Give Outdoor Furniture a Leg Up

We all have our favorite pieces of outdoor furniture; and every year, when we take them out of storage, they seem to have new scratches that we've never noticed before.

Indeed, wood outdoor furniture can suffer a lot, through years of heavy use; but there are some easy steps that you can take to keep it in good condition.  Moreover, it helps if you begin protecting it when it's new, by finishing it with a stain/sealer that is resistant to UV rays and mildew.

Once you have given your outdoor furniture this leg up in life (so to speak), all you can do is to set it out, and let it take its lumps – and bumps.  Luckily, even though you won't be able to prevent every accident, there are several things that you can do to repair the resulting scratches and stains.

Sometimes, minor nicks can be hidden, and, essentially, wiped away, with furniture stains.  If these don't do the job, try using a mixture of paste wax and elbow grease; just apply the wax, and buff vigorously.

To make deeper scratches disappear, rub the area, in the direction of the grain, with superfine sandpaper and baby oil or mineral oil.  You can use either wet or dry sandpaper, unless you're working on an old piece of veneer, which may have tiny high spots that can be stripped of their finish by wet sandpaper.  For truly radiant results, follow up with superfine steel wool that has been coated with oil soap, then wax and buff the entire surface.

You may also want to try a special touch-up pen, which you can get from a wood-finishing supplier.  Available in a variety of shades to match virtually any wood tone, these pens allow you to seal and refinish scratches and worn-out spots.  After you have prepared the damaged area by rubbing it lightly with mineral spirits and superfine sandpaper, go over it with the pen, then even it out with your finger.  Repeat this process until the fresh finish is sufficiently built up, and the scratch is no longer visible.

Besides scratches, wood furniture is often marred by white rings that can occur when someone sets down a glass without using a coaster.  If you blot up moisture in time, the ring may go away on its own.  Otherwise, try going over the spot a few times with a hair dryer, on a low setting, keeping it at least six inches away, so that the wood will get warm, but not hot.  After that, if the ring is still visible, rub on some boiled linseed, olive, or vegetable oil, and wipe it clean.

If nail polish gets spilled on your wood outdoor furniture, just let it dry.  Because its solvents can soften and remove the finish, if you try to wipe it up, you'll just make the spot bigger.  Wait for it to harden, then gently scrape it off with something plastic, such as a credit card or a driver's license; finish by waxing the area with superfine steel wool.

Of course, sometimes, the best solution is to get all new outdoor furniture.  If this is the case, go to CedarStore.com, where you can choose from one of the largest selections available anywhere.

At CedarStore.com, along with classic, decay-resistant wood outdoor furniture, you'll find aluminum, polywood, and vinyl outdoor furniture that is scratch-proof, nearly indestructible, and available in dozens of spectacular colors.

To see the entire collection, go to cedarstore.com.  To contact a design consultant or a customer service representative, call 888-293-2339, or e-mail contact@cedarstore.com.

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About the Author:
Kathy Moran for CedarStore. com
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