Rattan furniture is very popular for decorating gardens and backyards. Although quite expensive, it is worth every penny for its artistic value and the beauty it brings. Besides, rattan furniture is known for lasting a long time without deteriorating much. All that being said, can you leave your rattan furniture out all year? Will it survive all the seasons and harsh weather without protection?
Rattan furniture is built to last a very long time, even if kept outside throughout the year. Depending on the material used to build the furniture, it might last a whole year without any deterioration. But, genuine wooden rattan furniture tends to give in to the harsh weather. Meanwhile, synthetic rattan is waterproof and weather-resistant.
To figure out whether or not rattan furniture can last all year long without any problem, it is important to know what kind of material was used to make the furniture. Depending on the materials, such as wood, steel, aluminum, PVC, PU, or PE, you can determine if the furniture can be kept outside, regardless of the weather. Now, let me help you understand if you can leave your rattan furniture out all year.
Materials Used in Rattan Furniture
To understand the furniture’s longevity, it is important to know about the different types of rattan furniture and the materials used in them. Generally, rattan furniture is made of a wood named rattan. This wood is naturally very sturdy and strong. This wood, which is very much like bamboo, is weaved around a frame to make the furniture.
The traditional way of making rattan furniture consists of weaving the rattan around a wooden frame. Although very strong and long-lasting, this wooden furniture is not immune to the harsh weather. Indeed, original rattan wood rots in damp weather, and the wooden frame breaks down very easily.
Therefore, recently, another type of rattan furniture has been made very popular: synthetic rattan, or rattan effect. In synthetic rattan, the rattan wood is replaced with PVC, PU, or PE. Among these materials, PE is of the highest quality, although they all are waterproof and can very easily tackle any harsh weather.
Meanwhile, the frame used in modern rattan furniture is either made of steel or aluminum. Steel frames provide a lot lower quality than aluminum frames. Indeed, the formers rust easily and deteriorate with time, whereas aluminum frames are the most popular ones since aluminum doesn’t rust. The latter can last very long and doesn’t deteriorate much due to the weather. Therefore, modern rattan furniture contains synthetic rattan weaved in a steel or aluminum frame.
One of the tiny instances that prevents you from being fully comfortable when using your outdoor furniture is when they keep sinking in your yard. To prevent this from happening, read our article and learn how to keep your lawn furniture from sinking in your yard.
How Long Does Rattan Furniture Last Outside?
Rattan furniture is known to last a very long time, even if kept outside. This garden furniture can indeed endure 5-10 years without any problem, depending on the quality of the material. If the furniture is made with PE and aluminum framing, for instance, it can easily last for at least 10 years. Traditional rattan furniture, on the other hand, won’t last as long.
In harsh weather, like rain or snow, wooden rattan furniture tends to get damp, and woods rot in damp conditions. So, if wooden rattan furniture is kept outside all year round, it won’t last more than two years. It is in fact likely to get very weak within a year. Soon enough, the wood will break down and you won’t be able to keep using it.
However, if you are buying furniture made of synthetic rattan, it is going to outlast its wooden counterpart by many years. Indeed, synthetic rattan is made from PVC, PU, or PE, so it is resistant to water. Therefore, rainy or snowy weather doesn’t have much effect on these materials, which means that even if they are kept outside for years, they don’t deteriorate. The only damages to these materials are due to extended usage. Overall, backyard furniture made of synthetic rattan can last 5-10 years or more very easily.
Again, if the framing is made of steel, damp weather is likely to leave rust on the frame, which is likely to take away the beauty of the furniture and deteriorate it. Afterward, it will not be fresh for more than two years. Meanwhile, an aluminum frame will last for years and will not deteriorate easily.
How Do I Protect My Rattan Furniture?
To keep your furniture fresh and good as new, you have to protect it. While modern rattan furniture is much less likely to get affected by the weather, it is still not immune to dust, bird dropping, and dirt. So, even the best of the best furniture needs some sort of protection to keep its new and fresh look for a long time.
If you own wooden rattan furniture, it is best to move it inside or in the shade when the weather is harsh. This way, the furniture will not get damaged. The cushions in the rattan furniture are also likely to get damaged in harsh weather, no matter which kind you buy. So, it is important to protect the cushions during rough weather as well.
The best way to protect your furniture is by buying waterproof PVC covers. These covers are water-resistant and will therefore easily save your wooden rattan furniture. It is also going to protect the furniture from dust, bird droppings, and other dirt. The cushions are also protected by the covers, keeping the furniture safe in every way.
The Duck Covers Ultimate Waterproof Patio Sofa Cover
offers good protection for your furniture. These covers are made of water-resistant fabric and are very good in high moisture climates. Their surface doesn’t let any water in and protects the furniture from any types of dirt.
What Do You Do with Rattan Furniture in the Winter?
It is best to keep your furniture in the garage during the winter, as in the winter, the garden is filled with snow, and you are highly unlikely to use your furniture then. Therefore, keeping it inside or in the shade is the best idea. Even though good-quality rattan is highly unlikely to get affected by the snow, the cushions might suffer damages.
Therefore, you can either remove the cushions from the furniture or just store the furniture inside in the winter. This way, your furniture will last a very long time without any problem.
Lawn furniture, even though they are intended for outdoor use, cannot stay in your yard all year round. This is because changing seasons and extreme temperatures can cause them damage and affect their longevity. To learn how to store your furniture properly, read our guide to storing backyard furniture.
Conclusion
When it comes to backyard furniture, rattan is definitely one of the most sought after material. Furniture pieces made from this material will certainly elevate the beauty of your outdoor space and it is very sturdy as well. If you want to enjoy your rattan furniture for a very long time, we suggest that you keep them inside when the weather is harsh.
While rattan is considered as a fairly sturdy material, especially its synthetic variant, it is better to err on the side of caution and store your rattan furniture when the seasons change and the weather becomes more extreme. Synthetic rattan furniture can survive extreme weather conditions but genuine wooden rattan furniture are especially vulnerable to moisture. To ensure the safety of your rattan furniture, we highly suggest that you keep them indoors when the weather is not good and make use of a furniture cover for added protection.
