Outdoor Furniture, Outdoor Patio and Outdoor Gardens

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   What to use to treat and protect new wood patio furniture?
   Not sure of exactly what type of wood it is. Should we use Teak Oil? Or Thompson's Water Seal? Or a simple varnish?

   • ANSWER:
     Find out what kind of wood it is, & you could get a better answer to your question.
     Teak oil is kind of a light coating for an oily wood like teak, similar to Australian Timber oil, they both work great for what they were designed for, & like Thompson's if you're leaving the furniture out in the elements as opposed to beneath a covered porch mostly out of the sun you should think of it as a kind of yearly maintainence chore, to be done at the beginning/end of the season.
     Even a semi-transparent stain's not a bad way to go for most wood, just don't put anything on them that'll leave enough of a film to require scraping/sanding off to re-do when the time comes, as that increases your job time by a factor of anywhere from 2-4.

2. QUESTION:
   How do you care for and clean teak wood patio furniture?
   Our teak furniture is looking dirty or mildewy. I am wondering how to make it look clean or more fresh looking. It is only a year old.

   • ANSWER:
     My recommended way to clean teak patio furniture is to mix in a bucket a 3 parts mild laundry detergent with one part bleach mixture with water.

     Now wash the furniture using a soft bristle brush. Do not use a hard bristle brush as it may damage the furniture. After you have given the furniture a good scrub with the cleaning mix rinse the entire piece of furniture to make sure all dirt is removed.

3. QUESTION:
   I'm going to paint my old wood patio furniture. Since it will be in the sun, what type of paint should i use?
   Should i use a base coat? Can I use a spray acrylic? In the past, the paint has always bubbled up on the furniture I kept in the sun.

   • ANSWER:
     It bubbled because your furniture wasn't dry and you trapped moisture in it or you painted in direct sun light that was too hot. What ever you do make sure you use a water based paint unless you know what kind was put on from the start you don't want to put oil based paint over water based BUT you can put water based over oil, oil based paint will tend to lift the water based paint off. Use some 100 grit paper and scuff up the areas where the paint has bubbled off and you can use an acrylic spray paint or acrylic paint with a brush just don't paint in direct sun it dries too fast. As far as curing most paints take 2 weeks to 30 days to fully cure, Good luck Les the painter If you do chose to put a urathane on please use a water based polyacrylic NOT oil based.

4. QUESTION:
   I just realized I stained my wood patio furniture with interior stain... what now?
   I stained the furniture with Minwax oil based stain in a dark jacobean color. I haven't finished it with poly...yet. Everything is covered in case it rains tonight...

   • ANSWER:
     Get a good exterior urethane or clear coat that has uv inhibtors in it. Put 2-3 coats minimum on it and it should be fine.

5. QUESTION:
   How do I fix wood patio furniture which has dried out and split in places?

   • ANSWER:
     Clamp and glue using outdoor wood cement. Either fill splits with glue or plastic wood. Re- surface the wood with an outside varnish, stain whatever.

6. QUESTION:
   What can be use to treat and protect new wood patio furniture?

   • ANSWER:
     That would depend on what you want to proteTeak wood is gorgeous and adds a lot of value to patio and other areas in your home. ... Others prefer to continually seal and protect their teak furniture to maintain the ... First treat your pieces with a teak protectant. ct it from. € ... The old world product is linseed oil.

7. QUESTION:
   how do you protect and finish teak wood patio furniture?
   to retain its mahgony color. (no turning gray/silver)

   • ANSWER:
     Rub linseed oil on it. You take a spray bottle of water and spray the wood surface. If it beads up, then it does not need any oil, if it starts soaking in, apply oil liberally. Make sure you apply several coats and allow time for the oil to soak in. Test different areas of the furniture since they get different exposure to the sun.

8. QUESTION:
   how do I stain wood furniture?
   it has already been stained but is in desperate need of re-staining because of weather damage and art project damage (...haha oops!). it's outdoor patio furniture, not sure what kind of wood. what kind of supplies do i need to take on this project and can i do it inexpensively while still making the furniture look in good quality?

   • ANSWER:
     You definately need to sand it down, especially any darkly stained or damaged areas. If you want to go with a darker color stain than the one that is on there, then you will not have to sand as much. If you want to go with a lighter stain than you will need to sand down to almost bare wood. Make sure to use an exterior stain and exterior polyurethane (spar is my favorite exterior poly). You can use interior products but they will fade and wear down much faster. Make sure when polyurethaning that you sand lightly between each coat as this will leave a glass-like finish. Any other questions you can contact me from my website which offers a bunch of free advice and tips for painting. http://thepaintprofessional.com/

9. QUESTION:
   Could a stained wood table be okay outdoors? Would it be weather proof to use as patio furniture?

   • ANSWER:
     unless polyurethaned or sealed
     I wouldnt use it in the elements

10. QUESTION:
    hard wood garden furniture...treatment??
    i recently bought a beech coloured hard wood set of patio furniture...it was expensive but i bought it as i liked the colour of the wood.

    my husband (when i was out) treated it with 'teak oil'..and it has completely changed the colour...and i now hate it...so as you can imagine..we exchanged a few words!

    my husband said it is the correct treatment for the wood...and it has to be treated. anybody know if this is true... are you supposed to coat outdoor wood in teak oil?? thank you for any serious answers.

    p.s. he told me to ask on Yahoo...to prove he is right!!

    • ANSWER:
      As a member of his gender, I am sorry to say he is WRONG!
      TEAK oil is a darker colour than beech wood, hence it will obviously darken the colour of "beech coloured hardwood".
      To best retain the appearance of light coloured woods, I recommend a clear water-based exterior varnish. There are many brands on the market these days, your local hardware store will advise. Oils are good for wood, but they generally darken the colour initially, with the added disadvantage of not sealing the wood from staining by just about anything else. Try washing it off with caustic soda and bleaching it to get the original colour back. (Well, let him do it to retrieve the relationship. hehehe)

11. QUESTION:
    Does leather furniture, sofa and loveseat no wood, survive the elements in FL, on patio under gazebo?

    • ANSWER:
      I agree - leather will mildew and mold and will require constant care - go with sumbrella

12. QUESTION:
    How can I protect indoor wood furniture from outdoor elements?
    Me and my friends want to revamp my patio with a few chairs and tables.We were wondering if there was a way we can take indoor wood furniture and condition it so it can be protected from outdoor elements.

    • ANSWER:
      In general wooden furniture doesn't do well outside unless it is made from teak, cypress and heart redwood.

      It is very difficult to completely seal the wood from moisture specially at glue joints and on the bottom of feet. Also the glue used is not water resistant or water proof.

      If the patio is covered so there is no direct way for water to get to the furniture, you might get it to last for a few years.

      The single biggest problem is water wicking up into the wood from contact with the ground, concrete, bricks or patio stones. The other problem is glue failure at joints and on any veneers or plywood that may be on or in the furniture.

13. QUESTION:
    Can you (or should you) have a fire pit on a wood deck vs. a patio.?
    We are looking at getting Patio furniture for our deck and we would really like to have a fire pit. I am concerned that becasue they tend to be low to the ground that having them on a wood deck would be a fire hazzard or even cause less serious damage.

    • ANSWER:
      Would you eat a popsicle over a wedding dress? No way. I have 3 firepits and they put out sparks, even the ones with enclosures. This is why fireplaces have hearths. Don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!

14. QUESTION:
    how do i care for my ACACIA WOOD patio furntiure,can i treat as any wood product? can i weather proof it?
    i bought this furniture at IKEA, worried about ruining it if i do not take care to treat the wood, starting to fade from weather.

    • ANSWER:
      i would do a google search on acacia furniture care.. im sure there are sites that can tell you what you need.

15. QUESTION:
    If you could have a piece of patio furniture custom made what would it be?
    Obscure question, I know. My father is a master craftsman in the realm of wood, recently jobless, and in need of consumer information. His current situation leaves him in need of taking few investments on spec. Ideas and creativity are overwhelmingly present, however we would really love to know, for economy's sake, what you want.

    • ANSWER:
      My wife and I have been looking for wooden patio furniture made from renewable/reclaimed sources. Those that we have found are normally trendy and that simply is not our style. The ideal is simple, affordable, traditional patio sets for us. We would love a "living room" type set for the from patio (love seat, arm chairs, coffee table, etc.) and a dining set out back.

16. QUESTION:
    Accidently sprayed paint on "wicker" furniture. How do I remove it without damaging the wood?
    I was spray painting and was not careful to move away a patio chair. How do I remove spray paint from it?

    Thank you

    • ANSWER:
      You could try paint thinner and/or FINE steel wool to get the paint off.

17. QUESTION:
    what colors would be best???
    i recently got some wood patio furniture. they are not brand new but new to me and very nice. i want to paint the chairs and table but dont want a dull brown. i was thinking of orange and maybe yellow. how would that look?? any suggestions. i want them bright and pretty

    • ANSWER:
      I think the burnt orange sounds nice but I would also recommend doing a hunter or sage green. That would complement the outside nicely. Look at this article for additional color combinations that would look nicely. http://apartments.typepad.com/my_pad/decorating_tips/index.html

18. QUESTION:
    Can Anyone tell me how to recognize teak wood versus eucalyptus?
    I need some outdoor patio furniture. I know that teak is stronger but I ignore how not to be fooled, by buying eucapyptus for teak. Thank you for your time..

    • ANSWER:
      Teak

      http://images.google.ca/images?um=1&hl=en&q=teak+wood+&btnG=Search+Images

      eucalyptus

      http://images.google.ca/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=eucalyptus+wood

19. QUESTION:
    What's the best cleaner and sealer for teak wood?
    Specifically for teak patio furniture. I want the least amount of elbow grease and the most amount of clean and protect without the teak oil.

    • ANSWER:
      Ceitol for sure

      Painter and Painter and stainer for 6 years

20. QUESTION:
    algae or moss is growing on our slate patio. Looking for homemade solution to kill the growth?
    Can I use a bleach mixture to kill light green film that's growing on slate and wood furniture?

    • ANSWER:
      Yes, but it will kill all the vegetation it gets on, too. And, unless you cure the problem, it will be back in a week

21. QUESTION:
    Can cats scratch up rattan furniture?
    I have a very small apt. and would like to remodel and furnish my living room in something like rattan patio type furniture. Is rattan sturdy enough to hold up to cat scratches? I know that they can sure tear up some wood, but I didn't know if there claws could grip in the rattan.

    • ANSWER:
      Rattan is wood and therefore cats can damage it if they choose. There is no wood that cats can't damage. You have to train your cats to go to scratching posts and mats covered with catnip and hope for the best. And keep their claws clipped often. We have two Maine Coons. They are large cats and they have huge claws. They have not destroyed our furniture but they love our woodwork. We are in the process of training them to not love our woodwork and it is working. We have tons of mats and toys with catnip and they seem to turn their attention to them. As I always say, find a way to redirect their interest. Catnip usually does that. Good luck and stay focused.

22. QUESTION:
    What kind of furniture or woodwork do you like or would like or even thought about buying?
    I love to woodwork and I cant find a job so I decide I can still make a little money buy making and selling any woodwork projects..
    So name any furniture or wood project you thought about buying but was too expensive or any furniture that is hard to find in store like patio furniture or game tables or anything like that?
    Here is my last project I made....http://stcloud.craigslist.org/fuo/1321721558.html
    I like the challenge of woodworking projects and thought of starting my own business if I start becoming a big hit with my woodworking
    Sorry about my grammar and Thank you for your time

    • ANSWER:
      We've just had to order a TV console for our new flat panel TV and I sort of had to settle for one, and we ended up custom ordering it from the company that made our office furniture. I'm in transition as far as my taste goes and while we'll currently use this in the living room, we'll eventually move it to the master bedroom. I have some contemporary and some antique and some country furniture and I'm trying to get rid of the country. Our needs were dictated by the size of our components (one, the largest, is a carousel DVD player that holds 400 CDs/DVDs), as well as the need for drawers for some storage, but no need for DVD storage because of the carousel we own. We order through a local furniture store. Hope this is the type of info you're after. I do advise that you always check your spelling in your ad; I noticed some errors and it looks bad when you're trying to sell something.

23. QUESTION:
    Thinking about getting a deck, but what would be best for my dogs?
    Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a good Saturday...

    My husband and I were talking about maybe getting a deck installed in our backyard in a couple months. Probably in the summer, so we could spend sometime outside with your friends on the patio or deck. My husband, and I thought we would get a patio...that way we don't have to deal with slivers in our dogs paws if we get a deck. Were not sure on how big we are going to get it yet, and we have a pretty big yard.

    We were wondering if we get a patio or deck....What would are dogs want more? More of the patio, or more grass, and yard to run in? Normally in these decisions we will think what us best for our dogs, and at this point I thought we would ask you guys!

    Here is a picture of are yard, so you can tell me what you think:
    http://i55.tinypic.com/2gwxjz7.jpg

    I think my dogs would want more (grass & yard) in the summer, but more (patio & deck) in the winter. So, would you think we should get a smaller patio, so there is more room for the dogs to play on the grass? Or bigger patio, so dogs have more places to play, or sleep. (Yes, they love sleeping outside in the summer, but they prefer floor to sleep on. Which is pretty much like patio.

    Could you also give your opinions on a deck or patio? I know this is the Dog Section, but I mean like opinions on which would be best for my dogs. I love them so much, and I want them to be happy with what we do!

    If this helps they normally like the grass to run, play and poop. As for floors they like to sleep, and stretch out. They like being close to us when they sleep, so I thought a patio would be great for them to sleep on. We would probably get a table as well. Maybe something like this...

    http://www.great-patio-furniture.com/images/wood-patio-set.gif

    or this....

    http://www.westlakehardware.com/common/cms/media/Patio%20Set%203.jpg

    Anyways, thank alot guys! You really help our decisions! By the way in case none of you had known I have 4 St. Bernard's if that helps the decision, and the size. lol
    Any more comments, and answers from me will be here in the (ADD).
    Pinky Promise: ?

    Greatful To Be A Golden: Thank-you, and um...I wouldn't state if were rich or not.
    Fidocit...(doesn't say the rest of your name): Thanks for your opinions, and I apologize I like in Canada (ON). Where we have all 4 seasons.
    Sisu- True, but would you get a bigger patio, or leave more yard?

    ms manners: That is true as well. I guess we could look in to getting a deck, but would I get a big deck, and less yard..or leave more grass?

    • ANSWER:
      Get what YOU want, because your dogs will not care. )

      Since you are in Canada, I assume you have a lot of snow, and a deck would be up above the snow....I would think that would be a plus.

      They make a number of decking materials, now, besides wood, so you can have a deck and not have to worry about splinters.
      ****
      Again, your dogs will not care. If you entertain a lot, then you need a bigger deck.
      If you are into volleyball or croquet, then you need more lawn. )

24. QUESTION:
    What do you think of horizontal wood blinds on a sliding patio door?
    I'm planning of putting up some horizontal wood blinds on my glass sliding door off my dining room. I like the look and was wondering if anyone else has done this. My furniture is dark cherry traditional so I'm thinking of going with a cream colored blind with brown tape. I had cherry wood blinds before, but they are too much work to keep clean. Is it just a a matter of taste? I'm also leaning with a touch of British Colonial in that room so I thought it would look nice. I don't want shutters and I thought the wood would look nice and the color would stand the test of time. Any opinions would be appreciated.
    Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      sounds cool. I have the wood blinds in my house and the are so much nicer than the plastic or metal kind. But it sounds like it's going to be a pain the rear to lift them everytime you wanna go out the door. Maybe you could find some vertical blinds that are cherry wood

25. QUESTION:
    Strip stain off freshly stained wood?
    I've been restoring some cedar patio furniture and today I sanded a chair down for staining. I used Minwax Red Mahogany and tested the stain for color on a small portion of the chair. The color looked good so I continue to do most of the chair. As I was moving along, the color looked a bit darker than where I had tested, but I assumed it would dry lighter.

    Unfortunately, the color ended up being very dark, almost black. What should I do to strip the stain off? Should I just sand it off or use a stripping agent first?

    Also, once I get rid of the stain, should I use a lighter stain, or just do a very light coat with the same color?

    • ANSWER:
      you can utilize wood bleach

26. QUESTION:
    What is this bug and how do I get rid of it?
    I have been refinishing furniture on my patio, and have noticed these tiny (smaller than ants) bugs crawling all over the ground and some on the wood. They look like aphids or fleas that don't jump. They are gray and hard to see unless you get close. Ant spray doesn't seem to deter them. I don't want to bring the furniture in now, for fear of getting the bugs in my apartment. I live in Florida, if that helps. Sorry no picture, they are too small.

    • ANSWER:
      probably sprintails..if you chase them around with a pencil point they probably will hop. Harmless...coming from the grass, they like the humidity. if you start looking around the baseboards around the windows, you more than likely will see them inside already

27. QUESTION:
    i need a name for my dads business?
    he is making and selling outdoor patio furniture with my uncle.
    its last loner than wood and you can leave it out all year long .
    any good ideas of what the name could be ?

    • ANSWER:
      "Evergreen" is a name which refers to a tree which keeps its leaves all year .
      maybe something with that.

      four seasons furniture.

28. QUESTION:
    what can i use to cover up my trellis?
    i have wood trellis in my patio yet i want to cover it up with something so my furniture wouldn't get ruined by the heat and rain. i want something that would still look good.
    i mean cover the top-the spaces in b./w the trellis

    • ANSWER:
      We used to use the roller shades that go outside. You could do some kind of awning. Like those sails. That you see on some of the shows. Roxanne

29. QUESTION:
    Teak outdoor furniture attracting bees?
    We just bought an outdoor patio set that is made out of teak wood. For some reason an assortment of bees such as wasps and yellow jackets are attracted to it. There is no nest under the table or anything. What makes them so infatuated with the furniture, and how should I get rid of them? I've tried spraying wasp and hornet spray at them but they still come back...

    • ANSWER:
      I had a similar problem but we had a nest under the a chair. Once that was removed we didn't have any problems. Double check all the furniture for a hive, it might be tucked in a corner under a chair or really just really small. The only other thing I can think of is that they are attracted to the oil that was used to finish the furniture. You may want to try rinsing the furniture off and lightly scrub or wipe it down to see if that helps.

30. QUESTION:
    Is my computer out of date?
    My computer is obviously old in my opinion, but i can't play world of warcraft and i can barely go on the inerent so right now im on the labtop which is good for almost everything. I havn't told you much but what would fix my World of Warcraft problem and does Verizon just suck that bad? I have friends who tell me to get a new mother board or just a graphics card but what will that soct me? and what really pisses me off is that my parents buy us a trampoline, a hottub, pretty much re-do the whole house with 20,000$ wood floors, a new patio, new furniture for almost everywhere but they cant get a desent computer! What should i say to them to get me us a new computer? Oh! and they buy 3 50 inch screen TV's... HD. that was for christmas tho becuase are old ones were like 10 years old. I've alerady tried almost everything to get a new computer from asking everyday to telling my dad things he has no idea that what I'm saying (even though he's really smart). So what do i do? and is it worth sharing a labtop with my two sister and having the regular computer which they can use?
    well ya we r kind of rich our house is only 4200 sc ft of super fantastic fun. it may be small but it has a whole lot of good stuff in it... we also have pool table air hockey table, a bunch of gay rungs :/ and i got to go to a party witht he HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS i guess im kinda spoiled but no god damn computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( a good one that is) and if i ask for a labtop they will probably think its for jacking off and my sisters will find it very unfair... im 13 but i can so whatever i want except sepnd more than 50$ off of my moms credit card online a week so it sux.
    lol dingo, I run 1 1/2 miles a day sometimes two... I'm very active in football, Basketbal, and Lax, I do use my computer and Xbox 360 A LOT but thats only because they are fun, I have lots of friends who I hang out with. I don't use anything like the hottub, air hockey table, etc. because I got bored of those a while ago... when you have so many nice things at first your overwhelmed with fun and enjoyment, but as you use them more you want to use them less. I do appreciate it all that I don't have to live in a small house with such little technology, but that's not my fault i was born into a time period that revolves around electonics and the latest thechonology. I also do appreciate the fact that I have such a great life so just because I'm spoiled and have a lot of nice things does not mean i can have fun outside at the same time.

    • ANSWER:
      yes he is right about the rich also add in more details like the specs and tell them its for educational use i learned so much from computers pick out a really nice comptuter that costs low because getting more graphics cards is alot of money. my mom and dad use to only buy me stuff like ipod touches and DS's and video games but not computers untill I found this great deal it had a killer graphics card plus 3gs of ram plus dual core amd athlon 64 x2 processer plus HD speakers nforce ethernet also vista home premium for 380$ SUPER CHEAP and AWSOME COMPUTER.

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