Opinions please, leave or paint?

Boiled clear linseed oil

 

I'd go dark, same as the fence perhaps or at least something to tone it down, at the moment your eye is drawn to the bench rather than your magnificent display of plants

 

For me the dark fence sets off the beautiful bench.

 

Painting a bench like that would not be great. Danish oil is very nice but needs doing most years . I am trying Ronseal 5 year stain on my bench next week , I'll get back to you ...........well in 5 years

 

My walking sticks needs doing every 3 years with linseed oil but it does get a bit of a battering when I'm out with the hawk hitting bushes flushing game and its cheap.

 

Don't paint it a dark colour or the same colour as the fence as it will make the bench blend in and not be a feature.

I'd treat it with some yacht varnish personally. Danish Oil and Linseed oil are fine on things indoors but haven't had much success with things outside.

Also if you use Linseed Oil or Danish Oil, burn the rags after wards as they are quite flammable.

 

I'm with the "oil gang". It is a lovely looking thing as it is.

 

Your call but why spoil what you've already got,inhance and protect as it gets older you can always darken it.

 

What wood is it? Looks like cedar or teak?

MrH made some oak garden furniture some years ago and has been oiling it using Garden Furniture oil until a couple of years ago. It looked good but...

1. There is the danger of the rags self combusting as mentioned by JJ. MrH spreads them out in the open and lets them dry before disposing of them or keeps them in an airtight jar.
2. You have to wipe off excess oil carefully otherwise you end up with a tacky surface.
3. You do have to reapply every year.
4. By the end of the summer, the oak tends to develop black mould on the surface unless kept very dry which rather defeats the purpose. He's now learned that the manufacturers (Liberon) recommend pure tung oil for oak rather than Garden Furniture oil

Last summer (remember last summer? Me neither) the garden furniture didn't even leave the garage as he couldn't summon up the energy to sand it down again. This year he has sanded it down but hasn't yet bought any Tung Oil to try that.

Having said all that MrH and I agree that you should try to keep it natural colour rather than painting it.

 

Oil is the way to go.

 

Oil it is! The more I look at it, the more i like it!

Tbh, I don't know what wood it is, it was from homebase, and thought it was lovely, bargain at £50!

 

Do I win a prize?

 

Yes, you do! Have a virtual drinkee on meeeeeeee

 

Ha ha ha I'm going to