We have a futon which we would like to use outside as summer seating(It will move outside permanently). I believe the wood is either rubber wood or some sort of pine. How should I go about preparing it for outside use? I have some teak oil which I can apply after sanding the surface, but I get the feeling teak oil by itself will not be enough and I need to seal the surface somehow to protect it from the worst of the rain and sun. I'm in the UK so a bit of everything weather wise is the norm.
Edit in response to some of the points raised below:
- The wood is rubberwood - found a stamp on the piece and traced back from there. Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubberwood + others) does state it is a poor choice for outdoor use due to moisture absorbency. Defined as a hardwood, it is farmed for its sap and at end of commercial life, used for indoor furniture . However, money is tight and the futon was free and so even if I get just a couple of years use out of it, I will be happy.
- After initial sanding back for product application, I would prefer to keep future maintenance to simply brushing on a protective layer( once or twice a year is perfectly OK ). Sanding furniture is a real pain!
- We will add some rubber or plastic feet so it is not directly in contact with the ground. Also, the wife will make a cover for winter.
So it is really a case of how best to protect it. I did research before posting but most articles are are either about wood that is suited to outdoor use or construction timber. Rubberwood is a very poor choice for garden furniture but see point one.