Oxenwood furniture is made, to the fullest extent possible, using only natural and reclaimed materials, giving our pieces a story and a soul. Durability and sustainability are at the core of everything we do, and our objective is that your Oxenwood furniture will be passed down through generations. Oxenwood’s furniture is authentic, and each piece will respond to nature’s elements and influences in its own individual way, which ensures that each piece of Oxenwood furniture develops its own personality over time. Natural and reclaimed materials will have their own character and minor imperfections; this is part of the beauty of a natural product.
Belgian bluestone can be used indoors and outdoors; its low porosity makes it resistant to frost and pollution. Bluestone is a natural stone and contains fossils, white/greyish crystals and veins that run through the stone. The quantity and size of the fossils, crystals and veins will vary from piece to piece and are an inherent characteristic of the stone. Superficial micro scratches are normal and over time will contribute to the patina of the stone.
In its natural state (so left unsealed), bluestone may temporarily mark if it comes into contact with some foodstuffs and beverages. If the bluestone is located outside, these marks will go over a short period of time due to the cleaning action of the sun and rain.
If you wish to seal your bluestone we recommend Lithofin MN Stain Stop an impregnator sealant, which is easily obtainable on the internet and in most hardware stores. Applying an impregnator sealer to bluestone creates a protective invisible film on and within the surface of the bluestone which repels water and oil based staining agents and makes surfaces easier to clean but does not make bluestone stainproof to acidic contamination. We recommend re-sealing bluestone periodically, especially in high usage areas, in accordance with the sealer manufacturer’s recommendations. We find the best results with Lithofin MN Stain Stop are to apply Stain Stop generously with a jumbo car sponge or similar to the surface of the bluestone top and then keep it wet for approximately 15 minutes, moving the sponge every 1 or 2 minutes to activate the agent in the sealant; don’t let the product dry during this time. After approximately 15 minutes buff the surface of the bluestone fully dry with an old towel or similar and continue to buff until the bluestone surface is fully dry (so no wet look to dry away). After 12 hours the table is ready to use. Full application details for Lithofin MN Stain Stop are available from the Lithofin technical department on 01962 732 126.
Sealed or unsealed, we recommend that spillages are wiped clean in a timely manner (in particular, vinegar, lemon juice and ketchup). Abrasive or acidic cleaners and washing up liquids should be avoided as cleaning agents.
For regular cleaning, we recommend Lithofin Easy Clean. Spray the product generously across the surface, let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then wipe down with a microfibre cloth or towel. This cleaning product will give a good clean, but also looks after the impregnator/sealer. For a slightly deeper clean and grease stains, we recommend Lithofin MN Power-Clean. For deeper oil stains, we recommend Lithofin Oil-Ex. Before you try to remove any bluestone marking or contamination, please call the Lithofin technical department on 01962 732 126.
K2R or Tableau Spot Remover powder aerosols can also be used to remove marks – the “magic sprays”. Simply spray onto the mark, leave it on the bluestone for a few minutes or longer depending on the age of the mark and then rinse with clean water and the mark will be wholly removed.
Oxenwood’s Care & Maintenance Kit can be purchased from Oxenwood either at the time of purchase or later.
Candle wax will mark bluestone and although any marks will fade over time, it will take a long time for wax marks to disappear altogether. We recommend Oxenwood hurricane lamps are used to protect the bluestone from candle wax spillages.
Oxenwood’s Artisan polished concrete tops are handmade from glass fibre reinforced concrete in a number of different colours. This high strength concrete enables us to engineer lightweight durable artisan concrete tops for both indoor and outdoor use.
Each Oxenwood Artisan polished concrete top contains subtle colour variations and small surface apertures, which are a natural and an inherent characteristic of Oxenwood’s artisan polished concrete tops. Non-structural hairline cracks may appear on the surface over time in response to nature’s elements and influences; these do not affect the integrity of the concrete top and ensures that each Oxenwood Artisan polished concrete top develops its own personality over time.
To prevent scratches, we recommend that sharp or coarse objects are not dragged across the surface of the polished concrete. Do not place hot pots or other items directly onto the polished concrete top as this can cause sealant discolouration. In addition, we recommend that objects which can trap water between the object and the concrete surface should not be left on polished concrete tops for extended periods as this may cause discolouration or marking.
concrete surface should not be left on polished concrete tops for extended periods as this may cause discolouration or marking.
We recommend that spillages are wiped clean in a timely manner (in particular, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and ketchup). Abrasive and acidic cleaners should be avoided as cleaning agents.
At Oxenwood we use solid European FSC and PEFC air dried oak and reclaimed or aged oak. Oak is a natural product and, in keeping with Oxenwood’s authentic ethos, may have minor imperfections such as knots and cracks. Oxenwood’s reclaimed and aged oak may also incorporate oak patches or plugs which form an inherent characteristic of reclaimed or aged oak. Oak is also subject to external influences and movement, cracks and changes in colour are to be expected. Each piece will age differently and develop its own unique character. When used outdoors, oak will develop a grey patina over time. Oxenwood’s furniture is designed to be authentic, and we believe that the oak’s response to these external influences plays an important part in Oxenwood’s oak furniture developing its own personality over time.
Our oak outdoor benches incorporate gaps between the boards comprising the oak bench tops, which allows water to run off and the oak to expand and contract during periods of moisture ingression and the subsequent drying out process. This reduces the occurrence of movement and cracks, but some movement and cracks are likely to occur. We recommend that all Oxenwood outdoor benches are brought in undercover in the winter months to protect them against the winter weather.
Oak contains natural colourants such as tannins that are dissolvable in water. These tannins emerge from the oak in the case of water ingression and can affect paving surfaces surrounding the oak; this depends on the nature of the paving stones surrounding the oak and in our experience is rare. If you are in any doubt as to the effect tannins may have on the surfaces surrounding your oak furniture, please contact us. Oak located outdoors should not be placed on absorbent stone (for instance, sandstone) until the tannins have first been given ample opportunity to leach out. Any tannin marking on surrounding paving can be removed using Lithofin Outdoor Cleaner for Natural and Artificial Stone.
For our indoor oak furniture, we recommend that the relative air humidity should be controlled and held constant. We also recommend placing indoor oak furniture to avoid direct sunlight.
Oxenwood’s natural rattan is not treated chemically, and in keeping with Oxenwood’s ethos, is a natural product and will acquire a grey patina over time. We recommend that all Oxenwood natural rattan is brought in undercover in the winter months to protect it against the winter weather to enjoy a longer lifespan.
Oxenwood’s 100% solution dried waterproof cushions are 100% waterproof with excellent UV resistance and have been finished with a stain resistant treatment. However, in common with all fabrics, our cushions do need some care and attention. We recommend that dirt is removed by gently brushing or vacuuming the cushion. A warm water (maximum temperature of 30 degrees C) and a mild detergent solution can be used to clean the fabric followed by a gentle rinse under running water. The fabric should be allowed to dry completely after washing. Solvents and abrasive detergents should be avoided at all costs.
We recommend that the cushions are re-waterproofed every 5 years to retain their waterproof qualities. We recommend Fabsil Gold or Fabsil Universal Protector.
Oxenwood’s outdoor covers are specifically designed and tailored to fit your Oxenwood outdoor furniture. The covers enable you to protect your Oxenwood outdoor furniture throughout the seasons with minimal maintenance.
When using our covers and to prevent mildew it is important to ensure that the cover has room to allow air to circulate around your Oxenwood furniture. We recommend allowing air circulation over the surface of the table top or bench top.
Mildew is a form of fungus and can appear on oak furniture if it is covered for extended periods of time without airing. Mildew requires certain factors to develop and by restricting these factors we can ensure that mildew struggles to reproduce and grow. The principal requirements for mildew to appear are enough ambient moisture and reasonable warmth after a colder period of weather. This is an increasing problem with our warmer winters in the United Kingdom; mildew invariably occurs during the winter months. To reduce the possibility of mildew growth we recommend (a) ensure that the cover has room to allow air to circulate around your Oxenwood furniture and (b) remove the cover on a periodic basis (every two or three weeks) throughout the winter to allow fresh air to circulate over your Oxenwood furniture.
Oxenwood’s reclaimed teak has been salvaged from old buildings, bridges, boats or railway sleepers. Oxenwood’s reclaimed teak may also incorporate teak patches or plugs which form an inherent characteristic of reclaimed teak. This character makes each Oxenwood’s teak piece unique. Teak is also subject to external influences and movement, cracks and changes in colour are to be expected. Each piece will age differently and develop its own unique character. When used outdoors, teak will develop a grey patina over time. Oxenwood’s furniture is designed to be authentic, and we believe that the teak’s response to these external influences plays an important part in Oxenwood’s teak furniture developing its own personality over time.
Oxenwood’s 100% solution dried waterproof cushions are 100% waterproof with excellent UV resistance and have been finished with a stain resistant treatment. However, in common with all fabrics, our cushions do need some care and attention. We recommend that dirt is removed by gently brushing or vacuuming the cushion. A warm water (maximum temperature of 30 degrees C) and a mild detergent solution can be used to clean the fabric followed by a gentle rinse under running water. The fabric should be allowed to dry completely after washing. Solvents and abrasive detergents should be avoided at all costs.
We recommend that the cushions are re-waterproofed every 5 years to retain their waterproof qualities. We recommend Fabsil Gold or Fabsil Universal Protector.
Please contact us on enquiries@oxenwood.co.uk or on 01264 730 801 for further information or if you have any questions.
