Cleaning and maintaining outdoor woodwork

Here is some good advice about how to treat and maintain outdoor wooden furniture, garden furniture and other furniture and wooden terraces, etc.

1. Has algae started to grow on your wooden terrace?

… If it has, the time has come to give it a thorough clean. Algae and other deposits, that make your wooden terrace green and slippery, retain moisture and can be a direct cause of damage to the wood if left untreated as they increase the risk of mould and decay.

Be particularly careful if you find green algae on your terrace when the air is even remotely humid. The surface can become so slippery that it can be almost like an ice-skating rink.

Recommended: Clean the terrace thoroughly with WOCA Exterior Wood Cleaner.

2. Always clean wooden furniture before oiling

Always clean your wooden furniture before treating with oil – even if it is brand new. The cleaning process removes mould that may not be visible to the naked eye and will cause the wood to expand for better oil adhesion. When cleaning wooden furniture, remember not to do it on a wooden or tiled surface as drips may cause staining.

Recommended: It is a good idea to clean oil-treated woodwork with WOCA Exterior Wood Cleaner at some point during the season. This prevents the oil from breaking down and helps to extend the lifetime of the wood.

3. Do not use a high-pressure cleaner to clean your wooden terrace

High-pressure cleaning may seem like a very effective way to clean a wooden surface, but it can actually harm more than it helps. The extreme pressure can destroy wood fibres and leave an uneven surface, which will become more prone to dirt and algae than the original surface. Moisture also penetrates the wood so deeply that there is an increased risk of damage from mould and decay, which means a reduced lifetime for your wood.

4. A clean and simple all-round oil for wood

WOCA Exterior Wood Oil is a quality alkyd-based oil that is extremely well-suited for treating and protecting many types of outdoor woodwork, such as benches, fences, wooden furniture and so on. It deeply penetrates the wood, to produce a very hard-wearing surface that is well-protected against wind and the elements.

Please note: If WOCA Exterior Wood Oil is to work optimally, it is of course a requirement that the wood should be clean and dry before the oil is applied. Here, we recommend WOCA Exterior Wood Cleaner.

Before treating outdoor wood, REMEMBER:

• The wood must be completely clean and dry.
• Daytime temperature between 15-25°C.
• Air humidity below 80%.
• Avoid direct sunlight.
• Treatment must only be applied in dry weather conditions.

5. When can you oil your wooden terrace?

Your wooden terrace can become so warm on a hot and sunny day that the oil cures too quickly and is thus unable to penetrate the wood deeply enough. This means that the wood forms a surface film or crust that will soon start to flake.

Recommended: Ideally, the temperature should be somewhere between 15 and 20 degrees, so the oil can cure at the right speed, while deeply penetrating the wood. Apply the oil during dry weather conditions, and ideally during late morning so the night’s dew has evaporated, and the oil has time to dry during the day before the next night’s dew.

6. Add colour to your wooden garden furniture

You can bring a new and attractive look to older wooden garden furniture with WOCA Exterior Wood Oil, which has good coverage and retains the visible wood structure of your furniture. The oil is available in white, black, birch grey and rock grey.