How to sand and oil garden furniture properly

A wooden lounger is being sanded down using a multi-sander. — There are a few things to keep in mind when sanding garden furniture.

Introduction

As spring slowly kicks into gear, it’s time to find a place in the sun for your favourite garden furniture. But winter weather often takes a toll on wood and paint, and a miniature makeover may be in order. But don’t fret! Armed with a brush, sander, paintbrush and wood oil, you’ll soon have your garden furniture looking shiny and new again. We’ll show you how to sand and oil your garden furniture.Have you heard about our 18-volt system yet? It offers a huge variety of devices for many different applications. The thing that makes the project below so special is that you can use the same rechargeable battery for every part of this project. Simply swap out the battery pack, insert it into a different device that’s part of the 18-volt system, and move on to the next step.It should go without saying that your safety is paramount at every stage of the project. Make sure you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. You can find everything you need to know about the protective clothing required for each type of task in our guide.

You need

Tools

Utilities

microfibre cloth
large paintbrush
if necessary, brushes
if necessary, garden hose with sprayer

Materials

Wood oil
Water

L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter

Garden knowledge: Sanding and oiling garden furniture

Want to sand down your garden furniture? That’s a great idea – after all, there’s absolutely no need for your old teak table or last summer’s wooden lounger to be thrown out. By sanding your garden furniture with sandpaper, oiling or glazing it and caring for it correctly, you’ll have it gleaming again in no time. We’ll show you how it’s done.

Step 1 4

Cleaning your garden furniture

A wooden lounger is being cleaned using a cleaner with a brush attachment.

Wooden garden furniture is being cleaned using a sprayer attachment.

You need: Fontus 18V

It’s best to sand your garden furniture in the springtime, before the garden season begins. But before you start sanding down your furniture, make sure to give it a basic rinse. All you need to clean your furniture is water and an ordinary brush (image 1). A cordless cleaning brush makes the process even easier. You can remove any stubborn dirt and grime using natural soap dissolved in water. After cleaning your furniture, rinse away the dirt with a gentle spray of water (image 2).Now allow your furniture to dry completely.

Step 2 4

Sanding your garden furniture

The edges of a wooden lounger are being sanded manually using hand sanding paper.

You need: Multi-sander, 80 to 120-grain sanding sheet

Once the furniture has dried completely, you can begin the next step: the sanding process. After the winter season, you’ll likely find the wooden surface of your furniture covered in a patina, which is a thin, green coating caused by weathering. You must assess the amount of patina and the condition of the wood and select the appropriate sanding sheets for the job. Normally, 120-grain or 80-grain sanding paper is sufficient.
When using the multi-sander (image 1), always make sure to sand in the direction of the wood grain, apply gentle pressure only and avoid grooving. You may have to sand the wood several times. Most garden furniture has corners and edges that are difficult or impossible to reach using the multi-sander. It is best to sand these areas manually. If you don’t have any hand sanding paper, simply remove the sanding sheet from the sander and use it manually.

Step 3 4

Removing dust

A wooden lounger is being scrubbed using a microfibre cloth. — Make sure to remove any dust created during the sanding process, and don’t forget the edges.

You need: Multi-sander, 80 to 120-grain sanding sheet, microfibre cloth

Depending on how much sanding was required, you’re likely to have a fairly thick layer of dust left over on your furniture. Make sure to wipe away all the dust before oiling the wood. If the dust is particularly thick, you may wish to use a vacuum cleaner to remove it. Normally, a microfibre cloth or a moistened towel is sufficient to clean off the dust. Don’t forget to clean the edges and gaps.

Step 4 4

Oiling the wood

A wooden lounger is being coated with wood oil. — You can use either a paintbrush or a cotton cloth to apply the oil.

You need: large paintbrush, Wood oil

You should always finish up by oiling your garden furniture. This is the only way to protect it from all types of weathering during the upcoming garden season and prevent it from greying again. The best way to protect your furniture is to oil it two or three times a year instead of just once in the spring. Make sure that the oil you’ve chosen helps to protect the wood and is free of solvents. Coloured oils provide superior UV protection compared to colourless oils. You can use an ordinary paintbrush, preferably a large one, to apply the wood oil. However, a pad or cotton cloth work just as well. Make sure to work carefully so that you don’t miss any spots.
After you have thoroughly oiled the wood, place your furniture in the shade and allow it to dry for several hours. Now, all that’s left is to decide what part of the garden or patio is the best place to showcase your newly refurbished furniture.