What is FSC?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international network to promote responsible management of the world's forests. FSC brings people together to find solutions to the problems created by bad forestry practices and to reward good forest management. Environmentally appropriate forest management ensures that the harvest of timber retains the forest's biodiversity and ecology.
Socially beneficial forest management helps both local people and society at large to enjoy long term benefits and also provides strong incentives to local people to sustain the forest resource. Economically viable forest management means that forest operations are structured and managed so as to be sufficiently profitable, without generating financial profit at the expense of the forest resources, the ecosystem or affected communities
Which wood is right for me?
This is a very popular wood for use in the garden, it shares many of the characteristics of teak, including strength, 20 years durability and the ability to create a wonderful finish. Iroko has a slightly yellow appearance. This will turn to a distinctive silver grey colour if left untreated.
The beauty of Iroko can be enhanced and turned to a golden brown colour by using our range of treatment products. A regular clean will enhance the natural beauty of the timber.
Mahogany: This is a good quality hardwood that has all the natural attributes to create highly attractive and durable garden furniture. Mahogany can be left completely untreated so that the wood mellows to a silver grey colour.
Teak: This is a golden brown timber with good grains and texture. Teak is easily worked and has natural oils that make it suitable for use in exposed locations. Traditionally teak has been used to manufacture garden furniture in the UK. Teak is known as a robust wood which will last for many years.
Karri: Karri wood is a beautiful mahogany color. The uninterrupted knot-free nature of the trunk means you got stunning finishes on all Karri wood products.
Pine: Pine is the ideal softwood for creating garden furniture that is both very strong and practical. All our pine timbers are treated with Tanalise.
The natural colour of pine is very light. This can either be left completely untreated; in which case it will turn to silver grey, or you can help retain its natural beauty by using our range of specialist treatment products.
How do I look after my bench?
We recommend you clean your bench regularly to stop dirt and grit accumulating in the wood grain. We also suggest you use a protecting agent twice a year. The worst affected areas of the bench are usually top of the seats and arms, in some cases black spots appear. This is caused by over oiling the bench which promotes fungal growth beneath the surface. Please see our Golden Care range for this treatment solution.
Once the bench has been cleaned and protected we recommend you use a storage cover, this should be used throughout the winter and during frosty conditions.
What can I do if my bench has already got black spots?
In the first instance apply our Golden Care Teak/Hardwood cleaner, and scrub with a non-metallic scourer. If the black does not come off, use medium grey sandpaper. After trying both of these options leave for 48 hours and re-apply the Golden Care Teak/Hardwood cleaner.
Below we have put together a table to show you how wide you will need a bench, for differing numbers of people.
Number of people | Length |
2 | 4ft |
3 | 5ft |
4 | 6ft |
5+ | 7ft+ |
My bench has cracks on it/or is cracking. What do I do?
All hardwoods loose their minerals/salts as they evaporate cracks will appear in the grain (tops of seats and arms). This is normal, do not worry sometimes the crack will open quite wide especially in hot weather. However they will close again when it rains, or becomes cooler. This cracking will not affect the stability of the furniture. And in most cases occurs within the first few months. Once these cracks have appeared they do not get worse. Treatment can help reduce cracking, please see our Golden Care range.
Can I leave my bench cushions out all night? Are they waterproof?
All bench cushions should be taken in at night and during the winter months. Different fabrics will have different properties, if you purchase polyester or acrylic cushions they will be water resistant - but not waterproof. If you have purchased a cotton cushion it will be neither.
Has my bench been treated before it gets to me, should I treat it?
Iroko:As this is a natural wood it is not necessary to treat the Iroko wood, during production. We recommend you treat this wood within 4-6 weeks of use. If you decide not to treat Iroko wood it will eventually mellow to a silver grey then dark grey.
Mahogany:(Source: South America / Vietnam) A strong hardwood with an expected durability of up to 10 years. The wood is pinkish when freshly cut and darkens to the typical Mahogany reddish brown. Our FSC Mahogany timber comes from the Congo in Central Africa. It will turn to a silver grey colour over a period of 3-6 months. It can be treated with Timber Treatment Plus and timber sealer, the latter of which is optional. We do not recommend use of the protector on Mahogany as the colours are not compatible.
Teak: (Source: South America / Vietnam) A strong hardwood that varies from golden brown to dark brown. Variation across slats is normal. It has a durability of up to 25 years. If left untreated, Teak will turn silvery/grey over a period of 3-6 months. It can be treated with Timber Treatment Plus, Timber Sealer or Protector. FSC Teak is made using only premium grade timber from Brazil.
Karri: A dense close grained strong hardwood with a durability of up to 10 years. It is reddish brown and each piece of furniture has an oiled finish giving it a smooth lustre. FSC Karri timber comes from Eucalyptus trees in South America. If left untreated it will go darker first then mellow to silver/grey over a period of 5-6 months. All Karri products have been pre-oiled at the factory to give the furniture a more uniform colour. We always recommend the use of Karri oil on all Karri furniture.
Pine: (Source: Poland) A softwood timber that varies from pale yellow to green. It has a durability of up to 10 years if treated annually. We recommend treating it with a preserver such as Cuprinol or Ronseal. Do not use timber treatment plus or protector, only timber sealer.
Roble: (Source: Bolivia) A very strong hardwood which is yellow in colour. It has a smooth luster and texture with a closely interlocked grain, Roble has excellent machining and turning qualities, glues, finished and polishes well. It has a durability of up to 25 years. Its strength is similar to Teak and Oak. If left untreated Roble will mellow down to a silver grey appearance. The Roble used by Alexander Rose is FSC and and comes from Bolivia. If you wish to treat Roble furniture we recommend using oil based products with an anti fungal agent, such as our Timber Treatment Plus.
Cornis: (Source: South America / Vietnam) A dense close grained strong hardwood with a durability of up to 10 years. It is reddish brown and each piece of furniture has an oiled finish giving it a smooth lustre. FSC Cornis timber comes from Eucalyptus trees in South America. If left untreated it will go darker first then mellow to silver/grey over a period of 5-6 months. All Cornis products have been pre-oiled at the factory to give the furniture a more uniform colour. We always recommend the use of Cornis oil on all Cornis furniture.
New England: (Source: South America / Vietnam) Made from Cornis timber, a species of Eucalyptus, the timber is FSC soured from Uruguay. It has a durability of up to 10 years. The white finish is the result of two coats of polyurethane paint which has a matt finish. If can be cleaned using warm soapy water and a sponge. Avoid using sharp edged objects to clean the wood as this will scratch and remove the paint. Should you wish to renovate their white bench back to its original condition they can apply a polyurethane paint with a matt finish.