What Garden Furniture Should I Buy?

You may think that all Garden Furniture is built to last, but unfortunately that is NOT the case. Buying cheap Garden Furniture is very often the most expensive choice! It will need to be replaced often! The old adage is also true, “you get what you pay for”.

Having established that we are now NOT going to buy the cheapest that we can find, what should we do next? The first step is to decide what type of Garden Furniture that you like. This you can basically separate into two categories:

Metal Garden Furniture or Hardwood Garden Furniture.

Metal Garden Furniture:

If you want Metal Garden Furniture, and you want it to last, then you should select Metal Garden Furniture that is ONLY made of Aluminum. The reason for this is that Aluminum does not rust, so will last in all weather conditions. Having decided on Aluminum, you then must look at whether to go for “Cast Aluminum”, which is often solid and is made from Aluminum that has been Cast into a mould, or “Framed Aluminum”, which although lighter, is normally equally as durable. So if your preference is to have Metal Garden Furniture, selecting any type of quality Aluminum Garden Furniture, you will be sure of getting many years of use from your purchase.

Hardwood Garden Furniture:
This is my favorite! No two pieces are “exactly” the same and subtle differences in the grain, makes each piece unique. It would take a whole book to completely cover “Hardwood Garden Furniture”, because there are literally thousands of different options. However after the last ten years of selling “all types” of wooden garden furniture, my choice has narrowed right down to only one type of wooden garden furniture to buy, and that is one made of Teak!
The reason for this is very simple; it is the BEST there is to withstand most types of weather, including the often cold and rainy UK climate. Although it is certainly more expensive that most other types of wood, it is VERY hard wearing and will last for many years, with or without, any treatment, so really does justifies the higher price.

Teak is a natural product that is from a slow growing hard wood tree. So when you look to buy make sure that you select from a supplier that has Teak Garden Furniture that has ONLY been made from “Plantation Grown” Teak, which is a renewable resource, and not from a forest that is being destroyed by de-forestation.

Quality Teak Garden Furniture should last for 20 -25 years, so when you compare the life of it to the cost, it is extremely good value for money.

By: John Hayward

Popular Patio Seating: Teak Garden Furniture

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.

By: John Stidolph

How to choose your garden furniture and make it last

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.

By: Rami Nseir