At Sweden Green House we manufacture wooden greenhouses that we paint by hand with linseed oil paint. Here's how to maintain our greenhouses.

We paint all our greenhouses by hand with linseed oil paint. It is a choice we made to give the greenhouses the best conditions to withstand the elements, but also to age beautifully and be easy to maintain. Basically, there is quite little maintenance on these greenhouses, expect them to need to be repainted every 10-15 years. But there are small things we can do as a lighter maintenance between paintings, if the need arises.

One of the most important things for good maintenance is to clean the greenhouse every year. Remove dirt and go over the greenhouse frame and make sure that the wood has not been damaged anywhere. If the paint has rubbed off anywhere, clean and sand and brush with linseed oil, this will provide protection until you want to repaint the greenhouse.

Linseed oil paint will gradually fade from sunlight, the amount depends on the exposure to sunlight. The color becoming dull is natural and does not require any special measures. When the paint is completely dull, it will start to chalk, but it will not flake. Chalking can be positive and is a form of self-cleaning. On furniture, it can be a concern because the paint can leave marks when touched. However, in a greenhouse, it is not a big problem.

When the color of the frame as a whole reaches the point of chalking, you can treat these parts with a high-quality boiled linseed oil to improve the wood protection. Wash the surface clean with a regular pH-neutral detergent (do not use soap), clean thoroughly and rinse off all detergent residue, dry with a cloth and let the wood dry completely. After that, you can apply a thin layer of linseed oil, let the linseed oil soak into the wood for a while and then wipe off the excess oil. Thick layers easily form blisters or unevenness. The linseed oil will form a new protective film over the pigment but also penetrate and improve the durability of the wood.

If your greenhouse needs to be completely repainted, we can help you, just get in touch.