Should You Leave Your Patio Furniture Outside
Most patio furniture can be left outside after all, it was made to be there! But the harsh winter weather conditions can take a toll on the finishes, leaving them looking less-than-new when nice weather comes back around.;
Its best to put metal, wood, wicker, and fabric pieces in storage to keep them out of the elements. Most plastic furniture can stay outside, but be careful to watch the temperatures if there is another Polar Vortex this year, youll want to bring those pieces inside to prevent them from cracking in the cold.
You can disassemble many of your pieces and store them in your garage or basement. But if youre short on that extra storage space, there are also steps you can take to winterize your patio furniture to keep it safe all winter long.;
Just be sure to act during the fall and take these simple steps before the weather in Chicago gets too cold and snowy to work outside! And remember that different types of furniture need different approaches.;
How To Remove Stains From Teak Outdoor Furniture
Most stains will not be a problem if you clean up spills quickly and wash your teak furniture with soapy water using a soft-bristled scrub brush. However, some stains such as coffee and red wine might get into the wood. For these stains you can rely on a commercial teak cleaning product such as Golden Care.
If the stain is really set in pretty well, then another method to remove it is to sand the surface of the wood. Light stains will only need a light sanding, while deeper stains might require you to start with a coarser sandpaper followed by a finer grain sandpaper to leave a smooth finish.
Maintain Hardwood Garden Furniture
Hardwoods do not need the preservation process that most softer woods need. However, this wood typically costs much more than the softwood used in most commercial wooden garden furniture. Here is a list of typical hardwoods used outdoors and how to keep them looking good.
- Shorea â like other fine woods, it weathers to a silvery gray colour. This tropical hardwood has a naturally high oil content. This makes it water resistant and unlikely to rot. It tends to be insect-resistant as well. Similar in make-up to teak, shorea handles all types of weather conditions. To clean or maintain shorea, spray it lightly with water or use a mild detergent with water and rinse well.
- Teak â this beautiful hardwood resists water, rot and insects. Teak oil keeps this wooden furniture safe from food and drink stains. Teak wood furniture kept in arid and dry climates needs regular applications of teak oil. Clean teak as you would shorea.
- Ipe â this South American hardwood goes by other names including Pao Lope, ironwood and Brazilian walnut. Ipe comes from the forests of Brazil and might be three times harder than teak. It weathers the same as shorea and teak. Clean it with mild detergent and water and allow it to dry. Do this every three months before you apply teak or hardwood oil.
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Remove Old Finish And Rust
Clean the metal with a vinegar and water solution or use water with a mild detergent and a scrub brush or rag to remove dirt and grime. Use a bleach and water solution or a commercial mold remover to remove any mold or mildew.
You need to remove both the old paint and rust for new coats of paint to adhere properly. Keep in mind that you dont have to remove every bit of the old paint. The surface just needs to be free of loose flakes of paint and other debris. Sanding and scraping the surface also raises the surface a bit for better paint adhesion.
You can remove both rust and paint using a stiff wire brush or an electric drill equipped with a sanding pad and abrasive discs. Emery cloths can be used when there is minimal rust. Emery cloths work well because they are sturdier and easier to use than sandpaper on items such as railings or fences because of their flexibility. Paint scrapers come in handy as well. Remove sanding dust as you go.
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Allow Your Outdoor Wooden Furniture To Dry Off
When you have rinsed it with your water hose, you can take it out of the shades and let it dry in a sunny spot. This might take some time, depending on the weather and temperature outside. Do not worry. You can use this time to clean your outdoor cushions if you have any. If not, you can get yourself a cold drink and enjoy it.
At this point, your furniture should be dry enough to be inspected for damage. Some people dont mind the old look on their outdoor set, but if you are not one of those people, then here is what you should look for:
-Cracks
Cracks are definitely one of the most dangerous things for wood if it is left outside. Whenever it is raining, the water will get into those cracks and the wood will start to mildew. If you find any cracks I suggest that you immediately act upon them and protect your wood from any further damage. Did you know that leaving cracks unprotected can lower the life expectancy of your wood by up to 75%? I will describe the process of how to renew your wood and protect it from this in just a minute.
-Small circle-shaped holes
If you have any small holes, usually there is a lot of them, then you may as well throw away your outdoor furniture. This is because the holes were made by parasites that eat wood and make it extremely weak. I once tried to sit on a wooden chair that had lots of small holes in it and guess what? It broke and I was on the ground in 0.4 seconds.
-Faded color
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Does Teak Furniture Need To Be Treated With Teak Oil
Most teak furniture manufacturers recommend not using teak oil. The woods natural oil is sufficient to protect it from damage. Teak oil is not actually the same as the natural oil found in the teak tree. It is just called teak oil for marketing purposes, when really it is mostly composed of linseed oil and solvents.
When freshly applied, teak oil will give the wood a nice attractive glow, but this will be short-lived. Before long, the teak oil on the surface will dry out and your furniture will quickly fade in color again.
You will have to keep reapplying oil every few months to keep ahead of the graying process. If you are unlucky, the teak oil stuck to the surface will encourage fungus growth and leave tiny black spots on the wood. This is exactly what you dont want to happen.
Treating teak with oil depletes the woods natural oils, and the wood becomes dependent on a periodic external oil treatment. However the extra moisture of the oil also creates the ideal environment for mildew to flourish. Therefore, this method is not recommended.
Start By Cleaning Your Outdoor Wooden Furniture
Before you store your wooden garden furniture, give it a deep cleaning. Start by using a broom or a brush to remove any surface dirt. Next, use a soft scrub brush with a solution of mild dishwashing liquid and water to clean the wood.
Always scrub in the direction of the wood grain. If you have stubborn stains left, use a mild solution of oxygen bleach and water to scrub the spot. Lightly sand any remaining stains. Once your outdoor wooden furniture is clean, rinse it with a garden hose and let it dry completely.
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Basic Cleaning For Teak Furniture
- Step 1. Prepare the area for cleaning by laying down a tarp and placing your furniture on it. Then, wet your furniture with a garden hose.
- Step 2. Choose a cleaning product. If you would like to use household items, combine two tablespoons of a mild cleanser such as liquid dish soap with a gallon of water in a large bucket. If you would prefer a cleaner formulated for teak, try our Teak Cleaner.
- Step 3. Apply the solution to your teak furniture with a soft nylon brush, gently scrubbing with the direction of the grain to avoid scraping up the surface of the wood.
- Step 4. Once your teak is clean, hose it down once more and allow to dry.
- Step 5. If your teak feels rough to the touch after cleaning, you can do a light sanding with 220 grit paper to remove any rough fibers or wood particulate. Be sure to sand with the grain to avoid scratching the teak.
- Step 6. To help keep the golden blonde appearance of your new teak, use a sealer with UV inhibitors to lock in the original color and prevent weathering. Sealers should be applied on new or recently cleaned teak that is dry to the touch. You need to ensure that the cleaner and sealer are compatible. If you used our Teak Cleaner, we strongly recommend using our Golden Sealer, as the two have been tested together. Sealers should be applied on an annual basis, or as needed depending on the climate and placement of furniture. .
What Do I Search For Online
Many online retailers sell them under the names of dome inserts, cap inserts, multi-gauge ball insert, and even insert cup. We recommend you search for feet glides and then look for inserts and ask yourself where does this install?. This way you can narrow down the type you need since there’s too much variety in the market.
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Protect Outdoor Furniture From Rain
We do not get much rain in Southern California, but even the small amount we get in dry years can damage or age your patio furniture. Rain can age wood, cause metal furniture to develop rust, and soak textiles and cushions to make them unusable until they have had time to dry out.
This is why any list of tips for how to protect outdoor furniture and maintain it properly must include how to protect it from rain.
One way to do this is to keep it on acovered patio. Having a cover that protects your patio from rain also allows you to enjoy your outdoor living area on the days we do get rain. If you do not have a covered patio or if you have some furniture that is not on your covered patio, consider purchasing furniture covers to protect your furniture from both sun and rain. Alternatively, if you do not want to purchase furniture covers due to lack of rain in your area, you could cover your furniture with tarps when rain is expected. Be sure to weigh down the tarps to keep them from blowing off of the furniture.
If you do not have waterproof textiles for outdoor use, store patio cushions and other fabric items in a, shed, or garage when inclement weather is expected.
How To Protect Outdoor Furniture
Keeping your patio furniture in good condition is a priority for most people. After all, no matter what kind you bought or how much you spent, you want to keep the furniture looking good for as long as possible. Replacing the furniture, or doing serious restoration jobs, are both a hassle.
So, its wise to start out by protecting your outdoor furniture from as many of the elements as you can. Wooden furniture rots, plastic furniture fades, and metal furniture rusts. Each needs its own solution and preventative measures to stay functional. In this guide, well tell you how to protect each type of patio furniture, clean it, and restore it.
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Protecting Your Outdoor Wood Furniture From Extreme Weather
Water and wood can function together think of ships and boat docks. But no furniture is susceptible to the elements so its important to incorporate various methods to protect your outdoor wooden furniture:
- Keep furniture under a covered patio or use outdoor furniture covers, preferably thick fabrics with UV protection. Oxford polyester is one of the most durable.
- Clean your furniture regularly and thoroughly, with soapy water or a hose.
- Store cushions inside or in an outdoor container.
- If you dont use your furniture for long periods of time , consider moving it into a garage or indoors.
- Deal with any damage, rust, mold, or mildew as soon as it arises.
- Regularly maintain your furniture, which in the case of wood typically means refinishing and waterproofing the wood.
Properly Maintain Wood Patio Furniture
Wood patio furniture maintenance is particularly important, since wood is more susceptible to environmental damage than metal, plastic, or resin. Regularly stain or paint wood furniture to keep it looking fresh and to keep surfaces smooth. Follow the paint or stain with a waterproof sealant to further protect your wood furniture and extend its useful life.
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How To Clean Patio Furniture: Metal Frames And Legs
Our hand-woven, all-weather wicker is wrapped around a powder-coated alloy frame for superior strength.
Pair that with rustproof stainless steel legs, which will stand up to wind, rain, heat, and snow, and youâve got yourself an incredibly durable sofa!
When it comes to cleaning the metal frames and legs of your patio furniture, a gentle cleaning solution with some warm water should do the trick to remove scuff marks.
How To Finish Wood Furniture For Use Outdoors
I have a lovely wooden bench on the porch that I got for free last spring, and it soon became my favorite coffee-sipping seat. Its sturdy and comfy, and right beside the bird feeders even the cat loves it. However, after weathering this summers rainstorms, the finish started to peel and the wood started to warp, and it soon became evident that my bench wasnt built for the outdoors.
Its tempting to pick up old chairs and tables at yard sales for use in the garden, but weve all seen what happens to them after a few seasons if they arent properly treated to withstand the elements. Based on how quickly my bench was deteriorating, it soon became evident that unless I wanted a pile of rotten splinters on my porch, I needed to seal and refinish the bench and fast!
Furniture intended for the indoors is never going to have as long an outdoor life as its pressure-treated or rot resistant wood counterparts, but a little protection from the elements goes a long way. Whether youre turning a ladder-back chair into a flower planter or want to put your favorite wooden rocker on the porch, here are some tips on how to get the most life out of wood furniture in the garden.
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Wrought Iron Outdoor Furniture
Wrought iron patio furniture;for the most part should not be left out in the weather during the winter. It can rust because of the snow or freezing rain. When rust happens, it weakens the metal and causes it to breakdown. Galvanized metal holds up better than regular metal, but over time it could also suffer from being out in the snow. It is best to bring this furniture in from outdoors in not only the winter, but also when it rains.
Maintenance is highly recommended if you want your wrought iron patio furniture to last for extended periods of time. Its important to keep an eye on this type of patio furniture because its much harder to move around or into storage because of its weight. If you think its already too late for your wrought iron, dont fret! We wrote an awesome step by step guide on how to refinish rusty old patio furniture!
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Leave It To Dry Again
If you have been using a color that already has protective wood oil in it then you should be ready to go but if not you will have to apply a layer of wood oil for outdoors on. Dont worry. These days, 90% of the wood colors for outdoors come with protective oil mixed in them. So make sure that your paint is made for outdoors.
Now that you are finished with cleaning and renewing your wooden outdoor furniture it is time to clean the cushions as well. If you do not have any then you can go enjoy your cleaned and renewed patio furniture.
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Using A Teak Protector
If you want the teak to maintain the honey color, youll need to use a teak protector. It will give the wood a layer of UV protection and prevents mildew growth. The teak protector creates a barrier between the wood and the air, preventing oxidation, which causes the wood to turn grey. These types of protectors will also protect the teak from oil stains from food and drinks. Oily foods, ketchup, and some drinks are all common items that can stain teak furniture. If you plan to serve a lot of meals on this furniture and the stains will bother you, consider using a protector.
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Spray Paint Patio Furniture
If youre using spray paint;for outdoor furniture, you can skip the primer. However, to achieve a top-quality spray paint job, follow these tips. Conventional spray paints work best for painting outdoor furniture made of wicker, wood and metal. There is special spray paint formulated for outdoor plastic furniture.
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