HOUE OUTDOOR FURNITURE MAINTENANCE

The instructions below provide details on how to best maintain your HOUE table and chairs for many years of enjoyable outdoor living. All wooden outdoor furniture requires maintenance to keep it looking its best. Please read through these care instructions as you will be required to re-oil your table after assembly.

BAMBOO MAINTENANCE:

The sustainably sourced bamboo lamellas on your tabletop and chair armrests are treated with a special anti-fungal impregnation from the factory, which is drawn into the bamboo. The tabletop and chair armrests will also have had its first WOCA wood oil application although this may have been many months ago.

When you first assemble your table or unpack your chairs with bamboo armrests, we strongly recommend that you give tabletop and armrests a re-oil straight away, or certainly within the first month and again each change of season. This is a quick and easy process, but importantly it waterproofs the bamboo and protects your furniture from mould and fungi spores carried in the rainwater.

If you purchased a tin of WOCA Exterior Wood Oil with your furniture order from your HOUE stockist, this should last you a few applications. You can purchase more from them, or we have WOCA Exterior Wood Oil available for purchase on our online shop in 250ml bottles as required.

Please note:  WOCA Exterior Wood Oil contains a pigment to match your table and an anti-fungal additive where other wood oils do not. This is particularly important due to New Zealand’s warm, wet conditions.

The New Zealand UV exposure is the harshest in the world and will cause your table to lighten during the summer season. It will not grey off or go patchy like Teak or Kwila and this fading will generally be uniform, and the table still looks great.

Unlike Teak, or Kwila tables where you are often required to spend hours and hours sanding down and staining every year to maintain a new look, our tables require just a quick 5–10-minute re-oil. Bamboo is unrivalled in its rigidity and hardness, but it will become porous if left to dry out. To keep your furniture looking great for many years, we highly recommend giving your tabletop and chair armrests a quick reapplication of oil at least quarterly (each change of season) to ensure the bamboo is saturated by oil, reinstating the colour, waterproofing it and protected from attack from mould, algae or fungi spores in rainwater. This takes less time than you will likely spend washing your car. Failing to protect your wooden furniture will invite mould, algae, or fungi spores to grow leaving dark spots. This is not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

1. For best long terms results simply wipe off excess water after rain. This takes just a minute but keeps excess moisture out of the table. It is not vital, but helpful and reduces the speed at which bamboo colour will fade.

2. Your table will colour will fade uniformly from UV during the season, oil as often as suits, but as seasonal re-oiling is recommended to protect the bamboo the pigment in the oil will reinstate the tables colour. Less frequent applications will provide less protection and may result in you having to undertake remedial reconditioning maintenance if mould or fungi occur.

3. DO NOT cover the table during winter. This will cause condensation and invite mould or fungi to grow on the table surface. Bamboo is a natural material that needs to be able to breathe.

SEASONAL RE-OIL PROCESS:

Re-oiling your table is extremely easy and quick giving amazing results.

1. Using a soft cloth and water, wipe down your table and allow to dry.
2. Every 6-12 months include this step before oiling the table: Lightly sand using a 200-240 grit sandpaper, sanding in the same direction as the grain in the bamboo. brush away the wood dust, then use either a leaf-blower or a vacuum blow/suck the remaining dust. Lastly use a damp rag to wipe over the wood for a final clean. Let dry.
3. Apply wood oil in dry weather only. Avoid applying oil in direct sunlight.
4. Shake oil container vigorously before use. Apply the oil using a soft paint brush or a cloth around the ends and in the gaps between the lamellas. Brush/wipe away any excess build up on the bamboo lamellas. Ensure you have covered this properly. Unlike stain, oil will not leave bubbles or drip lines.
5. Once the spaces are done you can start on the flat surface – You can either use a roller or the brush apply liberally to ensure even coverage and brush in the direction of the grain.
6. Within a maximum of 5 minutes remove excess oil on each lamella using a clean lint-free cloth. This removes the excess teak pigment from the surface, so it doesn’t leave a slightly sticky residue.
7. Repeat the oiling procedure if the bamboo does not appear saturated enough.

The oil can stain clothes immediately after application. The oil is completely dry after 24-48 hour depending on the temperature and weather.

For general cleaning, it is recommended you use only hot water, as soapy water dissolves the oil.

If possible, outdoor furniture should be stored in a dry place during the winter to protect it from the elements. Do not cover the bamboo top, as bamboo is a natural material that needs air to avoid fungi and mould spreading into the material. If left outside through winter, put a brick etc under one or two of the table’s feet, so rain will run off. Continue to apply quarterly (seasonal) applications of oil. 

RECONDITIONING BAMBOO TABLETOPS & ARMRESTS

New Zealand’s warm, wet conditions make wooden outdoor furniture susceptible to attack from mould and fungi, especially if the furniture is not protected by a wood oil such as WOCA Exterior Wood Oil which contains the pigment your furniture is finished with at manufacture but also an antifungal additive.

If you haven’t maintained seasonal re-oiling and mould/fungi have appeared on your table during the wet winter months, mould/fungi show up as black lines or dark blotches in the wood.

The good news is this can be removed to restore the tabletop or armrests back to an ‘as new’ condition.

It is important that you do not re-oil the bamboo if there is the slightest sign of mould, algae, or fungi. The table must be sanded and cleaned to remove the mould, algae, fungi first before re-oiling.

Tins of WOCA Exterior Wood Cleaner are available to be ordered on our online store under Maintenance & Replacement Parts.

 

1. Bamboo is as hard as concrete and removing all mould or fungal staining by hand sanding will take a very long time. We recommend using an orbital or belt sander. Start with a coarse sandpaper 40-60 grit, and when all stains or mould marks are removed, change to medium 100 grit sandpaper. You will not damage your table with this process but do take care to sand evenly and in the direction of the grain. Hand sand the table edge. (If your table is a FOUR table with a metal frame around the bamboo, apply masking tape over the metal to protect from possibly scratching the frame with the sander. (we have touch-up paint available to purchase on our website.)
2. After cleaning and sanding, brush away the wood dust, then use either a leaf-blower or a vacuum blow/suck the remaining dust.
3. Wet the bamboo surface with a hose or buckets of water to open the pores.
4. Dilute the WOCA Exterior Wood Cleaner 1:2 with water, then apply the WOCA Exterior wood cleaner. This penetrates deep into the bamboo and contains a antifungal to kill any remaining mould/fungi spores. Leave for 10 minutes, then rinse off with clean water. Please wear gloves and eye protection when using this product.
5. Leave the bamboo to dry thoroughly before applying the oil.
6. It is important that the surface of the bamboo is sealed immediately with oil again. Apply two coats of WOCA Exterior Wood Oil 24 hours apart according to instructions above under Process for Re-Oil.
7. Ensure you make quick and easy seasonal re-applications of WOCA Exterior Wood Oil, to prevent requiring further reconditioning in the future.

  

1: A badly neglected table                  2:  After sanding

  

3: After wood cleaner application       4: After 2nd wood oil application

CLICK AND CLIPS PLASTIC LAMELLAS

For cleaning use a wet cloth or a soft brush. If necessary, dish soap can be added to the cleaning water. Do not use any kind of chemicals for cleaning.

POWDER COATED STEEL FRAMES:

For cleaning use a wet cloth or a soft brush. Do not use any kind of chemicals for cleaning.

We have Black or Dark Grey 50ml paintbrush bottles of touch up paint to repair scratches or scuffs and protect the exposure metal from rust, available that can be ordered on our online store. The CLICK & PAON steel frames have a subjacent zinc powdercoating and then powder-coated in either black or dark grey. Rust at a scratch won’t spread due to the zinc coating, but the scratch needs to be repaired to protect the steel and cosmetically repair the scratch. Wipe the surface rust away with methylated spirits to remove the rust stain and once dry apply the paint to repair the damage and protect the steel from the elements.

GRANITE INSERTS:

If you have a granite insert with your table then the stone is pre-treated with oil and will get lighter in colour with time. To keep the dark colour, stone oil can be applied, this will also protect it from possible fat stains from hot dishes.

REPLACEMENT PARTS:

We hold stock of replacement feet, armrests, lamellas (slats) for CLICK, CLIPS chairs and bamboo lamellas for outdoor tabletops. These can be purchased at our online store under Maintenance & Replacement Parts. If the item you require isn’t shown, please contact us directly.