Outdoor timber lasts for many years if it's looked after. In Mallorca it has three enemies: the sun, which dries it out and turns it grey; the damp of winter; and, near the coast, salt air. Here is our advice.
1. Start with the right timber
Outdoors you need timber treated for its intended use. Posts in contact with the ground must be use class 4 (pressure-treated pine, for example). Sheltered pieces that don't touch the ground can be a lower class.
2. Choose the right protective product
- Wood stain (lasur): protects the timber while letting it breathe (open-pore finish). The most common choice for pine pergolas, porches and fences.
- Oil: ideal for hardwoods such as iroko or teak. It enhances the colour but needs reapplying more often.
- Varnish: forms a film on the surface. If it cracks in the sun, water gets in underneath and it's harder to put right. Outdoors, a pigmented varnish is preferable.
3. How often?
As a general rule, check your timber at the start and end of each season. Oiled hardwoods usually need two coats a year. In spots heavily exposed to sun or sea, check more often. The warning sign: the timber looks grey, or water no longer beads on the surface.
4. How to do it properly
- Clean off dust, mould and debris.
- Sand any grey areas or where old product is flaking.
- Apply the product when the timber is dry and out of strong direct sun.
- Pay attention to end grain (cut ends) and joints, which is where most water gets in.
5. Check the structure too
While you're at it, check screws, fixings and supports, and make sure water isn't pooling at the base of the posts.
Would you rather we did it?
We clean, sand and protect wooden pergolas, porches, fences and gates, and offer regular property maintenance. Ideal if you don't live on the island all year round.
Have a project in mind?
Send us a WhatsApp with a few photos and your idea. We reply quickly and, if it suits you, we come to see it and send you a detailed written quote in English.
