How to care for wooden outdoor furniture

Wooden outdoor furniture is very popular. You can buy anything from basic, inexpensive pieces to an entire outdoor set that costs as much as your indoor furniture. Whatever you have will last longer if you take good care of it. Here are a few tips to get it ready for another summer of outdoor activities.

Clean it as well as you can. Mild soapy water works pretty well to start with. Use a little laundry bleach and water to remove mildew. Wood will soften as it gets wet, so don't scrub too hard. As you clean, notice if the water is soaking in or beading up. If the water soaks in, then you will need to apply a sealer of some kind later on.

The next thing you need to do is make repairs. Split wooden boards will need to be replaced. See if you can find matching wood, and cut it to fit.

Hardware that is missing or damaged also will need to be replaced. A really good hardware store should have something that will work. For hard-to-find pieces, you might need to contact the manufacturer, if you can, and order them.

Sand down any rough spots with fine sandpaper.

If it still looks dark and ugly, and you want it to look new again, you might consider using a "deck brightener." This cleaner uses an acid to actually take a minute layer off, revealing a fresh layer of wood.

As far as a sealer goes, you can use a penetrating stain and sealer, or just a sealer. If you want to go with a particular color, use a stain. If you want the wood to fade naturally, go with a plain sealer. We recommend using something to protect the wood from weathering.

If you use cushions on your furniture, make sure they are weather-resistant and won't rot. Better yet, take them indoors on rainy days. If you leave them outside, pick them up and let them dry away from the wood so that they don't keep the wood wet for extended periods of time.

We hope you have many happy times with your family on your "new and improved" patio furniture.

Ladder needs solid ground

You've heard it said that the foundation is the most important part of a home. Well, it's the same for a ladder too. If you are trying to use a stepladder or an extension ladder on a wet or slick surface, you will either sink or slide. A better way to handle this situation is to find some solid ground to set your ladder on. If that's not an option, try slipping a rubber mat under the feet of your ladder to help stabilize it. You might use your car's floor mat or a rubber welcome mat -- maybe even a bathtub mat. Always be careful, and do what you can to minimize risk.

Let clean air in

Box fans are an easy and inexpensive way to cool an area in your home. They can be put just about anywhere, but a good spot to use them within your home is in an open window to draw fresh air into your home and cool you down at the same time. But if you have allergies or just don't want to draw in the dust from outdoors, there is a way to prevent this: Just place a disposable furnace filter over the back of the fan before placing it in the window. You can use a bungee to hold it in place, or use some duct tape. The filter will do its thing, and you get fresh, CLEAN air in your home, without all the sneezing.

Super hints

• A super-helpful "tool" to keep handy is a magnet. Glue one to the top step of your ladder. You can't stand on this step, but you can set your tools and hardware on it, and the magnet can help hold on to these items for you.

• Drawers without stops will pull out too far, spilling the contents all over the floor. To prevent this, pull the drawer out, stopping just before the breaking point, mark it with a red marker and then remember that this is "the point of no return."

• Pantyhose don't last long, at least for me. When they have runs, you can use them for all sorts of other things in the shop and home. They are perfect for tying up coiled hoses and extension cords, and for lots of other things. Keep a small bag of them handy, and you'll see what I mean.

Q. How can I get water spots off my shower door?

J.P.

A. Hot vinegar really works wonders. Use a plastic scrubber to get every bit of it off. If you use a squeegee on your doors after each shower, spots won't be as likely to form.

Q. I am going to remove all of the grout in my bathroom's tiled shower. After I replace it, how long should I let it set before applying a sealer, and what type of sealer should I use?

K.L.

A. It's best to let it set for a couple of weeks before sealing it. Use the best-quality sealer you can afford, and it will last longer. The silicone sealers seem to last a little longer, but see what is available at your local tile dealer.

Q. I dropped some paint on my garage floor when I was working on a project. I didn't get the paint off in time, and now it seems to be there for good. How can I remove it, and will the paint stain the concrete?

N.V.

A. You should be able to remove the paint with paint-and-varnish remover. If the paint has been absorbed by the concrete, some color may remain. If you do get it clean, you can seal it with a water seal.

Q. I used paint that contains mildewcide on my house trim, and now I am getting more mildew. I thought this was supposed to prevent it from coming back. What did I do wrong?

W.A.

A. You have to remove every trace of mildew before painting. These paints won't kill what's already there, and they can't prevent mildew totally. If you have moisture issues in these areas, like overhanging trees, too much shade or clogged gutters, you might see if resolving those issues could help prevent mildew on the house too. After addressing all of those concerns, you can try repainting. Good luck.

Reader tips

• It seems like we get a new phone directory at least five times a year, and it's no longer just from one single company -- there are three in my city now. I try to keep up with them and throw away the old ones, but I have found that I can use them in my shop. I rip the cover off and leave the book sitting on my workbench. When I need to wipe my hands, I just tear off a page and use it as if it were a paper towel. Sometimes the newsprint comes off on my hands a little, but it's cheaper than paper towels, and it works a lot better than nothing. I rarely run out, either!

N.R.

• I'm sure there are better ways to do this, but I use a wine cork to remove broken light bulbs from lamps. I would use needle-nose pliers if I could, because they work pretty well usually, but sometimes it's hard to get hold of anything that doesn't break off when you grab it. I can push a wine cork down into the bulb base, where it grabs hold of the wires inside, and then I twist the bulb base right out. The cork protects my fingers from the wires and any glass, and it's never failed to help me get the job done. Plus, I deserve a toast for a job well-done when I'm finished!

T.R.

Note: Don't forget to unplug the lamp first, to avoid danger from electricity.

• I love the look of the twinkle lights and wanted to have some around my patio, but the plastic flamingo or pineapple covers just didn't look like "me." I bought some fake ivy garlands and wove the twinkle lights through these and then hung them up. The cords don't show, and the ivy looks really natural. Maybe someday my trees will be large enough to put them in there. Right now, my patio looks very tropical, even without the flamingos.

P.K.

• We finally had an automatic irrigation system installed. What a wonderful thing! I never have to water by hand anymore, and my yard looks so much better. Now I have more time to spend on the mowing and trimming. I was going to sell my large hose reel, but I decided to use it to store my electrical extension cord. I use it with some of my lawn equipment, and it was always a hassle to drag out and untangle. I just wound it around the hose reel, and now when I need it, I roll it outside and unwind it. It's so much easier and stores nicely in the garage when I'm finished with it. Now, if I could only find an automatic mower!

C.D.

• I added some plain, gray concrete steps to the side of our back porch. I thought they looked boring, so I glued some colorful tiles to the surfaces and then grouted them in. Now the steps look great -- better than the porch. I guess I will have to add some tiles to that now to make it look as good. It was simple and fun.

E.M.

Shop talk

• Malibu -- the folks who make super outdoor lighting products -- also make a neat solar-powered Mosquito Inhibitor. It blocks mosquitoes to protect you, your family and your pets. The attractive lamp works day or night to dispense a patented chemical that blocks the ability of mosquitoes to track your scent. It's said to be twice as effective as DEET but, obviously, safer. Look for it at hardware and garden stores and at home centers. Check it out at www.malibulights.com.

• Wet & Forget is a scrub-free exterior stain remover that effectively cleans mold and mildew without bleach or other caustic or acidic chemicals. You can use it on concrete, decks, roofs, siding, awnings, boats and other outdoor surfaces. You simply apply it, and it starts working. It lifts biological growth of the stain from the surface in as little as two weeks. Once clean, the surfaces only need a touchup occasionally. It is highly concentrated, so just a little is needed at a time. The compounds included in it have a long shelf life. It's new and a little different, but much safer and easier to use. It won't harm you or the environment, and it's available at hardware stores and home centers. To learn more, visit its Web site, www.wetandforget.com, or call (888) 727-8524.

© 2008, Cowles Syndicate Inc.