At Nola, we bear a significant responsibility when developing products for our shared environments. This includes minimizing environmental impact during manufacturing while ensuring our products endure and remain usable for as long as possible.
We prioritise material choices that prioritise both the aesthetic and practical sustainability of our products, utilising recycled materials wherever feasible. Our products are designed with replaceable and repairable components, all with the aim of eventual recycling in existing facilities.
Manufacturing exclusively in Sweden allows for shorter transport distances, facilitating enhanced and ongoing quality and environmental control. We hold our suppliers to environmental certification standards and diligently document our supply chains.
However, to fully succeed in our mission, we require assistance. Assistance from individuals who purchase and use Nola products to extend their lifespan and continue enriching public spaces for gatherings, conversations, and human experiences.
Once a product is delivered, it necessitates both maintenance and care, alongside supervision and attention. Neither maintenance nor care are burdensome tasks but are essential for maintaining beautiful, enduring spaces.
One can achieve much by simply:
- Keeping surfaces clean and dry to prevent mould and rot.
- Promptly repainting cracks and damage on painted wood after cleaning.
- Addressing steel damage promptly after removing corrosion to prevent rust from spreading.
- Additionally, storing wooden products indoors in cool spaces during late autumn, winter, and early spring is highly advantageous.
In this guide, we've compiled examples and information to provide detailed knowledge and specific maintenance advice and tips based on the materials and finishes used in our various products.
Contents
Wood
Fibre Residue
Mould
How to remove black mould infestation?
Oiled or varnished wood
Oiled oak
Olied teak
Olied mahogny
LINAX linseed oil impregnation
SIOO:X Treated wood
Varnished pine
Painted wood
Oil-based varnished pine
Water-based varnished pine
White-pigmented pine (indoors)
Wood
Wood is a natural, organic, and living material. It is affected by its surroundings and undergoes a natural decomposition process. It moves with the influence of rain and sun. Small cracks in the wood will gradually appear as the wood ages.
Fibre Residue
An unpainted wood surface that is untreated or oiled will develop what is known as fibre residue during its initial seasons. This occurs because the wood fibres release and settle like fine fuzz on the surface. It can be easily smoothed away with fine sandpaper.
Mould
Mould can appear on wooden furniture if left unprotected during prolonged periods of rainfall. If wood becomes damp from rain and the weather remains humid, mould spores will soon begin to grow.
In general, it's advisable to minimize exposure to moisture as much as possible. The north and east sides of houses have longer wet periods, making wooden furniture more susceptible to growth. Similarly, having plants near the furniture increases the risk of infestation.
When storing outdoor furniture, it's important not to cover them with a tarp that extends all the way to the ground. Ground moisture contributes to fungal growth. Wooden furniture should be covered but allowed to breathe. They should always be placed on a surface to allow for air circulation under the tarp.
We recommend regular inspection and washing of painted and oiled wooden furniture every year.
There are many different types of mould, with black mould being one of the most common. It appears clearly on light surfaces due to its black colour caused by dark spores, while the fungal threads (mycelium), which constitute the actual mould, are colourless. The mould grows in the surface layer and does not actually damage the substrate except for its appearance.
How to remove black mould infestations?
Mild infestation
Firstly, one should use ordinary dish soap together with a brush and garden hose, which not only removes mould but also dirt. High-pressure washers should be avoided as they risk pushing moisture into the wood through cracks and nail heads. Soap should be avoided as it is difficult to rinse off. Alternatively, cleaning agents such as Grovrent or Trallrent, commonly used for cleaning decks and terraces, can be used. These agents also clean the wood surface from grease, dirt, and soot.
Larger infestations
If none of the above detergents work, Alg- och Mögelfritt is an effective sanitizing agent for all types of outdoor surfaces affected by mould or algae and can also be used on decks, facades, fences, plastic roofs, etc.
Fibre residue may occur on most types of wood over time and can be easily remedied by sanding it away with fine sandpaper.
Oiled oak when it's new, here the Långbordet on a rooftop terrace.
Oiled or stained wood
Wood placed outdoors, whether untreated or oiled, will change appearance over time – it's inevitable. Keeping it clean, sanding, and oiling it will prolong its lifespan.
Oiled Oak
Nola primarily uses American red oak in its furniture. The quality is very high, usually completely free of visible knots. Oak is a very durable wood species in outdoor environments due to its high tannin content, but it develops black spots over time. These spots appear quite quickly after the product is placed outdoors and can initially be almost entirely black. In environments with high levels of metal pollution in the air, the process is accelerated, and the oak may have extensive spots after just a month. The spots gradually fade, and after a couple of seasons, the wood turns grey, like teak. Minor cracks also typically appear as oak is a very "lively" wood species. These cracks have a marginal effect on the material's strength and resilience.
The oil used is linseed oil-based, penetrating deeply into the wood, providing excellent rot protection and a water-repellent surface. Nola does not use film-forming or layered oils on any products as they require much more maintenance.
Products made from oiled oak should be oiled twice a year for optimal protection. A well-cooked oil that penetrates the wood is recommended over a film-forming oil. Good maintenance can never completely prevent stains from occurring, but untreated oak will darken and grey faster. However, it still has a very long lifespan.
Over time, the oak develops stains due to tannic acid and can, during this "interim period," appear dirty and less attractive.
Finally, the oak develops a beautiful even grey hue across the entire surface that lasts over time.
Typical cracking on oak after some time outdoors. Here on a Parco chair.
Oiled Teak
Teak is an extremely durable wood species in outdoor environments. It has a high silica and tannin content, making it hard and therefore relatively expensive to process. Teak is delivered in a reddish-brown colour, and to maintain it, the wood should be oiled several times during a season; otherwise, it will quickly grey. This has no impact on its durability. Products made from oiled teak should be oiled at least twice a year. All teak from Nola is FSC-certified.
Oiled Mahogany
FSC-certified mahogany is a wood species with good durability in outdoor environments. Additionally, it retains its colour better than, for example, oak and teak. Mahogany lives, moves, relatively little, albeit slightly more than teak. Oiled mahogany should be oiled twice a year.
LINAX Linssed Oil Impregnation
Linax-treated pine is a durable and environmentally friendly alternative to other surface treatments of pine. Linax is a linseed oil-based impregnation that provides extra-long durability in outdoor environments and corresponds to impregnation class AB. Linax-treated wood requires considerably less maintenance than normal wood. Over time, the oil in the outer layer wears off and is washed away by precipitation and can advantageously be oiled again to provide protection and a more beautiful tone to the surface.
SIOO:X Treated wood
Sioo:x is a water-based and biocide-free wood protection with environmentally friendly silicon technology. Sioo:x treatment is used by Nola primarily for oak, but it suits most wood species, indoors and outdoors, providing a light, unpigmented wood surface.
The treatment has several advantages, such as UV-resistant, water-repellent, and non-sticky with preventive effects against algae, mould, and pests. It also provides rot protection, wood reinforcement, and fire resistance. This wood protection provides long durability, easy maintenance and can be painted over.
Nola's Sioo:x-treated products are delivered treated twice with a wood protection (Premium Wood Protection Terrace) and once with a surface protection (Premium Surface Protection Terrace).
Directly after a product is placed outdoors, it should be treated again with Sioo:x Premium Surface Protection Terrace for best durability. After that, every 12 months. The surface protection forms a wear layer, which means that products exposed to heavy mechanical wear may need to be treated more often than every ten years.
For information on the Sioo:x treatment, visit www.sioox.se.
Lacquered pine
Products made from lacquered wood, typically pine, should be oiled at least once a year. If the product is exposed to outdoor conditions year-round, maintenance intervals should be increased to at least twice a year.
Shelter made from SIOO:X-treated pine, displaying a beautiful and evenly grey tone.
Painted wood
Oil-based lacquered pine
Products in oil-based lacquered pine should be regularly maintained with alkyd paint. Maintenance intervals are approximately once a year. Any damages and cracks should be addressed immediately. Touch-up paints in standard colours are available for order in spray packaging.
Water-based coated pine
Coating pine with a water-based varnish is more environmentally friendly. The paint has good abrasion resistance and long durability under normal use. We have recently started evaluating this paint system and will eventually transition entirely to water-based paint on wood. For example, Hjorthagen painted pine.
White-pigmented pine (indoors)
Products treated with white-pigmented oil on pine should be oiled twice a year. If the white pigment fades, you can mix the wood oil with a very small amount of white alkyd oil paint. For example, bench Krokodil.
Unpainted Kalmarsund sofa at Mosebacke Square in Stockholm.
Untreated wood
Jatoba (FSC-certified)
Jatoba is an untreated, very hard and durable hardwood with long-lasting properties. It has a brown colour with accentuated black stripes that turn into a deep and rich red colour over time.
Larch
Larch has good resistance in outdoor environments, better than pine, for example. Larch contains quite a bit of resin and sap, which may cause it to grey in its untreated state.
Teak (FSC-certified)
Teak is exceptionally resistant in outdoor environments and is often delivered pre-oiled but can be left untreated. As a result, it greys faster. However, this has no impact on its durability.
Cumaru (FSC-certified)
Cumaru, sometimes referred to as Brazilian Teak, is a hard and durable wood species. The wood varies in a reddish hue and does not require surface treatment due to its natural properties. Over the years, Cumaru ages to a beautiful silver-grey tone.
Accoya®
Accoya® wood is the result of over 80 years of research and development in modifying wood through acetylation, a form of vinegar. The wood species used for Accoya® is Radiata Pine, a fast-growing wood species that is more or less free from knots. Accoya® wood has properties that match or exceed tropical wood species but is manufactured using a non-toxic process and utilizes wood from renewable FSC-certified forests. The wood has a light colour that greys over time. Accoya® may also develop grey-black spots due to airborne pollutants, but this does not affect the durability or long lifespan of the seating as it is very durable. The wood moves very little compared to other wood species and performs excellently in humid and rainy environments.
Accoya® is almost maintenance-free and requires no special treatment to preserve its unique properties. If black spots occur on the wood from airborne pollutants, they can easily be removed with some sort of furniture cleaner.
Parco Elegant in Jatoba outside the Post Office building in Stockholm.
Kebne outdoor gym module 4 with Accoya® wood surfaces.
Metal
Steel
Steel is an alloy where iron constitutes the majority. Steel comes in a variety of grades, from so-called bond steel to acid-resistant stainless steel, differing in strength and corrosion resistance. Nola uses high-quality steel with good strength in its products, striving to incorporate as much recycled material as possible.
Steel rusts if left untreated and must therefore undergo surface treatment. This is achieved through electro-galvanizing and powder coating, hot-dip galvanizing, or application of a zinc powder primer.
Maintenance of the steel's various corrosion protections is carried out as follows:
- Products that are electro-galvanized and powder-coated can be touched up with alkyd paint.
- Wet-lacquered, epoxy primer-coated, and polyurethane-coated products can be touched up with alkyd paint.
- Only hot-dip galvanized products can be touched up with so-called "cold galvanizing."
- Hot-dip galvanized, and powder-coated products can be touched up with alkyd paint.
- Products made of rust-protected steel should be regularly treated with rust protection oil such as Dinitrol or equivalent.
Outdoor furniture set in electro-galvanized powder-coated steel.
Bike bollard Duo in hot-dip galvanized finish.
Stainless and acid-resistant steel
Stainless steel is a common but unfortunately incorrect term for steel with a high chromium alloy. Most so-called stainless steels can get surface rust but to a much lesser extent than regular steel. Only so-called acid-resistant steels are truly stainless but also very expensive. Most screws and nuts included in Nola's products are stainless, A2.
- Products made of stainless and acid-resistant steel may need to be polished with Autosol, Chrome Polish, or steel wool.
- Powder-coated stainless products are touched up with alkyd paint.
Recycled cast aluminium
Sand-cast aluminium is a very durable and sustainable material. So-called "white rust" may occur over time depending on the alloy. Like cast iron, sand-cast aluminium has a very high content of recycled material, and Nola's products use only recycled aluminium. Cast aluminium can also be powder-coated for a more beautiful finish.
- Products in cast aluminium are wire brushed to remove corrosion.
- Painted aluminium is touched up with alkyd paint.
The Folke planter in black-painted recycled cast aluminium.
The Frank chair with a backrest made of 100 percent recycled aluminum.
Extruded aluminum and aluminum sheeting
Extruded aluminum and aluminum sheeting, like steel, are alloyed materials. Aluminum can vary greatly in terms of strength and corrosion resistance, depending on the composition of the metal.
Anodizing aluminum is an electrolytic method where aluminum oxide is applied to the surface of the metal, providing both color and a protective layer against corrosion. Aluminum can also be effectively powder-coated or wet-painted.
- Painted aluminum surfaces are touched up with alkyd paint.
- Unpainted aluminum products are cleaned with steel wool.
- Anodized extruded aluminum may require re-anodizing for worn areas.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is iron with a carbon content ranging between approximately 2 and 4 percent, with a high proportion of recycled material. Compared to steel, it has a lower melting point and is therefore easier to melt and less energy intensive. Due to the high carbon content, graphite is formed. This is the main reason why cast iron, unlike steel, does not rust as quickly and thus has a very long lifespan.
- Cast iron products that are only "delivery painted" do not need maintenance.
- Rust-proof and pre-painted products should be touched up with alkyd paint.
- Products painted with 2-component paint should be touched up with corresponding paint or 1-component alkyd paint.
The armrest of the Tessin sofa. Factory-applied rust protection and paint on cast iron. Touch up with alkyd paint.
Ground grates that are "factory-painted" and thereafter maintenance-free.