Outdoor furniture can take a bit of maintenance, oiling it every 6 months, buffing away stray splinters. But for most of us, we do nothing until it looks so old that we just throw it out and buy a new one. But for a fraction of the price you can transform your old piece of furniture into something that looks brand new.
The list below of materials will clean up one park style bench.
What you will need:
1 old park bench
24 x new nuts and bolts with washers. Take one of the old bolts to the hardware store so you can match it up perfectly as many old nuts and bolts are now not made exactly the same so you will need to get the best match you can.
2 litres of oil based matte black paint for the metal parts of the bench, specifically the wrought iron sides of it.
4 litres of oil based gloss Brunswick green paint (or what ever colour you want you bench to be).
Steel brushes to remove the old paint and if it is rusting then any rust.
Rust proofer if it is rusty
A selection of paint brushes, keep in mind that you will need to get into crevices so a small brush will be helpful.
Bucket for water and some cleaning cloths
Mineral turpentine and a small container to clean brushes
Sand paper, medium and fine for any bits of the wood that do need a quick smoothing over
Small wrench to tighten the nuts
Masking tape for clean edges
Drop sheets and newspaper
What you will need to do:
1. Place newspaper underneath the bench and start scraping as much of the old paint off the metal work.
2. Give the old wood a sand with the sandpaper so it is freshly smooth all over.
3. Next change all the bolts over and tighten the nuts with the wrench.
4. Gather up all the newspaper with the paint scrapings and throw it out before you start to ensure you don’t get it in the new paint.
5. Then put a drop sheet underneath the bench and start re-painting the metal work with the matte black oil based paint. Use a small brush for difficult to get to spots.
6. Wait for the paint to dry and see if it needs a second coat. Some will and some won’t need it.
7. Once paint is dry place masking tape wherever you might slip with the brush whilst painting the wooden slats green.
8. Start painting the wooden slats with the green paint. Once again, use a small, thin brush for hard to reach places.
And that is it, a brand spanking new piece of outdoor furniture!
