Caring for Kwila Timber

How to care for your Gold Coast Kwila timber furniture

At Gold Coast Kwila we want to make sure you have many years of enjoyment from our products.

The Gold Coast Kwila company only uses Kwila (Merbau) timber in its range of high quality furniture due to its very high level of stability, low shrinkage properties and overall exceptional outdoor permanence characteristics. However, it is important to remember that it is still a natural timber and when Kwila weathers, it will eventually go a silver grey colour. This ‘aged’ look is preferred by some of our customers while others like to maintain the original colour. This can be achieved with a light wipe over of a good quality decking oil supplied by Gold Coast Kwila. In Australia , due to our sometimes humid climate, we as a company advise the use of good ‘decking’ oil that has a sunscreen and an anti-mould ingredient incorporated into the oil. Many of our customers prefer a clear oil with no colour pigment added but this is a matter of choice. The oil is best wiped on lightly with a cloth but we can also provide a re-oiling service for a small fee for those customers who prefer to maintain their furniture in show room condition.

If your outdoor furniture is exposed to constant sun, is not oiled and goes greyish colour we can restore your furniture to a high quality finish for a small fee. This service is only available within the metro Brisbane or Gold Coast region.

When first exposed to heavy rain, moisture, snow or sleet the Kwila timber (or Merbau) may well bleed excess tannin from the wood unless it has been properly treated. This tannin can stain unsealed floor surfaces, carpets and cloth which is very difficult to remove. To eliminate this problem we recommend you ensure your Kwila furniture has been properly and fully treated in line with finishing processes adopted by our company. If proper finishing is not carried out, the length of time required to hose down before the tannin starts to run freely from the timber can vary enormously. Although excess tannin is inconvenient to deal with when the furniture is first purchased, it is not a permanently ongoing problem. To maintain the original and natural colour of the timber we suggest you re-apply a light coat of Gold Coast Kwila oil to the furniture after bleeding.

We recommend the use of our own specially manufactured oil for maximum results and optimal protection of your investment.

To clean any polyester fabrics on your furniture please wash with luke warm soapy water, brushing off any stains or dirt beforehand. When your furniture is not in use for long periods of time we suggest that it be stored under cover to maintain the original show-room appearance. Please ensure that both the furniture and fabric is dry before storage.

Gold Coast Kwila have a range of weather proof covers for this purpose.

Your Gold Coast Kwila timber may also be used indoors. Remember however, that the leeching process may stain or mark some surfaces. If your furniture has been pre-oiled it is wise to remove any excess oil prior to placing indoors as it may discolour any carpet or untreated surfaces.

As an added pre-caution you may chose to tighten any loose fittings and joints after an initial period of use of around 3-6 months. Self loosening of bolts and fastenings is not a common problem but any loose bolts could cause unnecessary damage to the bolts themselves, the timber and may also cause cracking of mortise and tenon joints or cracking of any glue joints. For assured long life of your furniture, regular checking and tightening of any bolts should be carried out on a 6-12 monthly basis. Once again, Gold Coast Kwila provides a fee based maintenance service within the Brisbane and Gold Coast metro areas should you wish to avail yourself of that service.

Gold Coast Kwila – a beautiful product that is designed to give many years of pleasure.