How to Make Outdoor Furniture Last
If you are like most homeowners, your outdoor furniture takes a lot of abuse.
Without proper maintenance, after the first few years, you may start to notice that it sags or just looks old and worn out.
We don't want that to happen to your furniture. So what can you do? There are many options to make your outdoor furniture last longer.
In this article, we’ll discuss 12 tips on how to prolong the life of your patio set.
12 Ways to Preserve Outdoor Furniture
Use furniture pads to keep the furniture from scraping your patio or deck.
It’s best to use furniture pads indoors for heavy furniture like dressers, tables, couches, and shelves. But if your patio floor is prone to scratching you can also look for them for your outdoor chairs.
When moving your outdoor furniture, avoid dragging it on the floor. Always ask a friend or two for help so you don’t scratch up your patio and wear down the legs of your furniture.
Apply your furniture pads before you move the furniture. This will make your life easier as you can just bring it from point A to point B.
If you don’t have furniture pads, you can set your patio furniture on a rug to protect it and the floor.
After you’re done using your outdoor furniture for the season, store it in a shed or garage.
When you’re not using your furniture, you don’t want to leave it outside. Inclement weather and sunlight can wear down the furniture quickly.
Keep in mind that dark furniture does not react well to sunlight. It will discolor if left outside in direct sun.
Leaving wood furniture out or uncovered in the rain can also damage it. It can rot if it sits in standing water for too long.
So as you start preparing your home for fall, move all your outdoor furniture into a garage or shed.
Give your outdoor furniture a thorough clean before storing it in a shed.
Outdoor furniture gets the most use during the spring and summer. You might use it for six to eight months out of the year. The rest of the time, it’s tucked away in your shed or garage. Next spring, you pull it out again.
Every season when you decorate your outdoor patio and pull out all the furniture, you want it to be in great condition.
So before everything heads to storage, give it a thorough clean.
Whether you’re cleaning furniture, cushions, or outdoor carpet, we have a guide for you!
How to Clean Outdoor Furniture
Invest in light-colored furniture to minimize discoloration from the sun.
You can’t prevent discoloration entirely, but you can invest in light colored furniture. It takes a lot more time to lose its color. White reflects light while dark furniture absorbs light so it will discolor faster.
If you’re in an enclosed patio, this isn’t as important since your patio furniture won’t be exposed.
In large outdoor spaces, you can arrange your dark furniture in an enclosed area and set up light furniture in sunny areas.
Cover outdoor furniture with vinyl covers.
A vinyl cover will protect the furniture from water, dirt and other debris. They work great to protect furniture from dirt and water while it sits in storage, too.
Vinyl covers are also helpful if you use your patio furniture often. Every day, cover the furniture when you’re done and remove the cover when you need to use it again. This is much more convenient than moving the furniture out of your shed for every use.
It’s especially important to cover your furniture if rain is in the forecast. Ideally, move it under an enclosed area or inside your home.
Stay on top of the weather so you can keep your outdoor furniture in beautiful condition.
Clean up any spills immediately, especially on outdoor cushions or pillows.
Spills on your outdoor cushions might be your worst nightmare. It’s important to tackle these as soon as possible after the spill or stain occurs. Follow our step-by-step guide to deep clean your outdoor cushions.
Lightly sand or scrub rusted areas of your furniture with steel wool.
If needed, steel wool effectively removes rust on your metal furniture. Just take the steel wool out of the box and lightly scrub it on the metal surface. It will remove the top layer of rusted metal and expose a new shiny layer.
You can also use sandpaper to remove rust. Both sandpaper and steel wool come in varying textures, from fine to coarse. For difficult-to-remove rust, a coarser grain will work better.
Use an outdoor rated paint or stain for added protection.
Outdoor paint or stain will add a nice durable layer of protection to your unfinished outdoor wood. It’s specifically made to withstand harsh weather conditions. It contains additives that help prevent discoloration, improve water resistance, and prevent mold growth.
Make sure that your outdoor furniture doesn’t sit for long periods of time in standing water.
Standing water can ruin patio furniture quickly. It not only accelerates rot on wooden furniture but also accelerates rust on metal surfaces.
Keep a close eye on the weather report to watch for rainstorms. Store your outdoor furniture for a few days if you expect to have heavy rain or storms.
Even after the rain has subsided, wait until your outdoor patio has completely dried before taking out the furniture. Low points in your patio will accumulate water, so just be patient until everything is nice and dry.
Close your patio umbrella when not in use.
This will help protect the umbrella from UV rays, rain and debris. Also, close your umbrella in windy conditions. Wind can easily damage umbrellas or remove them from their stand.
Some umbrella stands are heavy, so you might need a friend to help you move it. Or cover it with a vinyl cover to protect from dirt and water damage.
It’s also important to clean your outdoor umbrella every season. Follow our complete guide here to learn more.
Use outdoor rated vinyl chairs to keep water and sunscreen from absorbing into the material and wearing it down.
If you’ve ever got sunscreen on your outdoor furniture, it can be a pain to deal with. But vinyl chairs are durable and water-resistant. They are the best type to use in your pool area.
Make sure your furniture is waterproof and weatherproof.
When shopping, look for waterproof and weatherproof patio furniture. But, even if you find durable outdoor furniture, that doesn’t mean you can let it sit outside for months.
It’s still important to cover your furniture often and store it during the fall and winter. This will save you money in the long run because you won’t have to worry about replacing it.
What is the most durable material for outdoor furniture?
Aluminum, teak, and synthetic resin are three incredibly durable materials for outdoor furniture. Metal is also quite durable, but it’s prone to rust.
How long can outdoor furniture last?
If you take care of your outdoor furniture, the right set can last you a lifetime. However most outdoor furniture lasts between 10 and 15 years.
We hope these 12 tips give you a place to start to keep your patio furniture in great shape. It may seem like this maintenance takes a lot of time, but it will pay off. If you follow these tips, you likely won’t have to replace it any time soon.
Thanks for reading. For more outdoor cleaning tips, check out the articles below.