An easy guide to help keep your Robinson Garden Seated Arbour looking in it's finest condition. We have included some useful advice and tips to help keep your bespoke wooden Seated Arbour in superb condition all year round.

Cleaning guidance for your Seated Arbour

Give your wooden garden furniture – Seated Arbour a good wash or scrub as regularly as possible to get rid of lichens and bird droppings. This is especially beneficial if your Seated Arbour has been sitting beneath a tree.

Positioning your Seated Arbour

We would strongly advise not to place your seated arbour directly on to a surface that is covered in mould or likely to gather water as this can affect the seated arbour’s legs causing the mould and mildew to peel off the paint and then affect the wood. In order to prevent this, we would advise to place lead platforms underneath each of the four legs.

The Autumn clean

Although it's tempting to leave cleaning your garden furniture until the spring, when you want to use it, it is much better for the timber to do this in the autumn. Dirt holds moisture far longer than something that is clean and it's the moisture that brings on the decay.

By cleaning it you will also be getting it in a state where it can dry out from time to time on a sunny day, even in winter. If you are putting it under cover then removing the dirt will also mean that it does not dry hard onto the furniture.

Annual Maintenance of your Seated Arbour

Annual maintenance is best carried out in the Autumn. Clean your Seated Arbour making sure it is still the best place for the seated arbour to be positioned. It may be likely that your seated arbour will need an annual paint to keep ensure its elegant nature. We advise you doing this over a several dry days.

Sand down any areas that are rough and then dust down with a dry cloth. We then advise you to apply one coat of Farrow & Ball exterior eggshell undercoat where your sanding has reached the wood. Leave it to dry for roughly two/three hours, ensuring you use the correct Farrow and Ball undercoat colour. (For more details please visit their website). Once you have done this you can then start applying the Farrow & Ball colour of your choice applying at least two coats with two / three hours between coats.

If your seated arbour has a slate roof, apply slate oil or teak oil to the roof using a clean paintbrush. When you apply the oil avoid using too much, the oil keeps the slate looking shiny.

Protecting your Seated Arbour

Don't allow wooden furniture to sit in a puddle, or very wet grass, all the time. It's best to place a flat stone, pebble, slate or lead platforms under the legs so that it can drain and dry out from time to time.

During the Winter months and during cold weather we STRONGLY advise that you place a cover over the seating area to prevent water collecting on the surface of the arbour as water collected over a long period of time can gradually cause damage to the arbour surface which could lead to the wood rising and the paint peeling.

We highly recommend not to place seated arbour on grass, the arbour is best placed when standing on hard concrete / slabs or gravel as this allows water to run off and be easily absorbed during sunny times. During adverse weather conditions, autumn and winter ensure the arbour seat is covered either with a purpose-made cover or wrapping it up with a tarpaulin sheet. This will ensure the seat is completely sheltered from the elements while also keeping pests away. Make sure it is clean before you cover it up and there is ventilation for air to circulate to prevent moisture collecting.

Steps for removing grime and mildew from your wooden Seated Arbour

First of all fill one of your buckets with water and then add washing up liquid. Fill the second bucket with clear water. Take the soft cloth and moisten it in the washing up liquid solution. Then wring the cloth out so that it is barely moist.

Mildew is a type of mould that can grow and flourish in an environment where oxygen, moisture and organic material can combine to cause a reaction. If it grows upon your arbour it will appear green in appearance and will ruin its aesthetic. The good news is that most mould and mildew can be removed via a few simple cleaning-based steps.

Use the barely moist cloth to scrub the areas of your arbour affected by mildew. For the best results, concentrate on each problem area at a time. Once you are pleased that the problem area has been sufficiently cleaned, take another clean cloth and rinse with clean water. Then take a third clean cloth to dry the problem section.