Restoring your favorite rattan garden furniture

Coming across old garden furniture made of rattan is not uncommon. You might have that perfect garden chair hiding in the garage, or you may have inherited it from a relative or better still found it at someone’s garage sale. Either ways you will probably need to restore the rattan garden furniture back to its former glory. The good news is that this can be done with ease.

Clean the rattan

The first step towards restoring the piece of garden furniture is to clean it. Take it outdoors and tilt it on its side. Trim a paintbrush to half the length of its original bristles. Use this to dry brush the rattan. Then, using the same brush, dip it in a solution of soapy water and repeat. This dislodges all the dirt stuck in between the weave. If there are stains, scrub the area with vegetable brush. Hose the rattan profusely after you finish.  Do not attempt to settle the weave when the rattan is wet.

Repair the rattan

Once the piece of garden furniture is dry, check for lose joint. Smaller joint can be fixed by gluing them together and then clamping them down. Bigger joints might need a screw to reinforce them. If the weave of the rattan is broken in some areas you might need to reweave it with new strips. This can be a difficult job if you do not know how to do it. Get professional help if required.

Restore the rattan

Once you have finished cleaning and repairing the rattan, you need to restore the piece of garden furniture. Rattan always looks good when it has its natural coloring, therefore if the piece in question is a natural one, then you should spray on a natural finish as well.  Areas that are discolored can be restored with oil stain. It is advisable not to use polyurethane as it cracks when it is hard.

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