Foolproof Tips to Care for Cedar Patio Furniture

If you’ve recently purchased cedar outdoor furniture, you’ve made a great choice. Perfect for long-term outdoor use, cedar furniture is durable and resistant to both rotting and insects. Cedar furniture can either be left in its beautiful natural state, or it can be treated. By evaluating your various options, and learning how best to care for your Western cedar furniture, you’ll ensure that the furniture lasts for years of dependable use.

Many people prefer to leave their cedar patio furniture in its natural state. Cedar furniture will require very little care as it ages naturally. For maintenance purposes, simply use a mild soap and water a few times a year and hand wash the furniture. Check all hardware to ensure that everything is tight and not rusting. With time, the furniture will age to a beautiful silver gray color and the grain will look slightly raised. If you find, over time, that your cedar furniture stains in places, you can easily remove these stains. A 20% solution of household bleach mixed in water will usually work to remove the stain. Mix one ounce of detergent for every gallon of water.

Should you decide to stain, paint or treat your cedar garden furniture, follow these steps to ensure a beautifully finished product. Wood sealers prevent moisture and dirt from developing in the pores of the wood. They do allow the weathering process to occur, but they prevent the wood grain from raising. The wood sealer will need to be applied annually. Should you not want the natural weathering process to occur, select a sealer with ultra violet inhibitors. This will keep the sun from turning the wood a natural silver color with time. A similar idea is to apply a wood stain, as it will keep both the texture and color of the wood in its original state. Some stains have water repellent additives and mildew inhibitors as well, and it may be worthwhile to invest in a stain that has these added features. Stains work best on cedar outdoor furniture that has knots and deep surface texture. You should apply two coats of the stain to the wood furniture annually.

Two other options for treating cedar garden furniture include using oil and paint. A wood oil will preserve the color and texture, as a stain does, but it won’t protect the wood from color changes with age. It will, however, slow down the aging process and repel water. Do not choose teak or linseed oil for cedar outdoor furniture, as these oils often collect dust particles which will then stick to the furniture. Cedar patio furniture can be painted, but the paint may blister and peel with time. If you are searching for natural wood furniture that you can paint, poplar and other treated wood furniture may be a better choice than cedar. These choices accept paint better than do cedar, redwood and teak.

With very little care, cedar outdoor furniture will last for many years of fantastic use. Whether you want to enjoy your cedar garden furniture in its natural state, or you want to stain, oil or paint the furniture, it will offer you a beautiful, long-lasting choice for outdoor enjoyment.