 Wood Deterioration Facts The life of wood exposed outdoors is influenced by two different conditions weathering and decay. Weathering is wood erosion by the sun, by the wind, by debris and by moisture. Decay or rot is caused by fungi organisms that attack and deteriorate unprotected wood that is excessively moist for extended periods of time. Fortunately, there are things under your control that will influence how long your wooden Adirondack chairs will last. We will start with the three most important. They are what type of wood you choose, where you choose to use it and how you choose to protect it. Study the chart to the left and determine the wood deterioration zone for where you live. This valuable diagram will help you understand the importance of the what, where and how factors. For example, if you are located in either the severe or high deterioration zones and plan on using your Adirondack furniture in the worst possible conditions and do not like to paint, then choose a wood that does not require any protection right away. Redwood and Treated Yellow Pine are good examples. Durable woods will at least have some ability to last you a few years under such extreme conditions, where as a wood that has little or no natural protection will not stand a chance. So when choosing your wood be sure to take into count how much effort and time you plan on devoting towards protecting your investment the way you should according to the what, where and how factors. You have made your decision about what wood type you want and you have a pretty good idea of where you will use your furniture. Now we can look into how to best protect your investment. First of all, you can expect some changes in your wooden furniture over time no matter what you do to protect it from the outdoors. Without protection, wood will turn to a gray color, may get some surface cracks, may warp or cup a little and the surface will not be as smooth. This is normal and many people refer to the process as "character". But you can slow mother nature down when you protect it. Below are a few basic tips to consider doing no matter what type of wood you choose. Good luck with your wooden outdoor Adirondack furniture. Remember by doing nothing to protect wood in a high deterioration zone or under extreme conditions your furniture will change appearance and you may shorten its useful life. Furniture Care Tips 1. We think this is worth repeating. Be sure to choose a wood type by considering the what, where and how and how much effort you are willing to put towards protection. 2. Protect your outdoor furniture from the weather when you will not be using it for extended periods of time. You can cover, move your furniture to the garage or at least move it under the eaves of your house. This will help add years of life to your furniture because the best possible protection from weathering is a roof. 3. Never put any type of finish on your wooden outdoor furniture unless it is completely dry. You can seal the moisture inside the wood and it will rot from the inside out. 4. Being outdoors wood is subject to constant wet and dry cycles. These cycles cause steady expanding and contracting, and overtime will cause a wood to crack, check and warp. Given time, even the most durable woods will show these effects. Therefore, you should still protect even a naturally resistant wood. You can purchase one of our painted Adirondack chairs or paint your chairs yourself with a quality exterior paint or use a high quality penetrating stain that is both a water repellent and UV ray protectant to help slow down the effects of the weathering cycle. We recommend PorterDeck Transparent Wood Stain for its quality, value and its easy application. Important, we have found that no outdoor stain finish will last longer than 12 to 18 months. Therefore, you should apply a maintenance coat of stain when your furniture visually requires it to help maintain its protective characteristics. How long your finish will last without noticable wear depends on the weather and exposure. (Reminder) Checking is usually a narrow crack at the end of a board. We always cut these ends off the boards when we build our furniture. But for extra protection make sure you cover all ends of the boards on your new furniture by painting them extra good. 5. The suns harmful UV rays are not only bad for humans, but bad for wood. By using a UV combination water repellent preservative you will give your furniture the best protection you can give it. 6. If you decide to paint your furniture. Look for a paint that wears well and will not rub off on your clothes. We use exterior acrylic paint. The first coat on bare wood should be done using a primer, you will get better coverage. Use an oil based stain killing primer on Redwood. Some woods such as Cedar and Teak have oil in them and do not paint well. 7. Never expect to put one coat of any type of finish on and think you are done. Take the time to apply a second or even a third coat to be sure the wood is well sealed and all visible cracks, edges and leg bottoms are covered. Remember doing the job right can make all the difference in the world. (Reminder) If you decide to paint your furniture before you assemble. You might want to make sure you do not completely cover up the smaller pre-drilled holes with so much paint that you can not find them. 9. Always use high quality products and use them correctly to get the best results. This means doing what they say by re-painting, re-preserving, re-staining or cleaning when they recommend it. Important, no finish products you use will last forever. 10. Make a habit of giving your furniture a good tune-up. This should be the first thing you do at the beginning of a season or once a year. The little things matter, like tightening the leg bolts, washing the dirt off and checking the wear of the paint or finish. Cleaning outdoor wooden furniture is similar to cleaning a wooden deck. Check out the Decks and Wooden Furniture Need Proper Cleaning article. Enjoy Your Adirondack Furniture |
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