Purchasing your first patio furniture is as exciting as purchasing your first garden home. Before you hurry out to buy, take the time to research what will work best for your grass, floor, or porch. I wish I had (instead of winding up with the patio furniture underneath). Learn from my mistakes and avoid making costly blunders when shopping for outdoor furniture.
Things To Know Before Buying Outdoor Furniture
Cheap furniture can cost you more in the long run.
When you start looking for outdoor furniture on the Internet, you'll see a massive range of prices. Stores pay up to $1,000 at the high end, while they pay less than $700 at the low end.
Guess where I ended up buying our patio furniture? Oh, I was swayed by the low price and went to the phony wicker couch I discovered on a discount website after a late-night computer crawl.
What else could I ask for? It was cheap and not unsightly.
To begin with, I might have insisted that our seats not move every time we sat down. Our sofa was so light that the chairs slid, and the cushions skated when you sat down reasonably sharply. Our boy, who isn't the most agile animal, to begin with, has become so wary of unsteady seats that he's now cautiously paced our deck for a few minutes till he gathers the strength to jump up.
Don't go straight for the price tag. If you were thinking of where to purchase your furniture, it would assist. Even though it is cheap and where you may save money. Many merchants sell high-quality goods that are also for sale, such as this one.
Chair legs of any size are too tiny for decks.
We lived in a bit of an apartment with a wooden porch until we bought a house with a yard. It was our first outside space, and we loved it. We decorated it with planters, a patio, a lounge chair, and an antique dining table we found at a rummage sale.
The set was charming and well-made, but the chairs' legs were too short, allowing them to slide into the gaps between the wooden boards on the floor. We had to be careful to position the chairs in that manner, and we had to constantly remind our visitors to do the same — not exactly the ideal setup for spontaneity and fun.
If you're shopping for a wooden deck outdoor dining package, keep the chair legs in mind so they don't get stuck in a void when you move the chair out.
Any type of outdoor furniture could be improper.
Teak, eucalyptus, stainless steel, aluminum, wrought iron, wicker, and synthetic resin are just a few of the materials you might encounter while browsing for patio furniture. Each piece of content has advantages and disadvantages that make it appropriate for some temperatures and outdoor circumstances but not others. Consider the various metals, for example.
Because aluminum is lightweight, it is not suitable for use in high-wind areas. Stainless steel is durable and low-maintenance, but it may become quite hot when exposed to light, so it's not ideal if you're planning to leave it uncovered.
If you live in a typically rainy area, you will miss wood furniture; teak, long-lasting, and "all-weather" hardwood would require annual maintenance to prevent rotting and warping.
On the other hand, natural wicker components are designed for outside environments because they can't withstand the elements. If you enjoy the style and intend to use it outside, synthetic resin wicker furniture is a good choice.
Just because it's at an outdoor furniture store doesn't mean it's ideal for your outside scenario or area. Do you ensure that the materials are suitable for your area and the weather exposure (are the furnishings in a shadow, a roof, or direct sunlight?)
You'll need a rainy-day schedule.
It's outside furniture. Therefore it should be fine in the shower, right?
Not with a pillow in your hands. I had thought that our sectional cushions would be weatherproof and that the fabric would repel the rain. To a point, that's what's going to happen, so cover the cushions if it's pouring. We didn't – an amateurish mistake that resulted in overly moist, heavy pillows that took longer to dry and mildew in the long run. Yuck!
Carry them inside, place them in an outer storage box, and keep them upright but at an angle so that they repel water. Consider obtaining protective covers for the base and cushion-less elements, especially for wood furniture.
Outdoor textiles are water-repellent and waterproof, but not waterproof. During downpours, make sure to cover the cushions.
Place the outdoor furniture away from the fire hydrant.
So far, I've written about how the cheap outdoor sectional I got was flimsy, uncomfortable, and mildewed. It's becoming more complex. The sectional had been resting beneath a large oak. After a few months of living on our terrace,
There were a few blobs of bird poop on it. I decided I'd deal with it later because it was gross. Within a week, the ground had been littered (pun intended) with purple droplets from the berries devoured by the birds. I scraped out everything I could and threw the blankets in the washing machine. The stains did not remove despite two items of washing.
Takeaway
Consider what could happen to your outdoor furnishings. Is there a lot of bird activity in your area? Is there a tree for coloring berries? If you do, you should plan on securing your furnishings. Alternatively, you can find a suitable spot for it.