protect your garden furnitureWinter weather can be harsh on garden furniture. Heavy rain and surface water can cause rot, while high winds can blow over unsecured furniture causing it to break. Here’s how to protect your garden furniture before the bad weather really sets in...

Clean your garden furniture now

Wash any garden furniture before winter. It might seem counter intuitive, but giving your furniture a wash now will help it last longer – especially if it's covered over the winter months. Once spring arrives all it will need is a quick wipe down.

Consider treating softwood

If your garden furniture is made from softwood, you might want to consider applying a treatment before you put it away for winter. Try Barrettine Timber Protector: it repels water and will help protect your garden furniture from rot, decay and wood boring insect attack.

Hardwood furniture is by far the most resilient and doesn't normally need treatment. However, it can still benefit from being covered during winter – unless you're after a "weathered" wood look.

Protect your garden furniture by putting it under cover

Naturally, the best way to protect your garden furniture over winter is to get it under cover. Ideally put it in a garage or a shed over the winter months, that way it's protected from rain, snow and wind.

Use covers

If you don't have storage space, you could cover your furniture with waterproof garden furniture covers. If you're using covers and the furniture is staying outside, make sure the legs are raised off the ground so they're not standing in water. If possible, always place furniture on paving or decking rather than on grass. This will help reduce moisture seeping into the timber.

You'll also want to try and put the furniture in a sheltered area of the garden and make sure it's securely fastened down in the case of high winds being forecast – no one wants to see their garden furniture tumbling around the garden!

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