In the United Kingdom, it’s always a wise decision not to trust the weather. You can easily see the hailstones in summer to tropical days in winter, the unpredictable nature of UK weather can make it the worst enemy most of the time. One of the components of the garden that can greatly bear the side-effects of weather is garden furniture. Protecting it, nonetheless, is not difficult. There are different ways that you can protect your bench from wind, rain, and whatsoever is thrown at it.
Cold
People usually think that it is rain that causes the majority of problems, starting from rusting metal garden furniture to wood to decay. But in fact, specifically for hardwood, it is the cold that has the caliber to cause the greatest damage.
Teak and other hardwood are sluggish wood from the tropics. Its thick, compact interior structure makes it very hard and comparatively impervious to rain and dampness. As a matter of fact, the best form of protection from the cold is to shield it. If you can, you should place hardwood benches and furniture in dry storage during the winter. If not, cozy fitting waterproof bench covers are the second-best thing.
Rain
If there is one thing anyone can almost guarantee in the United Kingdom, it is certainly ‘rain’. With a temperate climate, the UK always tends to have a fair share of rainfall which can cause many problems to garden furniture. Not only dampness but also the fact that it can usually peep into cracks and joints. It can certainly cause wood to swell. For softer wood also, this is a sort of disaster due to the presence of a porous surface and other internal structures of softwood.
For hardwood, rain is not an as big problem as it is for other types of weather, more so if the bench is kept in good condition. You should take care of the bench starting from painting to varnish. Adding a top layer of protection is a perfect way of expanding the life of an item but keeping rain and water from piercing the interior of the wood. Nonetheless, make sure you use varnish or paint that is specifically for hardwood bench and exterior application as this never set completely hard but moves as the wood naturally swells and dries.
Sun
Bright sunshine is always amazing and will certainly see you running for the garden to enjoy the soothing effect of sun rays. After all, it is the ideal weather for enjoying the garden. Specifically, the sun is not always something that makes it appear very often in the UK.
Sun, no matter how much you love when it appears, is always powerful. Specifically, at the peak of summer. Apart from bleaching the color out of some fabrics and materials, it can also dry out objects, specifically natural materials like hardwood garden furniture.
On long and hot summer days, as a gardener, you must ensure to place the bench in the shade and ensure its protection.
Wind
It’s quite obvious to understand that a majority of the hardwood garden bench UK frequently battles the effect of heavy winds. Due to the strength and toughness of teak, it never takes a lot in terms of being thrown about by the wind and it can also damage outdoor furniture sometimes. ‘Battening down the hatches’ is a navigational term a majority of people use to indicate that action needs to be taken to stop certain things from being blown away and damaged. For instance, fixing your garden bench is definitely a wise move.
