It’s almost as exciting to buy your first outdoor furniture in Bendigo as to purchase your first home with a garden. Do your research before you rush to buy. Take the time to choose the right all-weather furniture for your porch, deck, or patio. Instead of buying outdoor furniture that isn’t up to the task, I would have done it. Avoid costly mistakes when shopping for outdoor furniture.
These are five things you should know before buying outdoor furniture.
You might end up paying more for cheap furniture.
You’ll be amazed at the wide range of online outdoor furniture prices. The high-end retailers include Design Within Reach and Restoration Hardware, selling single loungers at $1,000.
Guess where I bought our outdoor furniture? Yes, I was enticed to buy a fake wicker sectional I found on a discount site during a late-night internet crawl. It was affordable and not too ugly. What more could you ask?
I should have questioned if the seating did not slide around when we sat. The sectional was so light that if you didn’t sit down carefully, the chairs and cushions would slide. Our dog, who isn’t the most graceful of animals, became so afraid of the unstable seating that he anxiously walked around the deck for several minutes before finally getting up.
Some chair legs are too short for decks.
We lived in a tiny rental with a wood deck before we purchased a house with a backyard. We loved the space. We decorated it with planters, a Weber Grill, a lounger chair and a vintage dining table set we found at a garage sale. Although the set was well-made and charming, the legs of the chairs could easily slip between the wooden planks on the deck. The chairs had to be placed correctly, and we had to remind our guests every so often to do the same. Not the best set-up for spontaneity or fun.
You might not like some outdoor furniture for your space.
This is a partial list of outdoor furniture materials that you will find: teak eucalyptus stainless steel, aluminium wrought iron, and wicker. Every material has its pros and cons. Some materials are better suited for outdoor conditions and climates than others. Take, for example, the different metals. Aluminium is light, so it’s not ideal for areas with high winds. Although stainless steel is lightweight and easy to maintain, it can become extremely hot when sun exposure.
You may not want wood furniture if you live in a wet area. Even teak, a strong and durable hardwood that can withstand any weather, must be treated each year to prevent cracking and warping. Natural wicker furniture is best used in covered areas as they are not strong enough to withstand the elements. If you love the design and plan to use it outdoors, synthetic resin wicker furniture might be a better choice.
For… rainy day, you’ll need a rainy day plan.
You’d expect it to be weather-resistant because it’s outdoor furniture. But not if you are dealing with cushions. I assumed that our sectional cushions would be weatherproof and that the fabric would repel rain. While that’s true to a certain extent, it does happen. However, if it is truly raining instead of misting, you will want to protect your cushions. We made a rookie error and left our cushions soggy and heavy that they took forever drying. This led to mildew in the long term. Yuck.
