How to Restore Outdoor Furniture

Adverse weather always takes a toll on outdoor furniture. Cleaning, brightening, and restoring will bring new life to your weathered wooden chairs, benches and tables.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 

   First, spray down your dry outdoor furniture with a hose. This will allow the solution you use for restoration to go on evenly and keep the furniture moist throughout the process.

2. 

   Most solutions are really easy to use. A deck cleaner and brightener like Thompson's Water Seal removes built up dirt and helps to restore the original luster of the wood.

3. 

   You can either pour the solution into a sprayer or if you don't have a sprayer you can use a paint brush. Start applying the solution at the bottom and work your way upward, to avoid streaks.

4. 

   Allow the solution to soak into the wood for a few minutes. Scrub the wood with a brush to loosen dirt, debris and damaged wood particles. Use a smaller brush to get into the areas between slats.

5. 

   Now you need to rinse the solution from the furniture. Once you do, you will see your clean, bright furniture. Allow the furniture to dry completely. Once the furniture is dry you will see the raised grains in the wood. Smooth the wood by sanding with rough sandpaper. Be careful not to oversand, or the wood will not be able to absorb a new coat of finish.

6. 

   It's almost over...time to add the color! A coating of stain will add color to the wood, while protecting it from the elements. A gel stain is great for outdoor furniture with slats, because it will not drip. Apply the stain to the edges of the sanded wood with a paintbrush. You can use the applicator pad that came with the stain to coat the flat surfaces of your furniture. The pad spreads the gel evenly and works the material into the grain of the wood perfectly.

7. 

   Once your stain is dry you will be able to enjoy your furniture for summer and beyond!

[newstime1999]

on 8/19/2009 Good suggestions especially about staining.