Each piece of furniture in the range is left untreated for a natural appearance that will age gracefully into a gray weathered look. The durability of the hardwood means the furniture will retain its strength even as the colours fade. Natural oils can be used to keep the beautiful natural platina of the timber. Bloc Outdoor Furniture is both suitable under cover or completely exposed to the elements. When oiled or varnished it will darken in colour and if untreated will go silver grey in colour due to oxidation. Oxidation of timber (Silver grey appearance) only takes place if furniture is exposed to the UV rays of the sun. If under cover or in shady area it will remain the original colour and no treatment will be necessary, although fatty foods and fingers will leave marks that could be removed with a bit of sandpaper. 100 to 400 grid sandpaper is recommended to lightly sand the unwanted marks off. Although the timber is untreated and turning silver grey it will not jeopardise the structural integrity of the timber although surface cracking could take place which is totally common.
We suggest if you decide to weather your outdoor furniture to give it a light sand with a 100grid sandpaper after 2 months of being totally exposed to rain and sunshine. Oiling or varnishing of timber will allow you to retain the rich colour, seal the timber and reduce the risk of surface cracking although there are no guarantees against surface cracking.
Oiling and varnishing
Oiling is the most common. It seals and protects the timber with the least amount of effort. There are many products on the market such as different Teak oils. Oiling will take place 2 to 3 times a year if in extreme exposed weather without any cover. Furniture covered under roof or patio you could potentially oil once every 2 years. There is no sanding involved when recoating your furniture with oil as it does not flake or peel. Varnishing of furniture is a harder wearing product that will last much longer but will require more effort in re-coating. Sanding will be required when re-coating your furniture with a varnish. There are various products on the market and one should investigate which one is most suited for your choice. The interval between re-coating will depend on the exposure to the elements and the product itself.