Lawns are places where we can relax, and people usually set up patios on them. It is the perfect way to spend time relaxing with your family if the weather is nice and the season is great. Now, when is the right time you can take out your patio furniture?
The best time to take out your patio furniture is during the spring or after the last frosting. Spring won’t affect your furniture as it usually doesn’t rain nor snow at this time of the year. As for the frosting, water can enter the opening of your furniture and freeze, which may result in further damages.
In this article, we will discuss the right time to take out your furniture and the five mistakes to avoid with your first outdoor furniture.
When to take out your patio furniture?
The best time to take out your patio furniture is after the last frosting. This can damage your furniture when the ice starts to thaw. The melted ice will seep through the openings of your furniture, causing damages to it. Spring is normally the best time to take out this furniture to ensure you can clean it.
Taking out your patio furniture at an inappropriate time can damage it. That is why there is a recommended season or schedule to take it out. If you take your furniture out during the winter, it will deteriorate its features.
So, when is the right time to take out your furniture? The best time is when the climate is frost-free, or in the spring.
Don’t assume the temperature and climate as you’ll never know if there will be another frost. To make sure you pick the right time, check the weather forecast as frosting can highly affect your patio furniture if it is made of metal or wood.
Frosting can damage your patio furniture as water spreads on it and eventually turns into ice. The worst-case scenario is if the water seeps into the small openings of your furniture and turns into ice afterward. This occurrence would lead to damages, especially if the ice is starting to expand the openings.
Wooden furniture is the most vulnerable to frosting for it can bend more easily than furniture made of steel and aluminum. Thus, you should cover it to prevent frosting from inflicting damages to it.
Since we’ve mentioned spring is the ideal season to take out your furniture, it’s best to clean clean your furniture before taking it out. It’s not pleasant to see messy furniture presented on your patio. The question is, how to do so?
Rain and snow are not the only elements that can damage your wooden outdoor furniture. In the summer, you have to keep an eye out on your outdoor tables and chairs because they can be damaged by too much exposure to the sun. To prevent this from happening, you can follow our guide to protecting outdoor wood furniture from sun damage.
Taking Out Your Patio Furniture Frosting Ends
Taking out your patio furniture before the last frosting is possible. After all, some people like to prepare their furniture ahead of time. If you are planning to do so, there are risks you need to take note of to avoid damaging your patio furniture.
If you leave your furniture outside, the frosting might attack and damage it. What you can do to avoid such circumstances is fully cover it. You can also protect the furniture’s cushions if you purchased a deck box where you can store the cushions to secure them.
Deck boxes, or cushion boxes, are good ways to protect the cushions if you want to take them outside while the frosting season is still ongoing.
Prepare Your Patio Furniture for Spring
Once spring comes, you will probably start cleaning your house. This concept is known as spring cleaning. Some people start spring cleaning in the winter, but if you want to prioritize the cleaning of your patio furniture, you should start in early spring.
When cleaning your patio furniture, note that not all types of furniture can withstand pressure showers. Be aware of the do’s and don’ts of your furniture to avoid further damages. Also, keep in mind that damages to furniture are not visible and can only be seen after you’ve thoroughly cleaned it.
There are two methods to clean your patio furniture: brushing and using a pressure washer. In some instances, stains won’t easily come off after you’ve used pressure washers on your patio furniture. The next thing you can do is brush it. Only use a soft brush and sponges where you see spots and stains.
After cleaning it, if you can still see the damages, it’s time to fully dry and fix it. It is best if your furniture has no deterioration as you can immediately use it without any hassle.
- Wood or Wicker
It is not recommended to clean furniture made of wood and wicker using a pressure washer as it can damage the material of the furniture. A pressure washer is so strong that the wood of your patio furniture may not withstand it. That is why you need to know the capabilities of the materials before proceeding to clean them.
The best way to clean your wooden furniture is to use a bucket of water and mix it with small drops of liquid dishwashing soap. Cleaning it manually can prevent you from damaging your furniture since you can control the force you are going to apply.
- Aluminum
Since aluminum is stronger than wood, you can use a pressure washer to clean furniture made of this material. One of the greatest advantages of cleaning this kind of material is that it allows you to make powerful and rapid motions. Plus, it is much faster to clean your furniture using a pressure washer than cleaning it manually.
Keep in mind that you need to adjust the distance when using a pressure washer. Stay about 2 feet from the furniture. Mix a patio cleaner with water, then use it in your pressure washer. If you can still see stains that you didn’t manage to remove, you need to manually brush them.
As with any other type of patio furniture, you can see the damages if there are any once you finish cleaning and drying it. You can lay it under the sunlight for it to dry quickly.
5 Mistakes to Avoid with Your First Outdoor Furniture
If you plan on buying your first outdoor furniture, bear in mind the quality. Take a look at the thickness of the chairs’ legs and check the materials to make sure they are suitable for the weather in your region. Don’t forget to protect the cushions, and position the furniture away from trees and roofs.
Although shopping for furniture is enjoyable, it is also crucial to do some planning before buying something for your house. Some people make mistakes when purchasing furniture as they tend to overlook the characteristics of the items they buy. The worst thing is when the new furniture does not fit and you start to regret the purchase.
Thus, when buying your first outdoor furniture, consider several factors that contribute to your home and the characteristics of the furniture. Before you buy it, note whether such furniture can withstand the types of weather if left on your patio.
- Choose quality over price
Affordability benefits all of us in terms of saving money, but we should be attentive to items’ prices and wonder if the quality is worth the price or not. Most of the least expensive options have a low quality, which can result in the quick decline of their longevity.
If you buy cheap patio furniture for $700 and below, it will likely feature low-quality materials, meaning that the furniture will easily be impaired just by using it frequently. Then, you’ll have to replace your damaged and frail furniture with a new one that costs more money.
To ensure the quality of furniture, you should invest in an more expensive one. The cheaper option is usually not stable, while costlier items are stronger and more dependable over time. You’re not going to regret purchasing quality products as they can last longer than cheap furniture.
- Watch out for the chairs’ legs
Beware of the chairs’ legs when buying patio furniture. Sometimes, the legs are too thin and can therefore fit in the gaps of your patio deck. That means that if you move your chair after sitting on it, the legs will get buried in the gap of the deck.
If your patio deck is made of wood and you think there’s a big gap in between planks, buy furniture with thicker legs. Otherwise, the previously mentioned incident will not only damage your deck but can also cause accidents or any kinds of troubles in the future.
- Check the materials
Patio furniture comes in different kinds of materials, including steel, wood, aluminum, teak, and wicker. Each of these materials has characteristics that may fit the weather in your area.
Before you buy patio furniture, make sure it can withstand the natural elements occurring at your place. Just like steel, if you leave your furniture outside under the heat, it will absorb the temperature and might get hot when you sit on it. For aluminum, since it is lightweight, it most likely cannot persist in places with strong winds.
If you plan on buying wooden furniture, consider whether it often rains at your place or whether the climate is wet as it won’t last long if you expose it to water. Wicker also tends to warp if it gets wet. Although you can cover it, sometimes, it’ll get wet when you’re away from home.
Before purchasing anything, list the factors you need to check. You can take advantage of the furniture you bought if you guarantee it is perfect for the weather of your place. That will contribute to the longevity of your patio furniture, even if you use it frequently.
- Protect the cushions
Patio furniture comes with cushions to make you more comfortable. The only problem you should keep in mind is sudden rain. Although most patio furniture cushions are resistant, they are not waterproof.
You should take care of the cushions at all times. Even though your furniture can withstand rainy weather, your cushions may turn very messy in such conditions. To deter this problem, store your cushions inside deck boxes.
Deck boxes are cheap and very efficient in securing the cushions of your furniture. That is why you should have one, especially if your place is prone to rain. Take care of your cushions to preserve their quality.
- Beware of the furniture’s position
If you have trees and place your furniture under them, you need to reconsider. Wondering why? Birds stay on trees and might leave their waste on your furniture constantly. That is a huge hassle, especially if they stain the cushions of your patio furniture.
Although you can cover your furniture if you are not using it, doing so requires your constant attention. To avoid such anxiety, you can move your furniture away from the roof or trees. In this way, birds won’t get the chance to stain your cushions when you’re away.
Patio furniture’s cushions are prone to stains. If you are not using your furniture, you should put it inside the deck box. You can purchase it at an affordable price.
Rattan furniture is built to last a very long time, even if kept outside throughout the year. Synthetic rattan is waterproof and weather-resistant, but genuine wooden rattan furniture tends to give in to the harsh weather. With these factors in mind, can you leave your rattan furniture out all year?
Conclusion
You can’t appreciate the serenity of your patio without staying there. That is why patio furniture is made to allow a person to stay in place. In maintaining the use of your furniture, be vigilant about the weather, temperature, and best season to take it out in order to prolong its lifespan.
