Outdoor patio furniture makes your outside home space feel, well, a little homier. Aside from pulling the overall look and feel of a home’s decor and structure together, a homeowner’s outside patio furniture really pulls together and is the cornerstone for possible birthday parties, BBQs, and gatherings of all kinds. With such a heavy responsibility for being able to host the life of the party, your outside patio furniture will undoubtedly need to be taken care of properly. It’s not always summer, and homeowners around the world are looking to properly prepare their outside furniture for the colder seasons. Follow this guide on how to properly care for your patio furniture outside.
Can You Leave Patio Furniture Outside?
A good place to start would be knowing whether or not your outdoor furniture can be left outside to begin with. Generally speaking, most of the outdoor furniture on the market can be left outside for extended periods of time. That being said, there are some types of furniture that you should exercise a bit more caution when debating whether to leave under the sun for a while.
Long story short, the determining factor of a piece of furniture’s survivability under the sun is correlated to the material it is made of. Some kinds of material can lay under the sun for weeks or months without much wear and tear at all; others are prone to the natural deteriorating effects of the elements if left unattended under the sun for too long.
While the materials that cover a chaise chair may be waterproof, for example, the frame may not. One tricky example is wicker furniture. The majority of wicker outdoor furniture is manufactured using a type of resin or vinyl that is as attractive as natural wicker but has much greater durability.
When considering a durable outdoor patio furniture venture, it is highly recommended that you turn your attention to furniture made with wicker resin. This coating of wicker provides ample amounts of protection from the environment, enabling the pieces to survive for extended periods of time outside, especially in the colder seasons.
Two types of wicker that excel in the realm of protecting your furniture include polyethylene and PVC wicker finishes. The former is one of the best wicker options available when it comes to outdoor furniture, as it provides a barrier to harmful UV light, water in all of its states, etc.
Adding to the benefits of polyethylene wicker, it can be dyed to whatever color fits the aesthetic you’re looking to pull off with your outside furniture. As a bonus, typically the dyed version of this wicker resin substantially increases the durability of the resin, providing it with even a stronger barrier to the elements.
On the other side of the coin, the latter wicker resin type previously mentioned, PVC, does not find itself equipped with the same durable benefits as polyethylene. Homeowners should look to avoid purchasing outdoor furniture that comes layered with this kind of resin material for the following reasons:. PVC is harmful to the environment, for starters. It also cannot withstand the elements very well, oftentimes chipping away by the time the winter season arrives.
While reviewing the type of resin wicker a piece of outside furniture is coated with is a good starting point for choosing long-lasting and durable pieces for your patio, there are other aspects of the furniture you should also consider.
Moreover, another aspect of the furniture you should keep and review is the overall material used in structuring the frame itself. Commonly, outdoor furniture utilizes various kinds of metals to create a piece of furniture; however, depending on the metal you find yourself using in your patio ensemble, it can determine whether or not you will observe the same quality after winter pertaining to your selected piece of furniture.
To give you a few examples of what we mean, metals like iron, aluminum, and stainless or galvanized steel make up the most common kinds of metals that are used to create outdoor furniture.
When it comes to iron-finished bodyworks and frames, you will find your furniture pieces at a greater risk for wear and tear under the elements. Iron is not a great choice for any piece of furniture you intend to leave outside. The only thing that is guaranteed by iron-made frames is ample amounts of rust. Iron has a bad wrap because it can’t handle any interaction with water very well. Given that rust will undoubtedly riddle your iron-made frames, the deterioration will only increase as the piece is continuously left outside.
Galvanized steel is your strongest and most durable solution for your outside furniture. This kind of metal can essentially bear all the forces Mother Nature has to throw at it. When considering an aluminum-finished piece of furniture, it is highly recommended to choose a piece that is reinforced with steel to combat the natural lightweight properties of the aluminum.
If you select a piece that is just made of aluminum, it is likely to be thrown or tossed around by stronger levels of wind mileage, which runs the risk of blunt damage in this scenario.
To sum up, what we’ve covered so far in the realm of durable outdoor patio furniture is what all homeowners should be after.
Look for a wicker-coated piece that utilizes polyethylene and, furthermore, finds itself equipped with an elemental bearing shield-like galvanized steel. These two components alone will prevent the price of furniture from taking damage directly from the sun and any and all kinds of water, as well as see itself as heavy enough not to be thrown or tossed around by stronger winds.
What to Know About Wood Patio Furniture?
If you’re looking for very attractive wood-finished types of outdoor furniture, then you’re also in the right place. While wood is a bit less reliable in terms of durability when compared to the absolute front-man material that is steel and aluminum, curious homeowners will find themselves pleasantly surprised with what options are available.
Just to get straight to the point, the most reliable wood finish for any kind of outdoor project will be called teal. Teal is known to be the strongest and most durable wooden finish for outdoor furniture, as it naturally and organically comes with its own oil content that acts similarly to a wicker resin finish found coating metal frames.
This natural oil that comes with teak finishes prevents the wood itself from breaking and warping. Also, the natural oil compounds in teak automatically make it heavily resistant to the effects of water damage.
Teak is the frontman when it comes to wood-style outdoor furniture. When considering an outdoor furniture selection that can withstand the winter with minimal damage, this material will give you no trouble at all and will cost very little to maintain.
Expert in the field of wooden outdoor furniture Charles Hessler has this to say about teak furniture: “Teak is an all-weather material and is used extensively in marine applications. As long as the product is made using first-grade teak and uses all-weather hardware, there shouldn’t be an issue leaving it out. It can be an expensive material to use, but there is just nothing better.”
While teak is the best choice for long-lasting and durable outside capabilities for your furniture, there are a few components that we will be looking into to ensure that any homeowner is purchasing the right grade of teak. Depending on what area of the log is used, it can alter the attributes of the furniture material significantly.
Below, you will find a checklist of what to look out for when seeking teak furniture.
There are three separate grades determining the value of the teak material used in crafting outside patio furniture. These are identified by grades A, B, and C.
The First Grade: Grade A Teak is identifiable by its golden brownish chroma. This is the highest grade of teak, as it is derived from the middle of the log. It also features the highest presence of natural oils, enabling the material to effectively shield itself from the elements.
The Second Grade: Grade B Teak is identifiable by a lighter hue than Grade A. It has a more abstract formation in its grains. Still a durable grade of teak, however, this material is derived more from the outer sections of the log.
The Third Grade: Grade C Teak is the lowest quality of teak as it has virtually none of the natural barrier benefits of its oil and is more prone to wear and tear as a consequence. Grade C teak is known for its uneven color mixing of dark and light regions and features softer surfaces.
For the most reliable teak grade, if you want to leave your outdoor patio furniture under the elements for a while without much upkeep, the first and highest quality teak.
Reliability Of Metal Furniture In Winter
It is known that when metal, in general, comes into contact with water, rust is likely to occur. That being said, it is important to use specific kinds of metal to garnish your outdoor patio. Steel and aluminum are the best choices, as these types of metal show higher resistance to the deteriorating factor. A homeowner will not have to be overly concerned about leaving their steel or aluminum furniture in the rain.
The best option for combating climates with heavy amounts of precipitation would be aluminum. This specific kind of metal does oxidize when it comes into contact with water; however, the overwhelming effects of deterioration on its structure, like warping and chipping, typically don’t occur like in other metals like iron or even as much as steel. A homeowner can rest assured knowing their aluminum-finished pieces of furniture can and will make it through the winter without much damage at all.
Steel, on the other hand, is a great choice for strong, solid outdoor patio furniture; however, unlike aluminum, it is more likely to rust. Steel is derived from iron, meaning that it will share some of the common responses to precipitation, like expanding and weakening over time. That being said, steel is widely observed to be safer for the environment and has the act of providing sleeker aesthetics to a patio.
While the base of steel is iron and will have some kind of negative response to the elements in terms of its integrity, there are kinds of steel on the market that can substantially increase steel furniture’s survivability.
See a list below for the market’s most durable kinds of steel.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is one of the more reliable metals that can be found in a well-equipped outdoor patio, as it expresses significant levels of resistance to rusting when left out in the rain. Stainless steel finds itself combating many of the deteriorating effects of lesser-quality metals in almost every way.
Powder-coated reinforced steel: this kind of steel finds its durability in a layer above the surface of the metal, which provides the metal with a strong barrier to harsh and wet climates.
Galvanized steel: This is the strongest and most durable form of steel, making it the top selection of furniture a homeowner should look for when considering durable materials for the outside furniture.
Now that we’ve covered what kinds of material a homeowner should strive to attain for their outdoor patio,. In short, a homeowner’s best options for keeping their patio durable against the elements are pieces that feature frames made up of galvanized steel, feature a polyethylene coating, or are made from grade A teak.
Any of these materials are guaranteed to withstand harsh weather conditions during the winter without much maintenance.
Furthermore, it’s not just what the furniture is made of that can complete an outdoor patio look on its own. There are a few more aspects pertaining to outdoor furniture, like what kind of color a homeowner selects, that can completely tie an ensemble together.
Best Color For Outdoor Patio Furniture
In the modern outdoor patio market, there are countless variations and combinations a homeowner has to choose from to find the best-looking and most efficient furniture to garnish their outdoor patio.
Despite the overwhelming number of options available, there are certain colors and styles that generally present themselves as more attractive than others. Below, we are going to cover the most common colors that make an outdoor patio stand out from your neighbors.
A Great Color With Minimal Mess
For example, if you have a full house with plenty of kids, white might not be a great choice! Children, pets, and even guests can cause stains, tears, and marks.
A good color for your outdoor patio is not only eye-catching to you and your guests but should also be effective in such a way that maintenance to keep the color vibrant is generally low. No homeowner wants another liability to worry about, and your patio shouldn’t be a part of that list more than it needs to be.
An effective hue for your patio should protect you from stains and spills a social gathering might incur.
With metal frames, people generally tend to gravitate toward minimalist hues like blacks and grays. These colors protect the furniture from being riddled with unsightly stains and spills, making them a top choice for appearing clean and uniform.
Yet, it was the brown, wooden contrast that made it look so beautiful. Similarly, if you have a rich, full garden, choosing a darker shade will bring down the otherwise vibrant look of the environment.
Homeowners with a particular natural and organic aesthetic to their patio with plenty of vibrant-colored plants and things of that nature tend to gravitate toward lighter-colored fabrics to garnish their patio. These colors serve to accentuate the overall appearance of the setting, making the aura of the patio seamless with that of the nearby natural landscape.
Recommended Color For Smart Patio Looks
Gray patio furniture is one of the most sought-after hues when it comes to how to decorate patio furniture with style. While the color itself provides exceptional protection from stains and dirt, depending on the vibrancy of the color, the color gray serves a more scientific purpose as to why it can be the frontman for your patio.
The color gray encourages feelings and sentiments of relaxation and calmness, making it a top pick for an outdoor patio that serves as a relaxation area. Have you ever heard of the saying “less is more”? Well, when decorating your patio, the statement itself couldn’t possibly bear more weight.
Gray Outdoor patio colors won’t overstimulate the setting and your guest’s eyes as you diminish the chances for color clashing tenfold. A possible color choice for a homeowner looking for a smart and minimalist aesthetic.
After everything, we now know what frames would make for a strong and durable outdoor patio and a possible crowd-favorite color to garnish your outdoor patio. Stay tuned to learn more cool tips and tricks when looking for information about outdoor patio furniture.