Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Choosing Materials For Outdoor Furniture


When thinking about which materials to use for your outdoor furniture, there can be more aspects that you need to consider compared to choosing furniture for the indoors.
To be sure that you have made the right decision, you have to know the materials well. There are important points for every type of material. And, there are advantages and disadvantages that will make a big difference in your decision.

The most common material we use is wood. This is mostly for the chairs, the benches, the tables, etc. Wood can be an ideal material as there are varieties that are very affordable. However, their durability might not be the best when compared to other materials out there. But, if you think about the price and the durability, it can be worth it. It will be easy for you to change an old and damaged furniture item with a new one as you didn’t spend too much for that one.

The design of wooden furniture are also very laidback and familiar. There can be no radical changes to the comfortable outdoor feel that you have with such familiar furniture items. As earlier said, there are several types of wood that can be best for the outdoors. Even if they are just cheap, you should still go for the ones with the most durability.

Wicker is another material that you can possibly use. They are also generally cheap. And they can be turned into pretty comfortable furniture. Depending on the design, they can be very low maintenance. Also, they can be made from either bamboo, rattan, cane, or several more. This allows you to choose the best material to complement your outdoor area’s ambiance and design.

As wicker furniture are generally lightweight, it can be easy to move them from one area to another. You can even take them inside a sheltered space when rains or the snow comes. These can be best for that relaxed, outdoor feel that you are trying to have in your outdoor space.

Synthetic wicker furniture are also available these days. For these type of furniture, you will not need to worry about the weather and the furniture’s durability. They are more suited for the outdoors and they can withstand the heat or rain more than those made from bamboo, rattan, etc.

If you want to have metallic furniture, aluminum can be one of your first choices. First of all, they can be the cheapest of the metal furnishing. But, they remain lightweight, durable, and comfortable to use. Cleaning aluminum furniture can also be very light work. Even if you have left aluminum furniture outdoors for some time, you will not have much problems with corrosion.

If aluminum is not suitable for you, you can check out iron furnishings. They can be a little bit heavier but, they are durable and can withstand almost any type of weather. If you are worried about rust and corrosion, you can go for wrought iron as these will not be your problems with such items.