Timber Maintenance for Winter

With the winter season comes cold and damp weather which isn’t great news for timber in your garden. You may have enjoyed your decking in summer and treated yourself to a new garden fence or shed a few months ago, but this needs to be protected against outdoor elements. Regular maintenance and protective methods will extend the life of your timber products and keep it looking fresh throughout the year. Here are some tips to follow: Maintenance Tips for Timber Regular Cleaning Avoid your decking becoming slippery and rotting by cleaning it at least twice a year; this is still applicable for other timber structures. By using a stiff brush initially, you can get rid of any loose material or matter from the wood. After you have removed as much as you can, scrub a cleaning product into the surface of the timber and thoroughly rinse off after. Make sure all the residue is washed off and leave to dry for two days. Try to work this around dry, windy weather to ensure it dries completely; fixings and fasteners can retain water in the grooves, so it needs to be able to get as dry as possible. By remembering to deep clean a few times a year will ensure it doesn’t go dull or get loose. Timber Protection In order to cushion timber against harsh weather conditions, protection should be applied at least once a year. To survive the winter, the best time to do this is early autumn as it would have completely dried out after the summer. You can choose from protector, stain or oil to paint your timber structures. Protector will be translucent, stain will be coloured and oil will leave a subtle finish. Restoring Your Timber If you have let the winter weather damage your timber, don’t worry as you can restore it back to health. Restorers can be applied after cleaning, but before protection, with a stiff brush and elbow grease. DJ Evans Woodworking Equipment By following these tips, your timber can make it through winter and you can enjoy it again when summer comes back around. If you are looking for woodworking equipment, come and visit our Bury St. Edmunds branch or if you have any questions, talk to one of our knowledgeable experts today! Also, keep an eye out for our woodworking event soon!

For more information on Timber Maintenance for Winter talk to D J Evans (Bury) Ltd