How To Protect Acacia Wood Outdoor Furniture?
While acacia wood is a durable material, it will lose its gorgeous luster if you don’t know how to care for and protect your outdoor furniture to prolong its lifespan and potentially its natural beauty.
Protect your acacia wood outdoor furniture by washing it with organic soap, removing damaging chlorine, keeping it dry and out of direct sunlight, and applying boiled linseed oil or tung oil to restore its color, protect it from pests and harmful UV rays, and water damage.
There’s no doubt that acacia wood furniture is a great investment as it’s water and relatively scratch-resistant hardwood material that can last for decades with a little TLC. So, if you want to continue enjoying your stunning acacia wood furniture for years to come – read on!Acacia Wood: What You Need To Know
While acacia trees are mostly cultivated in arid regions in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America, most US imports are from Australia, and Hawaii, with a similar medium hardwood density as mahogany.
Acacia wood is water-resistant and incredibly durable with a beautiful wood grain that is aesthetically pleasing and coveted by carpentry artisans as it is relatively easy to carve and valued by environmentalists as Acacia wood is a sustainable material as the trees grow rapidly.
Protecting Acacia Wood Outdoor Furniture
While it is certainly true that acacia wood is a hardy material that can withstand harsh outdoor elements, it does need to be cleaned and protected to extend its lifespan.
So, here are a few ways you can protect your beautiful furniture:
Organic soap: clean your furniture with organic soap and water and avoid using synthetic detergents that may contain harmful ammonia or silicone, which can damage the top layer of your furniture.
The natural soap cleaner will maintain your furniture’s luster and prevent it from eventually drying out and cracking.
Importantly, hose your acacia furniture down at least once a week if it is regularly exposed to your pool or hot tub chlorinated water, as it damages the wood’s water-resistant sealant over time.
Moisture and sunlight: although acacia wood is hardy excessive exposure to harsh sunlight or pooled water can damage your furniture with watermarks or faded colors.
So, protect your furniture from the elements by drying it after a rainstorm or a spill and storing it away in a sheltered area that is not too exposed to direct sunlight.
Preserve the natural woodgrain color: as acacia wood exposed to the elements will slowly fade to an unattractive greyish color, the quickest way to restore its former glory is with a tung or linseed oil application.
The oil application will darken the wood’s base grain and showcase its color variations beautifully, but more importantly, it will provide another layer of much-needed protection against damaging ultraviolet-violet rays.
How To Seal Acacia Wood Outdoor Furniture?
So, now that you know how to care for your furniture let’s discuss why oil sealants are so essential, apart from restoring its stunning natural color.
Your Acacia furniture was likely produced from either blackwood trees (from Australia) or koa trees (from Hawaii), hardwood species that are as strong as maple and oak trees. However, they are prone to pest damage and need to be sealed.
Here’s a quick user guide to choosing the best quality oil sealant, including helpful tips on prepping your furniture and the most efficient way of applying the oil sealant to prolong its durability.
Effective Oil Sealants
The most efficient, water-resistant sealing oils dry naturally and create a hard layer over the wood grain when it comes into contact with moisture in the air.
Tung and boiled linseed oil are the only oils that dry naturally, and most synthetic or commercially produced oils will contain a naturally drying oil with other additives.
However, it does not matter which type of sealing oil you choose if it is a pigmented sealant that provides far more UV protection than clear oils and will prolong our furniture’s condition and lifespan.
Preparing Your Furniture
Your sealant will only create an effective protective barrier if it is free from dirt that will stop the oil from adhering to the surface, and it must be bone dry as any lingering moisture in the woodgrain will be trapped and eventually create bubbles or peel off.
Once your furniture is clean and dry, prepare the wood by giving it a hand scuff with 150-grit sandpaper which will help the oil penetrate the wood more evenly and deeply to create a robust protective barrier against the elements.
Applying The Oil Sealant
Turn each furniture piece upside down, then apply the oil with a paintbrush or an old rag to every nook and cranny, especially the underside, table, and chair legs normally exposed to moisture or puddles of water in rainy seasons.
Then immediately turn your furniture the right way around as you don’t have to wait for the underside to dry, and start applying oil to the top surfaces with even strokes to prevent streaks or an uneven oil application.
While the underside normally only requires a single coat, the topside or visible parts of your furniture might need another application.
However, ensure that the visible areas are completely dry, then use a piece of 220-grit sandpaper to lightly scuff the first oiled layer before applying the second coat. In that way, you will have a lustrous, smooth finishing coat to preserve your furniture and its glistening beauty.
Once your furniture is in prime condition, consider investing in durable waterproof covers, and store them indoors when winter sets in to provide a level of added protection, so they are ready to be showcased each spring.
We also have other articles on outdoor furniture which you can use search for or pick from the list below.
Conclusion
While acacia wood is stunning and incredibly hardy, it is prone to losing its previous luster over time. So, protect your acacia wood outdoor furniture by washing it with organic soap, keeping it dry and away from direct sunlight, and sealing it with a natural drying oil that will amplify its natural beauty.
