For many, their patio is the pride and joy of the warm half of the year. It’s undoubtedly the best place to spend your days when the weather is palatable. There are lots of different aspects that contribute to an amazing home outdoor experience. Nothing contributes to you and your family’s comfort more than your patio furniture.

Unfortunately, for most people, their patio furniture is left outside all year round and is exposed to the elements. Depending on the materials it’s made of, your patio furniture will degrade in beauty, practicality, and even safety each year that it remains outside. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to slow down the inevitable.

Your Investment Doesn’t Need To Weather Away

If you’re careful, you don’t need to deal with eroding patio furniture. It’s a disappointment to see how much older your porch furniture appears each year when the ice thaws. There are several considerations to make before you purchase your outdoor furniture setup. 

• The various materials available
• Required maintenance
• Storage methods

Type Of Material

Outdoor furniture comes in a variety of different materials. Metal and wood are the most common classically available materials for weather-proof furniture. In the modern era, both plastic and composite materials are available. All of these have various features that need to be considered. 

Wood Furniture

Wood is extremely elegant and beautiful, yet it takes a lot of maintenance to keep up. It doesn’t store easily, and it’s heavy, it’s susceptible to rain, insects, and mildew. It can also splinter, causing unpleasant injuries for everyone in the family.

Metal Furniture

Metal is quite a bit more durable and store easily but also come with a variety of problems. It’s cold, hard, and heavy. It doesn’t fall apart easily, but it will rust if exposed to the elements. Maintenance is a chore and can include hours of sanding with steel wool if rust forms over winter.

Plastic Furniture

Plastic and composite chairs are a modern invention and have several advantages over classical materials. They are more comfortable because they are less hard and cold like metal but can be shaped into ergonomic forms. They are light-weight and can be stored easily. Folks at savemypenny.com/blog/this-is-how-to-clean-and-maintain-your-adirondack-chairs/ explained that they also endure the elements better well if you know how to maintain them. Due to its weight, comfort, design, and durability, composite and plastic patio furniture is the most well-rounded choice.

Proper Care

There are a lot of things you can do to extend the lifetime of your patio furniture. Maintenance is one of them. Most people don’t even think about patio furniture maintenance, but it makes a world of difference. If your patio set is made of multiple parts, be sure to tighten any nuts and bolts. This is especially true with wood and composite furniture. If it’s wood or metal, you need to regularly add a coat of lacquer or polyurethane. 

It’s also important to consider the overwinter storage method you are or will use. You have a few options to choose from. You can bring your furniture inside a storage facility, which is where stackability comes into play. You can also store your furniture under an outdoor roof, like the patio. And winter durable patio furniture covers are also available to protect your table and chairs through the season while remaining outdoors.

And you could always just leave them outside and uncovered, just don’t be surprised when you need to buy new patio furniture every year or two. You might have to if you’ve got a big garden. 

Maintain Your Patio’s Beauty

Whether you invested in an elegant Adirondack composite set or a rustic wooden table and chair combo, maintenance will greatly enhance the durability and longevity of your investment. The hardest part of lawn furniture maintenance is knowing exactly what to do and when. Fortunately, it’s not that hard once you know. 

The first thing you need to remember is to properly maintain your furniture, which could be painting an annual coat of lacquer or tightening a few screws. Next, consider your overwinter strategy, such as using a cover or bringing your furniture inside. And of course, all of this varies based on the style and material that you chose.

Taking care of your furniture, or even anything that you own is a must if you want to increase their lifespan. In the first place, damaged furniture is as good as not having them. If you consider all of these things, your outdoor leisure investment can last for generations.