Dear AT,
Last summer, I bought two Adirondack chairs + footrests, made of unfinished wood -- cedar, I believe.
They've been sitting uncovered on my balcony for the entire year, and I'm starting to wish that I'd bought finished wood or plastic pieces instead.
They've been exposed to all types of weather and pollution and, like everything in NYC, the chairs quickly become covered with a film of black dust...
When I try to wipe them down, the cloth ends up studded with tiny splinters -- it seems like the chairs would be easier to maintain if they were shiny and varnished.
I realize that this is a really elementary question, but I am completely DIY-challenged and would appreciate any foolproof advice about the materials & processes involved in getting these chairs up to speed.
(Alternatively, I'd also appreciate any tips for businesses/contractors who could do this for me! -- I'd be willing to spend around $100 total.)
Thanks! LM
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
i'm no expert, but i had chairs like that once, and my dad recommended linseed oil to clean them and get the wood looking more "nourished." you just need to let it dry for a while after. we never varnished them, but i'd assume you could do that once dry.
view faq's profile
Yeah, I recommend oiling the wood. Give it a good scrub with steel wool (go with the grain) and something like Murphy's Oil Soap, then use either an oil made just for cedar, or something like mineral oil, which they use to seal butcher block countertops. As long as you oil the chairs at the beginning and end of each summer season, they should last and stay looking beautiful. I do this with my teak outdoor furniture and it always stays looking nice, even when I leave it out in the rain and snow.
view revolution9's profile
oh - don't use steel wool!! Little bits of it will get stuck in the splinters in the wood and it will rust!! Use regular sandpaper.
I tried the oil for the first year and it was a huge pain. I wish they had a spray can of oil, but I couldn't find that a few years ago. I ended up letting them weather to gray, and washing them with a car tire brush to get the dirt off.
view LMG's profile
Tung oil might work. And as for spraying what about getting a spray bottle from the 99Cent store and trying that? My concern with varnish it that it might become sticky in the insane NYC weather?
view mskk's profile
Is it sacrilage to suggest polyurethane on an Adirondack chair? I sanded and applied several coats of satin finish polyurethane to a similar wooden porch chair, and it looks lovely and wipes clean easily.
view dalachin's profile
I have tried varnish and tung oil and both only looked good for a season. Unless it is really good outdoor wood (like teak) they just don't weather well with that type of finish. The last two chairs I bought I painted in glossy black outdoor paint - two coats - they still look great.
view Gallivant's profile
Not a heck of alot you can do about the dust unless you place covers over your chairs while they're not in use, but to preserve the wood I'd powerwash the chairs and use Thompsons Waterproof Deck Stain/Sealer on them.
view bepsf's profile
I have a set from Smith & Hawken and I just stain them every other year. I like being able to change the color up.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcweiss/2586922019/in/set-72157604300314814/
view Kathryn's profile
I would clean them well and make sure they are dry before you start. If you like the color don't stain them, but I would put a water based sealant. Polyurethane has a low gloss that would do nice. You will need to sand them lightly before you start and then wipe after the sanding. They are lovely chairs, but absolutely need to be sealed. Oiling is an option, but needs to be reapplied. I think once a year.
Good Luck.
djo
view debrajo_j's profile