Sofa Finishes and Aftercare

Our Green Oak Sofas are supplied in one of two finishes, depending on the final location of your sofa.

Indoors

For indoor use your sofa will be finished with a coat of Danish Oil to nourish the wood and then finished with Clear Wax. This wax produces a nice sheen (definitely not a 'shine') and makes the wood smooth to the touch (they are very touchy-feely things our sofas). Wax does not offer a completely waterproof finish, but it will give the wood some protection from general wear and tear. Without a wax finish, the timber will soak up spillages like sponge making them impossible to get out.

Other than a general dusting with a soft cloth (no astringent cleaners or modern silicone sprays please, you'll take the natural wax off) your sofa is a low maintenance piece of furniture, just an occassional application of wax and a bit of buffing-up will keep your sofa nourished and protected. The more wax you apply, the more spill-proof it will become – ours has survived many a red wine spillage with no detrimental effects and we probably waxed ours about six times in the first year and then twice a year after that.

Outdoors

OK, so there's a bit of maintenance in the first year, but after that its just a bit of a spring clean once a year. Your sofa will be delivered to you with three coats of Danish Oil, just to give you a good head start and, much more importantly, so that you can lounge on you new sofa the minute you've finished assembling it (but not until you've made the gin and tonic of course) and relax……………

Year one. During the first year, it is useful to keep your timber well oiled, we use Danish oil, easily available from most hardware stores. If it rains soon after you've oiled your sofa, the rain may leave marks on the timber, but a simple wipe over with an oiled cloth and they will disappear. If you're not good at maintenance, make sure that you at least give it an extra coat before the winter sets in, especially if its to cope outside on its own.

Year Two If however you want the timber to retain its original colour, then you will simply need to give it a scrub in the Spring of every year with water and a mild detergent and then apply Danish Oil to see it through to the next Spring.

Some people prefer their furniture to meld into the background and want a really natural look in which case after you've fed it for the first year, you can leave it alone completely and let it age to a beautiful silver-grey colour (like the best of us!)

Your sofa will enjoy the outdoor life for many years to come, but to ensure an extended life; it is advisable to make sure that your sofa is not allowed to stand in pools of water over the long winter period. Some of our customers (cosseting sofa-lovers) have been known to cram their sofa into the shed over winter, along with the barbecue and the lawn mower!

If you have any further queries about the maintenance of your sofa, please don't hesitate to contact us.