wood. I did notice something strange, however. The table I sanded down seems to be 'bleeding' oil. It's really strange and I've never seen this before. Anyone else come across this before? It's definitely not the previous oil I put on before the rain damage. Maybe it's the result of sanding??

Will this be a problem given that I've bought some water based stain?

Any ideas welcome.

Thanks

Brom