It wasn’t too long ago that patio furniture included nothing more than a plastic table and a few plastic chairs. Honestly, people were never looking for anything more than this. But, as time went on improvements were made to outdoor furniture.
You should take the climate into account when determining how you are going to use your patio items. When it’s mostly hot throughout the year, a large umbrella that can provide shade is ideal and may even be considered essential to keep you out of the sun. The design of the furniture will depend on what you plan on using it for. Are you planning on using the chairs at the edge of the pool or are they only for patio entertaining? There needs to be some flexibility for sure. Take some time out and look for the various types of patio furniture available.
Some people aren’t interested in entertaining but would still like to lounge around with a good book and a cold drink. What works here is a swinging piece of furniture which gently rocks. Relaxation is the main concern here. So ensure you pick a material which is comfortable. Wood is the most common choice with plastic, metal and wicker being alternatives you could try. If you do choose to go with wood, just make sure you get it treated with a protective water resistant liquid.
Do not forget that your furniture is also going to need regular maintenance. This may mean steam cleaning, re-staining, or simply a cover up when the weather is bad.
Wood furniture is considered to be the most expensive but it can vary depending on the type of wood chosen. Cedar is the best quality of wood. Wood looks good by itself since it’s a natural element and doesn’t absorb cold or heat. Wrought iron is easily available and tough. It can match almost any decor. But it requires regular maintenance if you want it to last. You will need to seal and paint cracks otherwise rust will start developing. One of the major advantages of wrought iron though is that you won’t have to worry about your furniture being blown away by heavy winds like you would with aluminum furniture.
You should also know that aluminum is the largest selling material when it comes to outdoor furniture. It doesn’t rust and is easy to maintain. But, as mentioned above, a heavy wind and it will fly.
Wicker’s another material which will easily fly in heavy wind. Also, it can fade if kept for too long in direct sunlight.
This brings us back to plastic, which is where we started. It isn’t expensive but you are going to have to replace it regularly.
