By Jesse Akre
Ready to reclaim your backyard? Now that the cold weather is moving out, it’s time to clean up what old man winter has left behind on your deck and prepare your patio furniture for spring.
Spring cleaning for the deck has a number of levels.
First, start by cleaning your deck. Chances are its gotten dirty and may have even taken a little damage from the cold weather. This is a great time to give it a deep cleaning. The more dirt and debris you remove from the deck, the more easily you will be able to see if there are any cracks or other areas of damage in the deck that need to be repaired.
Once you’ve checked out the deck for damage, and you are secure with it being in good condition, it’s time to protect it for the next year. Depending on what kind of decking you have, there are many options for protecting it. If you still have the instructions from your original decking purchase, there may be details on how to protect it from the elements. Sometimes these treatments will last for years; sometimes they have to be repeated annually. Spring is a great time to go through these steps.
Once you have finished cleaning the deck and protecting it, it’s time to focus on your patio furniture. Patio furniture also needs a good cleaning. From top to bottom, you should wash your patio furniture. For plastic and poly patio furniture, this may be as easy as turning on the garden hose or using a pressure washer to rinse all the patio furniture pieces off. If you have wicker, teak or other wood-based patio furniture pieces, these may take a little more work. Pressure washers could damage the wood and cause scratches that take away from the attractive surface. Instead, you will need to put a little elbow-grease into the cleaning of these items. Get down with a brush and warm soapy water and work all the dirt and debris out of the patio furniture. Do not use a wire scrub brush. While many think wire brushes are a better way to get rid of all the dirt and debris, the truth is, those wire brushes can not only cause grooves in your furniture but also leave behind more debris.
When the wire brush is used on a wood surface, it may well cut into the wood. Then pieces of the wire brush can break off into the new cuts in the wood. Those pieces of wire are not only stuck in the wood, but often rust and break down inside the wood doing more damage to the structure.
Getting your deck and patio furniture ready for the entertaining season is something that you should make part of your annual spring-cleaning habit. Spring-cleaning is not just something that happens inside the home, but also something that should happen outside the home too, in the back yard. Every year your deck and patio furniture should be kept on the spring-cleaning to-do list.
Source: www.articles3000.com
By Jimmy Sturo
Outdoor wicker furniture is available in different styles, designs, frames and fabric colors. Outdoor wicker furniture is woven with polythene resin fibers or vinyl coupled with a steady aluminum, rattan or a steal frame so as to withstand extreme weather conditions. This type of furniture includes garden chairs, dinning tables, benches, swings and gliders. It may be used for the patio, deck or near the pool.
Most outdoor organic wicker furniture is painted at the factory, using a multiple dipping process. This ensures that paint gets into all the nooks and crevices and seals the surface. Additionally, a two-stage premium finish results in pieces getting a weathered look. The finished pieces look like hand-woven wicker, but are actually made of super weather-resistant resin, which makes the furniture last for years. Dyes that are used to make the furniture can be mixed right into the resin, to prevent the furniture from peeling or flaking. Foam filled cushion upholstery are covered with outdoor fabrics of acrylic, polyester, and mixed blends to match the furniture pieces.
The variety of finishes that are available for outdoor furniture includes unvarnished, exterior coated, and soft weathered paint. One should remember that patio wicker furniture should be thoroughly inspected for tightly woven caning, with no splinters or gaps and smooth surface overall.
Outdoor wicker furniture is available in so many styles and prices. The inexpensive price range is generally for a rattan or a hollow bamboo frame, whereas the high end prices are buying steady teak wood, aluminum or a steel frames, which are weather resistant, rust proof and do not hold up moisture.
Outdoor wicker furniture can be either bought or assembled at home, depending on one’s preference. With some basic regular maintenance, outdoor wicker furniture can be made to last for several years. [http://www.e-WickerFurniture.com]Wicker Furniture provides detailed information on Wicker Furniture, Outdoor Wicker Furniture, Wicker Patio Furniture, Wicker Bedroom Furniture and more. Wicker Furniture is affiliated with [http://www.e-TeakFurniture.com]Teak Outdoor Furniture.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo http://EzineArticles.com/?Outdoor-Wicker-Furniture&id=277502
By Joanne Jones
It can be overwhelming when trying to figure out what furniture to buy for your garden. With the arrival of spring, garden centres are packed with furniture of all types. Patio sets, benches, statues, fountains, barbecues, the list is endless. The process may seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. Here are eight simple tips to help you buy the right furniture and have fun at the same time.
Tip #1: Decide how you will use your garden. Do you want room to stretch out and sun tan or will you want to have lots of people over for a barbecue and eat outside? If you are planning to eat outside, then make sure you have plenty of table space to hold all the food and dishes you need. If you eat inside, but bring your drinks outside after dinner, then small bistro tables will suit you just fine. If you are planning on having a lot of people over, you will need to ensure that you have adequate seating for everyone.
Tip #2: Measure the exact size of your garden or backyard before buying patio furniture, statues or fountains. Most garden centres are large and it is easy to lose the scale of your garden. What looks small at a garden centre could be too large for your garden. When you find furniture that you like, take measurements and then go back to your garden or backyard. Tape up cardboard boxes together so that they are roughly the same size as the furniture you wish to buy. Next, place the cardboard boxes in your yard. This will show you how much room the furniture will actually take up in your garden.
Tip #3: Buy at the end of the season to get the best sales. This is the best way to get the most out of your budget. It can also help to establish a good relationship with the staff at the garden centre because they can tell you when the sales will start and how much of a certain item is left in stock. When something goes on sale, it can be sold out fast, especially if there is limited stock.
Tip #4: Visit a lot of different garden centres to see all the different furniture ideas out there. Make it a fun outing of window shopping. Without the pressure to buy something, the trips won’t be stressful or overwhelming. Plus, this will give you the time to compare prices and quality of the furniture available.
Tip #5: Keep the style consistent. When everything in your backyard has the same style, it will be in harmony, you will feel more relaxed and you will want to show it off to everyone. Plus, once you have established what your tastes are, you will be able to ignore the furniture that doesn’t fit with that style, which will reduce your stress when buying new garden furniture.
Tip #6: Consider how much maintenance you are willing to do. Will you have to bring the cushions in every time it rains? If so, where will you put them? Can you leave the furniture outside during the winter or will you have to store it for the season? Do you have a place inside your house to store furniture for the winter? If an item requires a lot of maintenance and you’re not prepared to do it, then it just won’t last. No matter how much you like the look of the furniture in the store, don’t buy it if you can’t maintain it.
Tip #7: Know your budget. It’s easy to get carried away and want to buy everything you see. But don’t. Set a limit and stick to it. You can always add more furniture next year. Plus, if you really see something you like, let your friends and family know. They can always get together to buy it for you or give you a gift certificate to the store.
Tip #8: How comfortable is the furniture you are buying? If you plan to sit on a bench or chair in your backyard for hours, it had better be comfortable. Contoured furniture and cushions go a long way in adding comfort. Keep the stone benches for occasional seating and to add to the ambiance of the setting.
For more gardening tips, please visit http://www.thegardenersescape.com/ and remember to check out our free garden design plans while you are there. Come visit us to plan your escape today and escape to your own world … where it’s all about you!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanne_Jones http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-8-Tips-For-Buying-The-Perfect-Garden-Furniture&id=1102573
By Kate Neville
Choosing wooden lawn furniture for your outdoor room can be a daunting task. Not only are there infinite styles to choose from, there are also many different types of woods to try to differentiate. Here are some commonly used types of wood for wooden outdoor furniture:
Teak
Everybody loves teak. It’s extremely durable and very low maintenance; it needs to be oiled every once in a while if you want to maintain the original rich honey color that exemplifies teak. If you don’t mind it turning a distinguished grey over the years, you don’t even have to oil it. The only real disadvantage to teak is that it’s a slow growing tree, which makes it less available than other materials and drives up the price. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1000 - $8000 for a teak dining set, but because teak lasts so long outside, it’s a long term investment. In fact, many retailers of teak are so confident in its ability to endure years outdoors that they offer as much as a ten year warrantee.
Bamboo
Bamboo creates a relaxed, zen-like feeling on a deck or patio. It’s also the preferred tiki bar material. Though it’s technically a grass and really wood, bamboo patio furniture looks so much like wood that it definitely deserves mention here. If you’re environmentally conscious, you’ll love that bamboo is probably the most renewable of “woods” for patio furniture because of its extremely fast growth. It’s also relatively inexpensive and low maintenance. Washing it with a bit of soap and water will usually suffice.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a fantastic alternative to teak wooden lawn furniture. It has a similar color tone to teak and also provides excellent outdoor durability. It’s also a faster growing tree and is more sustainable than teak. Because of this, wooden lawn furniture made from eucalyptus is typically around half the price of a comparable teak set. However, it can be difficult to find and is not widely available just yet.
Redwood
Redwood wooden deck furniture comes in three varieties: old growth, mature, and young. Old growth furniture is made from logs that have been on the ground since excessive logging decades ago. Mature trees are approximately 100 years of age, and young refers to trees that are 50 years or younger. Redwood is an extremely slow growing tree, making it very difficult to sustain than other woods.
For more ideas on creating the outdoor space of your dreams, visit [http://www.outdoorfurnitureoptions.com]Outdoor Furniture Options
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_Neville http://EzineArticles.com/?Wooden-Lawn-Furniture—Choosing-the-Right-Wood-For-Your-Outdoor-Space&id=1114933
By Daniel Lazaj
Before beginning construction on your deck be sure to check with your zoning laws for regulations regarding your deck. Most deck projects will require you to get a permit.
Some good reasons to build your own deck would be to save some money by doing the work yourself. Another reason would be to add more value to your home, give your home a nicer look, have a great outdoor space to relax, and also have a nice spot to barbecue and entertain.
Before beginning you will have to figure out which tools you will need for this project. One of the most important tools you will need is some plans. Having some deck plans and following the instructions will make building your deck allot easier. If you feel you are not skilled enough to build your own deck, you should consider hiring a general contractor. It is a good idea to talk to some contractors and get about two or three estimates. Even if you plan to build the deck yourself, you can get an idea of the money you will save by building it yourself.
Always take your time when you are choosing the design and style for your deck. Make sure to think things through with some careful planning. Asking family and friends for their opinion is a great way to get ideas for the design of your deck. Looking at other decks is another way to come up with a design you might like. Seeing how other decks are built, and asking the homeowner questions can help you avoid mistakes when building your own deck.
The location of the deck can affect the way you use your deck. Take into consideration how the sun, wind, and other natural elements will affect how your deck will be used.
Natural elements such as the sun and moisture is the most common reason for damage to the deck. Applying sealer or stain to your deck is a good way to protect it. A good finish will repel water, and protect the wood from the suns UV rays.
The type of wood you choose for your deck is very important. This will decide how your deck will look, how long it will last, and how much money you will need to build your deck. Choose the best wood you can afford for best results. The most common lumber for building decks are pressure treated lumber, redwood, and cedar. When buying lumber give it a good inspection. By inspecting the lumber at the lumberyard one by one you can get the best boards possible. Hand picking the lumber will make your deck last longer, and it will also make it look more attractive.
By doing some research, and some careful planning, you will avoid mistakes and have a beautiful safe deck that will bring you and your family years and years of enjoyment.
If you are looking for [http://www.mybackyardplans.com/deckplans.php]deck plans or [http://www.mybackyardplans.com/deckplans.php]free deck plans visit my site at http://www.mybackyardplans.com I have gathered a list of sites with free plans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Lazaj http://EzineArticles.com/?Building-Your-Own-Wood-Deck&id=1110166
Page 5 of 22« First...«34567»...Last »
