Table talk

Tool belle Rose Hughes shows you how to spruce up tired outdoor furniture.

Refurbishing an outdoor table

Now that the deck is looking fabulous after its clean and stain (Your Weekend, September 28), it’s time to give some love to your outdoor furniture. Tables, chairs and benches can be marked by moss, mildew and lichen and look just plain tired after a season or more out in the weather.

Resene has a wonderful product called Resene Timber & Furniture Gel; a water-based gel stain that comes in four colours – Resene Jarrah Tree, Resene Kwila, Resene Sheer Black and Resene Silvered Grey – and will easily restore your furniture back to its former glory.

You will need

Moss and mould killer (I used Resene Moss & Mould Killer)
Timber and deck wash (I used Resene Timber and Deck Wash)
Timber and furniture stain (I used Resene Timber and Furniture Gel)
Bucket and scrubbing brush
Protective gear – overalls, gloves and a disposable mask
Paint brush, or speed brush, and shallow tray
Soft, lint-free cloth

Take care

Don’t allow these products to come into contact with plants, stormwater outlets, streams or animals. They could kill aquatic life if allowed to enter the stormwater system. Divert all run-off to a sewer or alternative catchment system.
If these products come into contact with plants, wash them with lots of fresh water as soon as possible.
Wear adequate protection.
Don’t mix these products with any other product.
Don’t store them in metal or rubber containers.

Step-by-step instructions

I chose the kwila colour for an old kwila table and chairs. The first job was to remove the seat and back covers from the chairs and move the table onto an area of gravel where I could work on it without worrying about the run-off of the moss and mould killer and timber and deck wash on the surrounding garden
The table top and chairs had obvious signs of lichen and mildew so, wearing protective gear, I applied moss and mould killer. Follow the instructions on the bottle for correct dilution. The Resene product needs to stay on the wood for 48 hours so it can kill the spores of moss and mould and delay their regrowth. (See box for safety notes.)
After 48 hours, wash the product off with lots of water. Let dry, then apply the timber and deck wash and scrub the badly marked areas. Do this job in the shade because you need to keep the timber wet for 10-15 minutes. Once again, wash off with plenty of water and allow the furniture to dry completely.

Step one

Step two

Step three

Now for the fun part. Wearing gloves, apply the stain or gel with a soft, lint-free cloth, brush, or speed brush. Best results are obtained by rubbing the product with a lint free cloth along the timber grain using medium pressure to help it penetrate the timber. A speed brush works well on the large, flat surface of a table, and a brush is handy for hard to reach places.
Whatever method you use, it’s important to remove any excess gel within a few minutes by buffing with the cloth, or you’ll end up with a film sitting on the surface, which may crack over time and weather unsatisfactorily. Work on one small area at a time and rub well. The brush works well between slats and around timber joins. Because the gel dries so quickly, it’s hard not to have some brush marks showing, but these can be remedied with a little more product applied with the cloth and buffed off.
The results were stunning, and once the chair covers and backs were in place again, the setting looked as good as new.