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Sure, buying outdoor furniture is exciting, but it’s not something you want to do every year. So before you spend your hard-earned money on the furniture that you fell in love with, it’s a great decision to plan, choosing the types that not only are aesthetically beautiful to the eye, but how your furniture will stand up to your area’s climate.
The best way into this is to start off with materials that are available in the outdoor furniture market. To assist you with planning, we’ve compiled a list that describes the benefits of having different material.
Aluminum – The major benefit to owning aluminum furniture is it won’t rust. The material cleans easily with soapy water and is pretty much indestructible year round. Aluminum’s light weight is an advantage, but can also be a disadvantage if you live in a windy climate. And with proper care, aluminum can lasts for many years.
Wrought Iron – When it comes to weight, wrought iron is the total opposite of aluminum. This metal is a very weighty material, making it perfect for climates with higher winds. Wrought iron is powder-coated and electro-statically painted, so it may rust due to the slightest chip. When washing, use soap and water, never a harsh chemical. And while washing wrought iron, check for chips in the paint and touch them up immediately.
Wooden –Hardness is considered to be the real value of wood. When looking to save money, the softer pine and cedar are a great choice because they’re quite plentiful. Shorea and mahogany are harder woods, but teak is the toughest of them all. Teak was traditionally used on boat decks due to its hardness, and today makes a long-lasting wood that also resists warping. But due to its scarcity and popularity among woods, it’s a bit pricey.
And no matter what, all woods will weather relatively the same. Weathering can be prevented by easily cleaning and then sealing your wooden furniture. Just visit your local hardware store and ask what’s best for the type of wood you have. Expect a pretty simple procedure of cleaning and sealing.
Wicker – Wicker is defined as any one of the twigs, canes, or reeds woven together to make such things as baskets or chairs. That is the interesting fact about wicker...instead of being an original material, it is actually woven from many different materials. Wicker can be made from anything, but some of the more well-known materials include cane, reed, willow and rattan.
To clean the wicker, it is recommended to vacuum with a brush attachment in order to remove organic debris and dust. Then clean using a soft sponge, mild soap and water. Rinse the wicker and let it dry. If you plan on sealing your wicker furniture, let it dry for 24 to 48 hours before anything else is done.