Garden furniture is now a fashion item as the patio and garden increasingly become an additional functional space to the home.
Before you buy any garden furniture it is strongly recommended that you do some research. Doing so will greatly increase your chances of buying garden furniture that is right for you and will last you a long time. Following are some important tips you need to consider before you buy.
Firstly decide whether you want stackable or foldaway furniture that will be put away in the shed or garage in winter or if you want permanent solid garden furniture that remains in situ all year round. If you want your garden furniture to be a permanent part of your garden for esthetic reasons then it is recommended that you go for heavy furniture made from hardwood, aluminum or wrought iron with rust proofing. It is well worth spending the money on the heavier more durable materials as this will be much more cost effective in the long run.
Choosing the right type of material and construction is paramount. Decide what kind of material for your garden furniture would best compliment your patio or garden. Select a material that will stay in balance with your garden.
Wood is the best all round as it is lightweight, esthetically pleasing and comfortable but requires some maintenance. Choose a tropical hardwood which is high in natural oil content like teak, iroko or courbaril. These woods are weather resistant and can be left outside throughout the year.
Make sure that mortice and tenon joints are used for your teak garden furniture and not bolts which corrode. If any metal fittings are used in the construction make sure they are made from brass, stainless steel or aluminum which are corrosion resistant.
Make sure the construction is only premium grade teak for our garden furniture, so any knots, cracks and other defects are eliminated before the timber is used to build the furniture. Additionally, Make sure your teak garden furniture is kiln dried to optimise moisture content and ensure shape is maintained and cracks are eliminated.
Teak garden furniture that is assembled using epoxy based glues tend to have the best performance and durability of all the types of joints as the epoxy resin used will not be affected by rain or frost.
If your teak garden furniture becomes dirty it is easy to clean with warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush which will enable you to restore the beautiful silver grey weathered look. If required a pressure hose can be used at 60-80 bar [900-1200psi] at a distance of no less than 30cm.
Once your teak garden furniture has weathered the colour will be enhanced by an annual scrub. A small amount of bleach added to the water will suppress any algae growth.
Any stains and grease spots can be immediately removed by washing down using a light detergent then rinsing off with clean water as soon as they occur. However, this is not essential as nature will take its course over time.
In dry weather small cracks will appear in the end of the grain timbers. This is natural and no action needs to be taken as when the moisture in the atmosphere increases the timber will return to its original condition.
It is not necessary to use teak oil or varnish as these will not extend the life of your garden furniture and are purely cosmetic. However, if you wish to preserve the as new appearance of your teak garden furniture the application of teak oil when the furniture is new will give a more lustre finish than leaving untouched. Please ensure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions as usually this is a three stage process. Make sure the timber is completely dry when you apply the teak oil, otherwise the furniture will blacken.
Wrought iron garden furniture generally looks the best as it is usually hand crafted to give a unique look. The disadvantages of wrought iron furniture is that it is not as comfortable as wood and heavier to move around. Additionally, iron rusts so wrought iron garden furniture has to be especially coated to prevent it from rusting so make sure the supplier gives you at least a one year warranty against rust.
Finally, if you can, it is recommended that you invest in a cover for your garden furniture. Covers now come in all shapes and sizes and are well worth the money as they add years to the life of your garden furniture. Simply place the cover on your garden furniture every evening or when it rains, you will see the benefits in the long term.
In today’s market place there is such a wide range of contemporary garden furniture available. Here’s some advice for helping you choose the right furniture for your garden or patio area.
If you’ve decided that you want to be a the cutting edge of garden furniture design then there are 4 options available in style and materials used for the contemporary look rattan garden furniture.
Hot out this year is the plastic rattan finish which is both appealing to the eye and fully weatherproof. There is no need to pack away this furniture as winter closes in, it can simply be left outside all year round. It give a very modern look and feel to your patio area whilst giving a quite a high level of comfort. Rattan furniture is available is around 30 different colour shades, but it’s worth while check on the actual guarantee on the fading of the rattan due to the UV rays of the sun. German manufactured plastic rattan has the highest non fading guarantees usually of around 5 years, whereas some of the plastic rattan manufactured in the Far East is only guaranteed for around 1 year. This is an important point worth check when making a purchase.
Most plastic rattan will have an alloy frame underneath, which is again fully weatherproof and very light weight. If you intent to store the furniture set during the winter months, remember to check whether the chairs are stackable as this will save you a considerable amount of space.
Other smaller points worth checking are that the feet have rubber or plastic mounts on to stop your timber patio deck being market. If the table has a glass top this should be made of toughened glass and also needs to be removable so that it can be cleaned easily if food or drinks are spilled.
If you intend leaving the garden furniture set outside during the winter but want to prolong the life of the set, find out whether covers are available either from you retailer or a specialist garden furniture cover retailer.
Plastic rattan is set to be one of the biggest contemporary garden furniture products of this season, available in May different colours and designs. Remember that you should first works out exactly what sized set you want before making a purchase. Two things should be taken into consideration, firstly the size of your family and likely number of guests you will be entertaining and secondly the area you will be filling with your furniture set. You should allow ample room around your garden furniture both for people to freely move around and for accessories such as parasols and patio heaters to be placed.
Also consider whether or not you will want a parasol for the centre of the table and check that the table has the necessary sized whole.
Once you’ve taken all these factors into consideration and done your homework you are in a great position to buy your ultimate dream rattan contemporary garden furniture set, getting it right first time.
Isn’t nature wonderful? What better way is there for you to enjoy nature than from the comfort of your own patio. But if you really want to rough it and feel the roughness of the paving stones under your bottom, then you really need to consider investing in some furniture for those warm sultry summer nights. One of the best options now available is teak furniture for outdoors.
Teak furniture is renowned for being sturdy and durable and years ago it was the preferred material in many ship yards around the world for ship building. So if it good enough to be used on the seas and oceans of the world it is good enough for your garden. In fact whatever weather your part of the world can throw at it, it can cope.
You will find that most of teak used these days in this sort of furniture has come from either Indonesia or Thailand. Both these countries have tropical rainforest areas where the trees grow and mature under a number of different environmental conditions, and it is for this reason that they have become so resistant to harsh conditions and why this carries through to any piece of teak furniture.
Also teak furniture is more or less impervious to being attacked by either insects or rot and this is due to the high concentrations of natural oils within the wood that repel the insects, mould and fungus. These oils are not just present in the live trees but also in those that have been cut down to be used and so will definitely be present in any piece of teak furniture that you choose to buy. As you can imagine this is not good news for those homeowners who spent vast amounts of money of other wooden outdoors furniture and only to have it collapse or disintegrate in front them after a while.
So when looking for furniture for your garden or patio then you should definitely consider teak furniture to be the benchmark by with any other wooden furniture is judged. Although it is expensive you will find that there are large number of different variations of the furniture that you will be able to purchase such as teak chairs, teak tables, teak garden benches are just a few.
But there is one thing any owner of teak furniture should remember is the maintenance of it. There is one thing that not just wooden furniture but also teak furniture is susceptible to and that is moss. Not only is it unsightly but is dangerous if it gets wet. But don’t worry teak furniture can easily with just soap and water and that is really all you need to do to maintain your teak outdoors furniture.
So all you need to think about now is how great it will look in your garden and just how long it is going to last for you.
As warm weather approaches, you may find yourself searching for garden furniture. What is a backyard barbecue without garden furniture – after all, where would your guests sit? Though there is a wide variety of patio furniture, none is as beautiful as garden furniture made with teak. Why is teak a great material for garden furniture? Well, there are some distinct advantages, such as these:
Advantage #1 – Durable and Strong
Teak has many advantages over other materials used to make patio furniture. The first and most significant advantage is that teak is a strong, durable and beautiful hardwood from India, Thailand or Malaysia. This exotic material was first used in the Middle Ages as a shipbuilding material, so it had to be strong to endure the long voyages at sea.
Advantage #2 – Waterproof
After the ships were decommissioned, the boats made with teak material were still salvageable, since teak did not rot or rust, even when joined with metal. This is one of the reasons that teak is such a great material used to make garden furniture. So, if teak could survive long trips on the harsh ocean, image how well it will stand up in your garden—without rusting or rotting! These waterproofing advantages are what make teak garden furniture an exceptional choice for your garden furniture.
Advantage #3 – Low Maintenance
Garden furniture can be extremely high maintenance. Some materials attract dirt and grime more than other materials however, not teak wood. Teak, on the other hand, is very low maintenance, making teak garden furniture a great buy. If you are looking for a low maintenance material for your garden furniture, teak wood is the way to go.
Advantage #4 – Long-lasting
Since most people can’t afford to buy new garden furniture each year, another distinct advantage of teak garden furniture over garden furniture made from other materials is that it is extremely long-lasting. Teak garden furniture is so strong that it can stand the test of time, making it extremely cost-effective.
Advantage #5 – Stylish
If you’re looking for sleek and stylish garden furniture, look no further than teak garden furniture. To keep teak’s original color, all you have to do is use teak oil annually. Or, if you prefer, allow the color to change naturally over time. With so many finish choices, there is sure to be at least one shade and style to suit your garden furniture needs.
If you’re anxiously awaiting the warm weather season and especially looking forward to purchasing teak garden furniture, don’t forget the advantages that teak has over any other material—you won’t be disappointed. Durable and strong, waterproof, low maintenance, long-lasting and stylish, teak garden furniture should be your first choice when you shop for garden furniture.
January 31st, 2008
9:49 am
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Everyone loves to have a beautiful garden. If you do have a beautiful one, you end up spending more time in the garden, truly enjoying the many wonders of mother nature. People who spend a lot of time in their gardens, naturally like to have the best furniture there. There is a whole range of garden furniture available which includes wicker, wrought iron, bamboo, plastic and different types of woods such as teak, oak, cedar etc. In fact a lot of people go in for teak garden furniture, since it has far more advantages than any of the others.
Some of these teak garden furniture choices are, tables, chairs, swings, garden benches, recliners, chaise lounges, sun umbrellas etc. All these are available in teak as well. People invest in teak garden furniture since amongst all hardwoods, its the most durable. And so despite the high costs associated with teak furniture, people don’t mind indulging on themselves. Really, this only adds value to your net worth in the end.
New trendy and stylish designs of teak garden furniture has come about, due to the high demand for teak garden furniture. Moreover due to this high demand, manufactures are cashing in on this and providing for customer’s personal choice. Customers inform manufacturers of their choice and manufacturers are creating individualized products as per customer’s requirements. This is a great benefit to customers who get exactly what they want in their teak garden furniture.
Choosing your teak garden furniture with care and creativity will help you in bringing out the best of you’re garden, since teak is associated with luxury, elegance and style. Craftsmanship in the intricate work on your teak garden furniture stands out. Another great thing about this furniture is that it does not require a lot of maintenance.
The beauty of you’re garden is enhanced, with tastefully created teak garden furniture. While outward beauty is essential, what is more important is the utility of the product. If you’re furniture is not comfortable, but looks great, there isn’t any need for it, is there? While choosing or designing you’re garden furniture this should be kept in mind. In addition, its important that you’re furniture is in sync with you’re house or garden. For example, you don’t want to have a Japanese garden and then have furniture designed for a country home. That would only make it look awkward. All these points need to be considered while making a decision to buy teak garden furniture.
