The rule of thumb for wooden garden furniture is: Hardwood is more weather-resistant than softwood. In addition they are generally considered to be hardier and very durable. But even "hard" garden furniture made of oak, beech and ash does not remain unaffected by the seasons.
Unlike the softwoods spruce, larch and pine, hardwoods are more robust, and you can definitely see that they have been left unprotected over the winter or exposed to intensive UV radiation. In the best case, the result &#; the silver-grey layer on the wood &#; is enjoyed as charming patina. And whether a patina is required or not, outdoor wooden furniture should be treated regularly with a wood preservative and oiled or varnished.
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Tip: If you clean wood with soapy water, it must be dried thoroughly with a cloth afterwards.
The great thing about teak: It lasts at least 25 years. Its high oil and rubber content naturally protects the wood from weathering and ageing. Teak requires next to no maintenance: dirt usually remains on the surface and can be easily removed. Not even insects, fungi or bacteria can penetrate teak. A positive side effect: teak offers a smooth surface that does not tend to splinter. The smooth, soft material also feels comfortable on bare skin.
As a classic monsoon forest tree species, teak handles moisture and water very well. It has a high dimensional stability and a low risk of warping - even if the furniture overwinters outside. Although teak also develops a patina over time, this can be wiped away or prevented by oiling. If required. To ensure that teak furniture retains its elegant look, we recommend treating it with a nourishing oil once a year.
Mahogany is excellent material for garden furniture: for all its noble, reddish shimmering grain speaks for the hardwood. Although not quite as robust and easy to care for as, for example, teak, mahogany also offers a natural resistance to fungi and harmful insects. The wood warps only minimally under the influence of the weather and generally doesn't tend to splinter. In order to preserve the beauty of the material, mahogany wood has to be treated regularly with special oils or an open-pore polyurethane varnish.
Acacia is not just acacia. Acacia is often robinia. This is because both woods have very similar properties. In contrast to the real acacia from Africa, the robinia also grows in south-eastern Europe. The "wrong" acacia is thus also better suited for European winters.
The hardwood is not only weatherproof, but also resistant to insects, fungi and mould and can boast a lifespan of 15 to 25 years. In addition, because it is one of the cheaper types of wood, robinia offers good value for money. Over time, a silver-grey patina forms on robinia; however, this can be counteracted by annual oiling. Real acacia is completely weather-resistant, but also significantly more expensive.
Everyone knows the smell of eucalyptus, but what about furniture made of the wood? The typical Australian eucalyptus is the most planted tree in the world with 18.3 million hectares, and beyond its native Australia can also be found in Africa, South America and Asia.
Eucalyptus is a hardwood, making it ideal for outdoor furniture. Slightly more sensitive than teak or acacia, eucalyptus resembles oak. When used as garden furniture, eucalyptus is characterized by its reddish-brown colouration and characteristic grain. Although eucalyptus furniture can ideally last up to 25 years when used outdoors, the wood requires a lot of care: eucalyptus is relatively resistant to pest infestation, but offers only moderate weather resistance - too much sun, frost or moisture can easily damage the wood.
Bamboo is one of the most sustainable woods and is not only very popular in furniture production: for example, chopping boards, floor coverings and even bicycles are also made from bamboo.
Thanks to its high material density and hardness, bamboo has a particularly hard-wearing and cut-resistant surface. Bamboo furniture is therefore the perfect furniture for outdoors: the wood is light, durable and resistant, it is robust and dimensionally stable - even when wet - and easy to care for.
Bamboo plants grow up to 30 meters high - in only about five years. Due to this rapid growth, cultivation with bamboo is extremely sustainable. Domestic hardwoods require almost 50 years for this process. Since the plant is so hardy, hardly any fertilizers, pesticides or artificial irrigation methods are required for cultivation.
Rattan furniture brings classic charm to the garden. Crafted from natural wood fibres such as the so-called jungle vine or the aerial roots of the palm species Calamus Rotan. These fibres are processed into rattan or cut into flat sticks and brought into the desired shape using a braiding technique.
Armchairs, tables and other rattan furniture combine rustic naturalness with elegance. They are available in their natural state as well as clear or coloured lacquered and stained. However, rattan is barely weatherproof! Thus for the seating lounge in the garden, it is better to use rattan alternatives.
Loom offers a worthy replacement for the delicate rattan weave. The almost indestructible Lloyd Loom furniture does not really consist of a wickerwork, but is laid on a framework in several work steps in the form of mats. The process was developed around and still offers a contemporary solution.
Polyrattan, on the other hand, is a plastic mesh that repels rains and that retains its appearance even under strong UV radiation. The light furniture looks similar to real rattan, but is much more robust, easy to care for and therefore perfect as patio furniture.
It&#;s getting around to that time of year where we can finally start thinking about spring and summer. If you&#;re reading this, it suggests that you&#;re at least a little bit curious about outdoor furniture and would like to know more about the materials used to make them. If you have a browse of the Inside Out Living website, you&#;ll see that you are truly spoilt for choice and that&#;s why we have put together a useful list of the pros and cons of the most common garden furniture materials.
One of the most common outdoor furniture materials is rattan. Rattan garden furniture is resistant to UV light, meaning it can be left out in the sun and its colour won&#;t bleach or fade. Another huge bonus is that rattan furniture material is also relatively low maintenance, due in no small part to its hard wearing and durable structure. For all of you interior design lovers out there, rattan is an incredibly aesthetic material and rattan garden furniture has enjoyed sustained popularity for decades. That said, its popularity has soared even higher in recent years thanks to attractive rattan furniture collections from brands like Kettler, Bramblecrest, and Hartman. While its natural look is more than enough to get by on, rattan chairs and sofas can be given a hint of customisation through the use of outdoor cushions.
As a material, rattan relies a great deal on the way it looks once weaved. Because of this, it&#;s important to inspect new rattan furniture closely and make sure there aren&#;t any loose threads that weren&#;t weaved properly. The reason for this is that these spots can unravel and while it may take some time to unravel fully, it will undermine the furniture&#;s durability and aesthetic qualities. It&#;s also important to note that rattan garden furniture should be considered an investment, as it often comes with a larger price tag when it is made correctly.
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To be perfectly frank, aluminium is a phenomenal outdoor furniture material. It looks great and is remarkably versatile, all the while being relatively inexpensive. More importantly, perhaps, aluminium is also widely recycled. This may seem like an odd thing to think about when looking for new outdoor furniture, but there will come a time when you&#;d like an upgrade and on that day your aluminium garden furniture can be recycled and reused. Another fantastic quality of aluminium outdoor furniture is that it&#;s very durable and will not rust like iron or steel. As a result, you could use your Hartman Berkley 2 Seater garden bench every day during the warm months of Summer and leave it uncovered throughout the cold, wet winter without ever having to worry about damage.
One feature that is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to aluminium furniture is that it&#;s lightweight. This makes it easy to move things around should you feel the need, but there is also the possibility of things getting blown around in strong winds. Hollow-frame aluminium furniture is particularly vulnerable and any major bends or dents that result from being tossed around could make it unsafe to use as well as unsightly. You should also pay close attention to any welding present on aluminium outdoor furniture, as it can be a very tricky garden furniture materials to bond together. Generally speaking, higher quality pieces usually incorporate braces or gusseting for extra support.
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Wrought iron outdoor and patio furniture is renowned for being heavy and sturdy. It is unlikely that any wrought iron patio table or chair will get thrown easily during a rainstorm or gusty winds as lightweight patio furniture can. Consequently, all types of wrought iron patio furniture can be stored outdoors during the winter months and will not take up space in the garage. Wrought iron is also easy to work with and lends itself to beautiful, decorative designs. Wrought iron patio furniture is embellished with floral designs, swirls and other graceful touches.
On the other hand, wrought iron garden furniture does require quite a bit of routine maintenance. Due to the fact that wrought iron can rust, it must be treated with a sealant or wax on a yearly basis, however with the correct care the furniture can last for a number of years, therefore this can also lead to a hefty price tag, often more expensive than other outdoor furniture.
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Stainless steel garden furniture proves to be extremely durable and wind-resistant, therefore would be a great purchase for you if you use your outdoor furniture frequently throughout the summer months. Although it&#;s generally a little more pricey than wrought iron, stainless steel garden furniture does a better job of retaining its value after its initial purchase. This is something to keep in mind if you like to update your outdoor furniture on a regular basis, as it sells very well second-hand.
Even when it comes to stainless steel, rust is a concern. This is because there are different grades of stainless steel with alloys possessing higher levels of chromium being more resistant to corrosion. Unfortunately, higher chromium levels means a higher price tag, which is why a lot of stainless steel garden furniture is a relatively low-grade alloy with a protective powder-coated finish. Don&#;t let this put you off though, as this is more than enough for the sake of outdoor furniture. That said, it&#;s still wise to keep the stainless steel garden furniture covered during winter months and also during prolonged periods of disuse over summer. It is also important to remember that due to its heat retentive qualities, furniture made from stainless steel will need to be covered by fabrics and cushions to reduce the risk of anyone getting burnt.
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Oak, teak, and pine are three of the most common garden furniture materials, which makes sense considering they share similar properties. As a result, the pros and cons of the three materials are broadly the same, with oak, teak, and pine outdoor furniture all embuing gardens with an authentic and rustic feel. What&#;s more, with the correct care, wooden garden furniture materials can easily last for well over a decade.
However, wood can also be prone to rotting and will require regular maintenance in order for it to last for multiple years. However, it should be mentioned that both teak and pine garden furniture are relatively easy to damage and are prone to &#;movement&#; compared to other timber. For example, shrinking and swelling when seasons change due to higher and lower levels of moisture is an issue, which can cause problems with paintwork. We would suggest keeping the furniture covered when not in use, even in the summer and spring.
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We hope that you take into consideration all of the pros and cons of garden furniture materials before purchasing your outdoor furniture, you can take a closer look at our outdoor furniture here.
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