These are unprecedented times in the UK and around the world as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The country is in lockdown and millions of people are either working from home, on restricted hours or facing an uncertain future in terms of their jobs. Despite this, the strength of the British resolve to ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ remains strong. Retail stores have seen record sales of everything from gym equipment to TV subscription services, running trainers to new sofas.
We at Wood Finishes Direct have experienced the same with a huge demand for all things ‘wood care’ related. To the extent we have even had to revise our working practices, by taking temporary pauses on website orders to ensure we can dispatch all customer orders in a timely fashion, before the next wave of orders for oils, stains and varnishes comes rushing in.
We will all be spending a LOT more time at home over the coming weeks. You’re going to find yourself looking for things to do around the house, so luckily for you we’ve curated a list of 5 quick and easy home improvements that can be done during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Top 5 Home Improvements
So, what are people ordering at the moment? Well it seems that whilst a number of you are content to stay indoors and do home improvements that perhaps didn’t get done over winter, the majority are definitely looking to do their gardens up in anticipation of improving weather and the approaching summer months. Afterall, for the foreseeable future at least, it’s highly likely that we’ll all be spending more time in the garden.
So here it is, our top 5 home improvement projects for spring 2020…
Decking
You guessed it, if the name of the game for the coming months means sitting at home to read, exercise and eat lunch, then doing it outside in the summer sun seems like a better proposition than sitting indoors. Items in high demand are decking oils, wood preservers, decking stains, decking cleaners and decking paints.
Depending on the condition and size of your deck, this job shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. A quick win and an easy way to instanly lift the appearance of new or old decking that may be looking worn or tired.
Our top trending decking treatment at the moment is Ronseal Decking Cleaner and Reviver. This powerful decking cleaner and reviver removes moss, mould and algae, and is ideal as a pre-treatment, to prepare decked areas prior to applying a decking stain or oil – Marvelous!
Garden Fences
Possibly as a result of the stormy start to the year, where many fences were damaged or blown down, we’ve seen a huge demand for fence paints, preservers and fence stains. It seems that in a bid to brighten up garden spaces and add some cheer, our customers are looking for colour in the form of Cuprinol Garden Shades paint. This garden paint comes in a huge range of colours and is perfect for all garden wood including rough and smooth garden fence panels, sheds, pergolas and more – Inspirational!
Interior Door Treatments
For those that are less optimistic about the weather and more concerned about protecting interior doors from increased family use, the firm favorite is currently Osmo Door Oil. Ideal for all types of wooden internal doors including solid wood, engineered and veneered doors, it protects the wood from greasy hand and finger marks, scuffs, stains and moisture. Door oils are also great for restoring or rejuvenating old and tired looking doors. Treating doors is quick and easy and should literally take minutes ones prepared or cleaned. It’s an open and shut case!
Worktops and Table Tops
Are you likely to be spending more time in the kitchen, baking fresh bread and cakes by the batch with and for the children? Real wood kitchen worktops and table tops are getting more use than normal. As a result we’ve seen increased demand for worktop oils such as Osmo Top Oil to keep wooden food preparation surfaces sealed, protected and looking great whilst the nation bakes. Bake yourself happy!
Wooden Floors
With the whole family potentially at home and kids running in and out of the garden, wooden floors are going to need more regular cleaning. The best way to do this is with a dedicated wood floor cleaner and mop. In demand at the moment are Bona Wood Floor Spray Mops. These handy spray mops provide everything needed to clean and protect wooden floors without the need to fill or carry around a bucket of water. These self contained mops come with a refillable cleaning solution cartridge and washable microfibre mop head which make cleaning wood floors quick and simple.
Need help with your projects?
With all the craziness going on in the world at the moment, being home is a welcome distraction and we want to help you make your home and garden the best it can be. If you’re unsure about what you need for a particular project or just need some guidence on how best to treat something, contact our wood care experts who are always on hand to provide free, expert advice on any woodcare projects or products.
We love to see before, during and after photos of any wood finishing, decorating, restoration or home improvement projects. If you would like to share your pictures with us and our followers, send us your photos or share on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram pages.
