We all want our home looking its best. Bermuda’s climate, particularly during hurricane season, can create a lot of dampness in your home and in your outdoor living spaces. Preventing moisture is the most cost efficient approach to managing this yearly dilemma in favor of repairing, re-upholstering, and/or replacing furniture damaged by humid conditions.
Moisture in furniture can often lead to mildew, while dryness can cause furniture to lose its natural luster, and weaken joints. This doesn’t just apply to your furniture but your decking and outdoor spaces as well. Maintaining this delicate balance for your furniture is vital to keeping it looking its best year after year. Sealants and weather proofing products will help ensure that pieces last.
Decay:
Wood that is in contact with water over a long period of time can decay, develop stains, become discolored, and can even grow molds and fungi.
Some outdoor applications such as decks and porches are more conducive to decay. Restore your faded and weather-worn deck with a coat of waterproofing deck stain. These products are designed to protect the wood from water damage, mildew and destructive ultraviolet rays. To enhance the natural beauty of the wood and keep it looking like new, apply the stain at least every three years.
Warping:
Bermuda is a very humid place. Great for the nice year-round weather, but it can also cause havoc on our houses and belongings.
Swelling in damp conditions and shrinkage in dry can have unwelcome effects on wood. Windows and doors may jam or let in drafts, wood may warp or split, leading to insect degradation and more frequent maintenance cycles. Worst-case scenario may result in a wooden structure becoming unstable.
Utilizing treated woods such as Accoya, or weather treatment products, have shown a reduction in swelling caused by moisture uptake of 75% or more. From oven dry to water saturated conditions, the swelling and shrinkage of acetylated wood is only minimal and, in fact, better than tropical hardwoods. Alternatively, a naturally durable species, such as cedar, should be considered.
Regardless of the protection provided, it is good practice to keep wood away from potential water sources. Bring in or cover your outdoor pieces during severe weather conditions. If that is not practically possible, the piece should be protected to ensure that moisture does not accumulate, and that the wood will re-dry after wetting. Don’t let something as simple as water ruin your beautiful piece.
