The vibrant colors of a stately wood lighthouse with it's amber beacon of light at dusk make it a great addition to any coastal landscape. The question becomes how to maintain its beauty from year to year? In this "Garden Lighthouse Cleaning & Care Guide" we will share some tips with you we have learned over the years.
Winter Weather Protection For Garden Lighthouses
Winter months are often the time when your wooden lighthouse is the most susceptible to damage. As the weather turns colder the wood begins to contract causing joints to seperate slightly, leaving small cracks for harsh winds to drive snow and rain into the interior of the lighthouse. As the temperature sinks below freezing the wood which has now taken on moisture will be more susceptible to cracking and splintering.
What is the solution? Smaller lighthouses can be stored in a storage shed or garage over the winter months, this will significantly extend their life span. For larger lighthouses or those you dont want to take indoors over winter, giving them a cleaning and doing some preventive maintenance in the late fall will go a long way to warding of harsh winter weather.
Begin by removing any dust or debris with a soft cloth, proceed with a deep clean by washing the lighthouse with water, a splash of oxygen bleach and some mild dish soap. A soft bristle brush can be used to remove any stubborn stains, algae or mold that has started to grow on the wood. When using a bristle brush scrub gently in the same direction as the grain of the wood. Rinse from top to bottom with clean water.
Let your lighthouse dry 3-5 days and then check along the joints of the wood for any areas that are beginning to separate. Joints that have seperated enough to allow moisture to penetrate the lighthouse can be resealed with paint, or caulk on larger cracks. Be sure to examine the roof of the lighthouse carefully and make sure there are no loose trim pieces that need to be secured or cracks that need sealed.
Moisture is destructive to wood and often times it will gain entrance into your lighthouse through the roof, so a few minutes of preventive maintenance to keep the water out will result in a beautiful lighthouse for years to come.
Spring Cleaning & Maintenance for Wood Lighthouses
Early spring is the time to give the wood lighthouse you had stored in the garage over winter some love. Since it has been out of the weather for sometime the moisture level in the wood should be low, and temperatures are still cool enough that the wood has not fully expanded, these are perfect conditions for some preventive maintenance.
Begin by removing any dust or debris with a soft cloth, proceed with a deep clean by washing the lighthouse with water, a splash of oxygen bleach and some mild dish soap. A soft bristle brush can be used to remove any stubborn stains, algae or mold that has started to grow on the wood. When using a bristle brush scrub gently in the same direction as the grain of the wood. Rinse from top to bottom with clean water.
Let your lighthouse dry 3-5 days and then check along the joints of the wood for any areas that are beginning to separate. Joints that have seperated enough to allow moisture to penetrate the lighthouse can be resealed with paint, or caulk on larger cracks.
Using Wood Sealer on Garden Lighthouses
While not a requirement using a clear sealer on a wood lighthouse will help to extend the life span. To determine if this is necessary begin by making the lightouse wet, if the water beads up and runs off no sealer is necessary. If the water does not bead up and run off this is a sign that the wood may be susceptible to absorbing moisture.
Steps For Using Sealer On a Wood Lighthouse
- For painted wood lighthouses purchase a CLEAR Paint Sealer, for stained wood lighthouses purchase a CLEAR Wood Sealer.
- Follow the deep clean and maintenance process above
- Allow any paint of caulk from the process above to dry several days
- Spray or brush sealer on from top to bottom allowing it to soak in cracks.
- Allow to dry several days
Sealer is generally not necessary every year, testing the surface with water will indicate when applying sealer will be a benefit to extending the life span of your garden lighthouse. Your lighthouse should now have its color revived and is ready to face the spring rains and scorching summer sun.
Please Note: DO NOT apply sealer to a poly lighthouse or to the poly top or base of a hybrid lighthouse. Poly is naturally waterproof and sealer is not necessary. In most cases sealer will not damage the poly, but it wont adhere to it well, resulting in flaking and a less than desirable appearance.
Preparing A Proper Foundation For Your Wooden Lighthouse
As was previously mentioned water is destructive to a wooden lighthouse, so a proper foundation will extend the life of the lighthouse. The best foundations are made of materials that encourage water to flow away from the base of the lighthouse not hold it against the wood.
A lighthouse perfectly postioned in a freshly mulched flower bed looks great to the eye, but is damaging to your lighthouse. Mulch obsorbs water when it rains and holds that moisture against the wood base of your lighthouse, encouraging rot and deterioration. A 3" deep base of decorative stone is a great foundation even if it is only 1" wider than the base of the lighthouse. This will keep the wood much drier and allow it space to breath.
| Good Foundations | Bad Foundations |
| Asphalt | Dirt |
| Concrete | Foam |
| Crushed Stones | Grass |
| Pavers | Mulch |
| Poly Decking | Anything Constantly Wet |
Wood Lighthouse Care FAQ's
One of the most frequently asked questions in relation to care and cleaning of a wood garden lighthouse is: can I use a high pressure washer on a wood lighthouse?
We highly discourage use of a pressure washer on a wooden lighthouse. While it may speed up the cleaning process, the long term damage it can cause is not worth the reward of saving a few minutes of manually scrubbing with a brush.
Water from a pressure washer impacts the surface of the wood with enough force to blister paint, open cracks and crevices for moisture to penetrate in the future, while driving moisture into the wood. The use of a pressure washer will not only damage the finish of your lighthouse in the short term but it will shorten the life span of a wood lighthouse by encouraging premature deterioration.
