Many homes today boast an outdoor patio or porch area that serves as an extension of the actual living room, family room, and dining room of the house. Furthermore, these outdoor rooms are regularly used for entertaining, and during the warm months of the year, family members may spend more time together outside than in. As a result of the growing popularity of these outdoor areas, a proliferation of high quality furniture, décor, and accessories has been developed specifically for outdoor purposes. With a bit of basic care and maintenance, outdoor patio furniture can be enjoyed for many seasons.
One of the foremost rules in keeping outdoor furnishings in like-new condition is to weatherproof them as much as possible. Many home improvement stores and hardware outlets offer spray paints, top coats, or other protective substances that are designed to prolong the life of outdoor patio furniture. There are specific brands and materials made for wrought iron furniture, as well as those made from wicker, plastic, or wood. Another step you can take to help make your outdoor furniture last is to protect them as much as possible from the elements, even during the part of the season they are kept accessible for use. Ideally, a mini barn or covered porch works best, but if these are not available, there are other options as well.
If possible, it is best to pull chairs, love seats, and movable swings under some sort of cover; even pulling them beneath an eave can protect the piece from wetness or direct sunlight which can damage or fade. Stacking chairs can often provide this same kind of protection. You also must consider storage options for your outdoor patio furniture during the coldest, harshest months. This can be as basic as finding a creative way to stack your outdoor furniture in the corner of your garage or as elaborate as storing each piece inside of a carefully arranged mini barn.
If you must keep the furniture outdoors, at least protect any cushions, patio umbrellas, or other fabric items in trash bags or underneath tarps. Eliminating moisture from these things at all costs will keep mold or fading to a minimum. Finally, keeping your furniture clean and free from debris is yet another easy way to make it last from season to season. Although a few particles of dust usually do not make a difference, leaves, small twigs, and other lawn debris can be quite damaging when they build up.
Taking care of any spills when they occur is also important. Ultimately, make sure you clean your outdoor patio furniture thoroughly before any kind of storage. This will eliminate any staining, and it will decrease the likelihood that pests will burrow in during the winter looking for last summer’s crumbs.