Know your wood treatments for a golden, longer-lasting effect
How do you like your wooden garden furniture and decking – golden or grey? Left to nature, it’s sure to lose its original colour. Apply the right finish at the start of summer and you both enhance its look and lengthen its lifespan.
According to Rustins, maker of a range of outdoor wood finishes, the choice is one of oil or varnish, with oil being preferred in most cases – usually either Outdoor Danish Oil or Teak Oil.
Unlike varnish, which can craze or chip over time, the blend of natural oils and resins in Outdoor Danish Oil soaks into the wood itself and hardens. The result is a low lustre, water-resistant finish that leaves the original texture and grain clearly visible. Teak Oil has a similar effect but is glossier.
For decking, Rustins produces a set of three specialist products – Decking Cleaner, Decking Oil and Decking Stain & Seal. Clean and revive tired and weathered decking with Decking Cleaner before using Rustins Decking Oil to retain the natural colour of the decking, or Rustins Quick Dry Stain and Seal to colour and seal the decking in one application.
Rustins has been producing expert wood finishes for over 85 years and is the inventor of Danish Oil. Why the name? According to Rustins’ history, it was first produced to use on the new Scandinavian furniture being imported into Britain – but ‘Scandinavian’ was too long to print on-pack. ‘Danish’ was a shorter option!