Cleaning and maintaining outdoor woodwork

How do you maintain the beauty of your terrace?

The answer is to give it love with regular oil treatment. Most people who have a terrace experience that over time it can become gray and stained, and infested with algae, making it less pleasant to look at. Do you want to do something about this or prevent dirt and scratches in advance? There are several good tips for maintenance that you can find here.

Therefore, maintenance is important

The secret to a beautiful terrace and a long lifespan is maintenance. One of the most important steps in maintenance is to treat the terrace with regular oiling, such as Woodcare+ Outdoor Wood Oil. This helps prevent premature deterioration and extends the lifespan of the wood. Although the terrace will develop a patina and grayish hues over time due to exposure to the elements, using terrace oil can preserve the wood’s natural color.

The oil also protects against moisture, the sun’s UV rays, and fungi. Not everyone prefers oil, and it is also an option to leave the terrace untreated, but this makes the wood more susceptible to wind cracks and splits.

What do you need for oiling?

  • Woodcare+ Outdoor Wood Cleaner
  • Woodcare+ Outdoor Wood Oil
  • Brush or scrubber
  • Sandpaper
  • Water
  • Brush
  • Cloth

Thorough cleaning of your terrace pays off

When preparing the terrace boards, it is important not to think in the traditional cleaning ways with high-pressure cleaners, chlorine, sulfo, and algae removers. These products can, in the worst case, do more harm than good.

Instead, we recommend cleaning the wooden terrace with Woodcare+ Outdoor Wood Cleaner, which is developed for removing the type of dirt that typically settles on a wooden terrace. The advantage of Woodcare+ Outdoor Wood Cleaner is that it cleans effectively without removing the oil in the wood itself.

Another very important thing about the cleaning itself is that the terrace boards must be allowed to dry completely before a proper oil treatment of the terrace begins. If they are not completely dry, the water in the wood will prevent the oil from penetrating.

Guide: How to oil treat your outdoor wooden surfaces

The treatment should be carried out in dry weather, avoiding direct sunlight or high heat.

Always remember to perform a test application in a less visible area to check the compatibility of the surface and the product.

  • Stir the oil thoroughly before and during use. Apply the oil with an oil applicator or brush in an even, thin layer. Start with the end surfaces.
    Note: it may take a few minutes before the wood appears oiled, as the water must first evaporate.
  • Remove excess oil after a maximum of 5 minutes with clean cotton cloths, and pay special attention to joints and cracks.
  • If the surface does not appear saturated with oil, repeat points 1-2 until the wood is saturated.

Note!

Depending on humidity and temperature, it will take 1-2 days for the oil to cure. During this period, the wood must not be exposed to water.

Oil with color pigment may have a slight transfer in the first few days after treatment.

When oiling near pools or other areas where chemicals are used, more frequent re-oiling may be necessary.