Sustainable-Furniture (UK) Ltd

www.sustainable-furniture.co.uk

Care and Usage Instructions for Wooden and Teak OUTDOOR Furniture

General - Wood is a natural product and as such its cosmetic appearance will deteriorate over time. The period and severity of deterioration will vary upon the location and level of care and treatment given to the wood. If left untreated the wood will turn a grey/silver colour and cracks can occur on the surface of the wood - this does not affect the structural integrity of the furniture. You can partially restore the original depth of colour and cracks by sanding the wood and applying a treatment.

Treatment - If you choose to maintain the original appearance of the wood, you will need to apply treatment during its first couple of weeks outside. If you have purchased our own Wood Sealant then follow the instructions provided carefully.  Our Teak Sealer is completely environmentally friendly and can be applied on grass (please don't apply on a surface such as a patio - without protecting it - as it will stain).   It is often a good idea to try a sample of any product on the underside of your furniture to ensure that you like the finish.   A basic guideline for treatment is below:

1. Make sure the surface of the wood is clean and free of any dust or dirt.
2. Apply the treatment evenly across the surface using a cloth. Ensure all surfaces have been reached including those not normally visible. Ensure all joints and end points have sufficient coverage.
3. A second coat should be re-applied within 15 minutes (while the first coat is still tacky)  - then leave to dry this can take up to 10 hours depending on your location, further coats can be applied particularly on top surfaces. 

We do not recommend the use of furniture covers as in certain circumstances it can create an artificial environment that does not allow the wood to ‘breathe’ and can cause rapid deterioration in the cosmetic appearance. All our wood should be left in the natural humidity of the air. Out of season your wooden furniture should be stored in a dry, well aired location.

To prevent wood rot, do not use on damp ground or grass.

Hardwood note: this furniture is often boxed and sealed in conditions of high humidity, therefore we have instructed our manufacturer to apply a cursory oil based treatment so that when or if mildew occurs it can simply be wiped off. The oiling may exaggerate the woods natural colours but this will fade over time.

UK Sustainable note: For our Douglas Fir and Swedish Redwood timber, you do not have to treat these timbers at all - all of this furniture comes tanilised and can be left out all year round.

Damage on Delivery
Where goods are couriered and you receive them in a damaged state, please contact us within 24hrs of receipt to report the damage.  They can then be replaced.  Please keep all of the packaging.

Safety guidelines

• Always place furniture on level ground and ensure all leg supports are touching the ground.  When purchasing - think about where you are placing the furniture - on a slightly uneven surface, solid fixed furniture is more appropriate.
• Take care when using any folding mechanisms. Children should always be supervised by an adult when using the furniture.
• Do not sit or stand on any part of the furniture other than the chair seats.

 

 

CARE OF INDOOR RECLAIMED TEAK We reclaim timber for our furniture from various sources, houses, bridges, railway sleepers, your item has a history and it’s most likely to be more than 70 years old. The blockings and indentations you’ll find make up its character and charm, we do not try to disguise this and will include many features of its past life. Please clean and dust your item once you get it home with a damp lint-free cloth as there may be excess saw dust from the workshop. If your item is in natural teak i.e. the lighter, unstained teak and you do manage to get water stains or other liquid soils on it then a light dusting with ‘fine’ grade sandpaper will take out most marks. Remember to work along the grain. You may choose to oil or wax unfinished teak, we recommend using only pure beeswax or a very light olive oil mixed with lemon juice. Drawer runners can also be waxed lightly on the insides of the drawer panel for a smoother pull. Another way to sort staining issues is to catch the stain when it first happens – applying water to the area to dilute the problem, then soaking it up with a towel or absorbent paper. However, practically at a dinner party you are not likely to notice any stain at that time. When your table becomes too stained you can simply get a green scouring clothe and an environmentally friendly cleaning fluid and lightly scrub the table but keep in the same direction of the grain. A light environmentally friendly anti bacterial spray would also be a good product to also remove any germs. It might be that you need to leave the table to dry and go over it again but this simple procedure may need to be repeated if there are stubborn stains and your table will turn slightly lighter in colour but this will darken again in a few weeks.