{"id":2603,"date":"2022-06-17T21:10:46","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T21:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/?p=2603"},"modified":"2023-01-15T23:12:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T23:12:34","slug":"how-to-restore-a-wooden-garden-bench","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/how-to-restore-a-wooden-garden-bench\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Restore A Wooden Garden Bench?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s lovely to have a place to sit in your garden and enjoy the view, isn\u2019t it? But what do you do when your favourite seat starts to fall apart? You learn how to restore a wooden garden bench, that\u2019s what!<\/p>\n<p>Restoring a seat is not as hard as you might think, and you almost certainly won\u2019t need any fancy equipment beyond a few tools!<\/p>\n<h2>How Do You Restore An Old Bench Seat?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Start by giving it a good <strong>clean<\/strong>. Scrub away any old paint, and clean off algae, mould and dirt.<\/li>\n<li>Any nuts and bolts will probably be jammed, so <strong>release them <\/strong>(WD40 works a treat!)<\/li>\n<li>Any wooden slats that have rotted will need <strong>replacing<\/strong>, so that the bench stays strong enough to hold weight.<\/li>\n<li>Give the new slats a good <strong>sanding<\/strong> so that there are no splinters, and ensure that you screw or bolt them in well.<\/li>\n<li>Applying a layer of <strong>preservative<\/strong> will help the wood to stay stronger for longer, and should also ensure that it stands up to the weather.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scrub any metalwork<\/strong> with a wire brush, to ensure that it not only looks nice, but to make sure there is no rust.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Repaint<\/strong> the metalwork your chosen colour &#8211; you should ensure that this is a paint designed for metal, and that it is weatherproof.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rhs.org.uk\/garden-jobs\/furniture-maintaining-garden-seats-and-tables\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This article<\/a> takes you through the essential maintenance you should do on your garden furniture, to keep it looking its best.<\/p>\n<h2>Can I Restore Rotting Wood?<\/h2>\n<p>Although replacing rotten wood is the best idea, there are also some ways that you can restore it, using a few different fillers.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You will need to first remove the rotted section from the wood you are trying to restore.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure that you have cleared a small section either side of where the rot was, to ensure it doesn\u2019t spread.<\/li>\n<li>Using a polyester filler or wood-patch, fill in the area where you have removed the rot.<\/li>\n<li>Allow the filler to dry and harden completely, then paint it the same colour as the wood to make it all look the same.<\/li>\n<li>Test it before you sit on it, to make sure you aren\u2019t going to fall through!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Replacing any rotten wood is easier, safer and probably quicker than going down the filler route &#8211; but if it is just a small section of rot then this method can work really well.<\/p>\n<h2>How Do You Restore A Wooden Cast Iron Bench?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Start by dismantling the entire bench. The metalwork may be rusted together, so you will need some WD40 &#8211; and some elbow grease!<\/li>\n<li>Sand off each of the wooden slats using a belt sander. This will help you decide whether there are any that may need replacing entirely.<\/li>\n<li>Apply a weatherproofing treatment to all the wood work, to help it stand up to the weather in the future.<\/li>\n<li>Wearing protective equipment, remove the old paint and rust from the metal work. You can use a wire brush or an angle grinder for this.<\/li>\n<li>Dust off all the metal particles from the metal work using a soft, clean cloth, to prevent any lumps and bumps when you paint it.<\/li>\n<li>Using a rust-resistant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/best-garden-fence-paint\/\">paint<\/a>, paint the metal work of your bench, then leave it to dry for at least 24 hours.<\/li>\n<li>Reassemble the bench, taking particular care to tighten nuts, bolts and screws so that the bench is strong and sturdy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This video will take you through the steps to restoring your cast iron wooden bench:<\/p>\n<div class=\"flex-video flex-video-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cast Iron Bench Restoration\" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HHT-vA03sJk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>How Do I Strengthen My Garden Bench?<\/h2>\n<p>You love your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/how-to-build-a-garden-bench\/\">garden bench<\/a>, you don\u2019t want to replace it &#8211; but it is getting weaker in its old age. How do you make it strong again?<\/p>\n<p>Adding <strong>strips of metal <\/strong>to the underside of the bench will help enormously, as this will reinforce the sagging wood.<\/p>\n<p>Placing <strong>a third leg<\/strong> to the middle of the bench can also help to hold up timber that is getting weaker with age.<\/p>\n<p>You can also <strong>replace the seat<\/strong> entirely, by replacing the old timber with new slats. This is a longer term fix, and although it will take more effort, this will help your bench last for a good few more years.<\/p>\n<h2>Can You Bring Weathered Wood Back To Life?<\/h2>\n<p>Wood, like the rest of us, can start to look a little grey and haggard if it spends too much time in the sun.<\/p>\n<p>As long as it is still structurally sound, however, you don\u2019t have to replace it &#8211; you can get it back to its former glory!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Boiled linseed oil<\/strong> is your secret weapon for reviving old, tired wood. It\u2019s easy to get hold of, relatively cheap, and it will give your old wood a new lease of life.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Start by sanding the wood lightly, to get rid of any little splinters and get the wood ready for oiling.<\/li>\n<li>Mix boiled linseed oil and <strong>turpentine<\/strong> in a ratio of 50\/50.<\/li>\n<li>Apply this mixture using a brush or an old rag &#8211; and we\u2019re talking liberally. Coat the mixture on so that it really penetrates the wood.<\/li>\n<li>Give the wood a quick wipe with a clean cloth if it still looks shiny after a couple of minutes; it should soak right into the grain.<\/li>\n<li>Leave it to dry for 24-48 hours, and don\u2019t be tempted to add a second coat too quickly as the oil can build up too much and cause problems if you decide to paint the wood.<\/li>\n<li>After 48 hours, you can prime and paint the wood, or you can leave it with a natural finish.<\/li>\n<li>If you are going with the linseed oil finish, you will need to add a few more coats over the course of a week or so &#8211; waiting a day or two in between coats.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Final Words<\/h2>\n<p>Once you have learned how to restore a wooden garden bench, you can enjoy your favourite seat for years to come &#8211; safe in the knowledge that it was all your own work!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s lovely to have a place to sit in your garden and enjoy the view, isn\u2019t it? But what do you do when your favourite seat starts to fall apart? You learn how to restore a wooden garden bench, that\u2019s what! Restoring a seat is not as hard as you might think, and you almost certainly won\u2019t need any fancy equipment beyond a few tools! How Do You Restore An Old Bench Seat? Start by giving it a good clean. Scrub away any old paint, and clean off algae, mould and dirt. Any nuts and bolts will probably be jammed, <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[92],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Restore A Wooden Garden Bench? - Jack&#039;s Garden<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What do you do when your favourite seat starts to fall apart? 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