UPDATE: The competition is now closed so please don't enter!

And the winner is.... Alison Sherwood

(we'll contact you shortly to arrange delivery of your new Cover!)

If you've previously purchased garden furniture from us, then you'll know how important it is to keep your investment protected, so this year we are offering a free Bench or Picnic Bench cover worth up to £29.99 to help fight off the wet and cold. 

As the months come and go, its more and more crucial that you've prepared your garden for the harsh extremes that December and January often bring us. A few checklist items besides protecting your garden furniture include; planting spring bulbs, relocating cacti to a warmer place inside and aerating your lawn.

Cold weather is known to make wood dry and brittle, whilst accellerating the chance of dry rot. Wooden furniture is especially at risk in areas with extremes differences in day and night temperatures. 

The regular expansion and contractions during the day and night can cause warping and cracks, so its particularly important that you use a bench cover to maintain the lustre, shape and sonorous qualities of your furniture.

Entry to the competition is quick and easy, and you have two methods of entry:

Like our facebook page, and leave your name and email address on our Facebook wall.  

Leave your contact details via the form on this page.


A Few Rules

The competition will run for approximately 14 days and is planned to end on Friday 16th November 2012. Enter now to avoid missing out.

We will endeavour to deliver the Bench/Picnic Bench cover to an agreed standard UK mainland address as arranged in advance with the winner. The winner will also have to select either a small cover(120cm), a medium cover(150cm) or a large cover(180cm) depending on the size of their Bench. If you are selecting the Picnic Bench cover, this only has one size.

Minimum age for entry is 18.

The winner will be chosen at random.

Automated sign-ups or clicks will not be accepted and we will reject any suspicious entries.
This competition is not associated with any other company.

Please include a current email address on facebook or via the contact form, one that you check regularly, so we can contact you if you’re a winner.

The winner will be notified via the email list entry and must claim the prize within 30 days.
We reserve the right to end the competition at any time.

There’s no cash alternative – it’s a fun competition!

Good luck.
Ewan

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Here at Benches we've been working on our social media presence. We now have pages dedicated to Benches on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and we'd like to invite you to join us! 

 If you want to stay tuned to the latest product releases, discount offers, and prize competitions then simply Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, or +1 our Google+ page.

Not only would we love feedback on the products we sell, but we'd really appreciate your support to get the word out about our excellent customer service and expert knowledge.

So if you've purchased a product from Benches and want to share your opinions about it with the rest of the world, then simply find us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ and leave a comment! We will try our hardest to get back to you within 48 hours.

As an added incentive, we will be giving away a Bench cover in our first competition starting next week, so make sure you in with a chance by Liking Benches.co.uk on Facebook, or by following us on Twitter or by +1'ing us on Google.
Anyone who does will be automatically entered into the competition which closes on the 7th November 2012.  

Sudden changes in temperature, moisture, and pest/insect infestations such as woodworm, dry rot, etc. can play havoc with your wood furniture. Wood can dry out, rot away, or get infested weakening it over time and destroying your garden furniture. Every homeowner knows the importance of protecting outdoor furniture from these environmental threats.

Preparing for Autumn/Winter: The Effects of Cold Weather on Wood

Wood absorbs moisture and warmth from the air. It swells with heat and moisture in the summer and heavy rainy simply worsens the effects. Wooden garden furniture especially is prone to contract and expand as the temperature changes. As the summer ends and autumn arrives; it is all the more important to protect your wooden furniture from the cold.

Darwin Garden Bench 1.8m

Cold weather makes wood dry and brittle. It speeds up dry rot infestation as well. Wooden furniture is especially susceptible to damage in places that see large variations between day and night temperatures.

The daily cycle of expansion during warmer afternoons, and contractions during cold nights can ruin your furniture for good by affecting its lustre, shine, shape and sonorous qualities. Outdoor furniture, such as a wooden garden bench, is especially prone to damage and needs strong protection measures.

How to Protect Outdoor Wooden Furniture From the Elements

Wood preserver is a chemical solution that protects wood from woodworm, dry and wet rot, and halts the daily cycle of expansion-contraction with temperature variations.

Wood preserver is applied to furniture either at the time of manufacture, or later on, and is vital to prolonging the life of wooden garden furniture in particular.

Wood preserver is mainly available in three varieties, depending on the primary chemical used:

 - Organic solvent preservatives
 - Copper chromium arsenic
 - Alkaline copper quaternary

These chemicals fill the microscopic gaps present in wooden furniture, and suitably expand and contract with temperature changes. Organic solvents are preferable to the other two varieties because they are non-toxic and can be more efficient at preserving wood.

You can also buy natural wooden preservatives from most hardware stores these days. Unlike the above mentioned chemical preservatives, these natural preservatives, such as linseed and tung oil, are completely non-toxic.

Coating your furniture, especially outdoor furniture like a wooden garden bench, with wood preserver is essential during the winter season. Cold temperatures are unkind to wood; keep your furniture protected by using a quality wood preserver.

Regardless of whether you have a garden the size of a field or one that is little more than a yard, there are always ways that you can make improvements. This does not have to be expensive or difficult to achieve. Here are five easy tips to improve your garden space.

Garden Furniture

Adding some garden furniture, such as a wooden garden bench, will change your garden into a more usable space. Having a bench will mean that you can enjoy your garden. It will also help to define your garden into different areas such as the living area and the lawn area.

Popular Lily Garden Bench

If you already have garden furniture, giving it a good clean will instantly improve the appearance of your garden. If the furniture is wooden, you can stain or paint it to give it a fresh look.


Paint Your Plant Pots

Other than adding flowers, a simple way to add a splash of colour to your garden is to paint your old plant pots. You can choose any colour scheme you like. White is great for a clean and fresh look but you may wish to be more adventurous with your colour scheme. If you are creative, you can add designs to your pots. Not only will the garden be more colourful, it will also be unique and represent your personality.

Decorative Plant Pots

Have a Tidy Up

People sometimes use their gardens as a storage area. Getting rid of the clutter will make all the difference to how smart your garden looks. Another way to tidy up and improve your garden space is to cut back any overgrown plants and bushes. Doing this will make your garden look larger as well.

Useful Wooden Storage Bench

Add Lighting

Adding lighting to your garden will allow you to make use of your garden space at night and it will add a magical atmosphere. Solar powered lights are readily available and reasonably priced. Using this type of lighting will avoid the complication of having to use an electrician to add lighting to your garden.

Improve Walls and Fences

Walls or fences surround most gardens. These are a boring and unimaginative view. Painting them or adorning them with flowers is an easy task. To add flowers you will need a trellis and some climbing plants.

Add a Decorative Wall Trellis with Flowers

Alternatively, Add plant pots to the tops of your walls and include some flowers that will trail decoratively down the walls. This is also a good idea if you have a very small garden with limited space to plant flowers.

There's a multitude of choices available in wooden garden benches but in the next few weeks customers will be able to personalise any new bench purchase.

Benches.co.uk specialises in supplying only high quality benches and now plans to offer state-of-the-art laser engraving to many of its products. Customers will have the options of creating a personal message and/or uploading an image or logo of their choice.

Bench Engraving for a Personal Touch

 The laser machine is capable of millimetre precision and the results are truly amazing.

Garden Benches Ideal for Engraving

There are a number of outdoor wooden garden benches that can make a real impact when a special message is a must. By creating a personal message it can give that little bit more pleasure perhaps bringing back fond memories or a special place.

Rose Garden Bench

Engraved Rose Garden Bench

The above rose bench perfectly shows what this engraving machine is capable of. This particular bench was the highlight of a recent exhibition at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2012 with its inscription of "Keep calm and sit down". The crown engraving also shows the accuracy and bespoke nature of the customisation that will be possible.

The detailed yet simple design of the Rose Bench gives it an imposing prominence wherever you might decide to place it. It is strong, comfortable and very durable.

Darwin Garden Bench

Engraved Darwin Garden Bench

The Darwin Bench is one of the most popular wooden garden benches in the entire range. It's affordable, has clean lines and equally important it is FSC approved.

The Darwin Garden Bench is kiln dried and pre-treated to category 3, giving it a ten year plus life span. This is a high quality bench providing real value for money.

The bench comes in at a generous 1.8M making it suitable for larger garden, parks, public areas, picnic spots, corporate locations and staff relaxation areas.

For all your wooden outdoor bench needs visit now and ask about the laser engraving options and unique choices available.