I've got this old cypress table that's been sitting outside at my lake house in Alabama for about 70 years. For the last decade, it's been under an oak tree, and it's gotten pretty mossy and dirty. I've recently moved it back into the sunlight to help kill off the moss and it's now off the ground on some concrete pavers. It hasn't been treated with anything before, and the post ends are rotting since they were on the ground. Now that it's mine, I'm wondering how to best take care of it. What steps should I follow to restore it?
1 Answer
I’d recommend taking it apart first. Run all the boards through a thickness planer to clean them up, and make sure to replace any posts that are completely rotten. If the tabletop is bowed, try flipping it and placing something heavy in the center for a couple of weeks before you put it back together. Once reassembled, finish it off with some clear Thompson's water seal to protect it.
Oh, the top is just one solid piece! Does that change anything for your advice?