Outdoor Furniture, the Furniture for Park, Garden and Patio

Outdoor furniture is the furniture that is used to fill the outdoor rooms. As the indoor room, the outdoor space, such as a garden, patio, park, beach, or gazebo, also needs furniture. The outdoor furniture is usually used as a place to sit and relax while enjoying the natural atmosphere in the outside room. Furniture for outdoor uses requires different specifications than the furniture for indoor uses. The outdoor furniture must be strong and durable enough to withstand the outdoor weather, such as rain, wind, nighttime cold, and sunlight. The outdoor furniture should be made from strong substrates and be finished with special material.

Outdoor chair with outdoor finish

The outdoor furniture is usually made from solid wood from hardwoods such as teak, acacia, merbau, oak, pecan, etc. The other substrates for outdoor furniture are synthetic rattan, aluminum, stainless steel, or iron with a special finishing. Hardware used should also be made of material that is highly resistant to the outdoor weather, such as brass, copper, aluminum, or stainless steel.
The special finishing material is required for the outdoor furniture, although much outdoor furniture is used in the unfinished conditions. The exterior finish material is needed if you want to finish the outdoor furniture. Some of the exterior finishing materials are: spar varnish, outdoor oil, outdoor polyester, outdoor polyurethane, outdoor water-based, or outdoor latex paint. You can determine the outdoor finish material by reading the specification and the technical data sheet of the finishing material. The exterior finishing materials usually have higher prices and have fewer color choices than the indoor finishing material.
The models of outdoor furniture are usually simpler and less varied than the indoor furniture. The limited choice of the substrates and finishing has made the model less varied. The special model with a special veneer pattern at m.d.f. or particle board that many use for indoor furniture cannot be used because it is not strong enough for outdoor uses. The model with complex and heavy carving is also not  suitable with the natural environment in outdoor rooms. 

outdoor furniture made of synthetic rattan

How to care for the outdoor furniture.

The outdoor furniture has less lifetime than the indoor furniture. The sunlight, rain, and wind will make outdoor furniture quickly worn out, causing discoloration and making the wood, iron, or other substrates quickly obsolete. However, if you can do proper maintenance, then you can make the furniture last longer. 

Here are some tips for caring for the outdoor furniture.

• Avoid furniture in direct sunlight on a hot day.

The sunlight is the factor that damages the furniture quickly. The ultraviolet rays from the sunlight will make the colors fade and the wood, metal, or plastic quickly decay. It may be impossible to avoid outdoor furniture from the sunlight, but at least you can minimize the hot sunlight directly going to the furniture. Place the furniture under the tent, umbrella, roof, or trees. The shaded places are also more pleasant as a place to relax and rest instead of the open sky space with hot and direct sunlight.

• Coat the furniture with proper finishing material.

The proper finishing layer will protect the substrate from the sun, water, and wind to make furniture more durable. As long as the finishing layer is still well attached to the surface, it still relies on giving enough protection to the underneath substrates. But after a certain period of time, the finishing layer could become worn, faded, and damaged. And when it comes, you should refinish the furniture. The refinishing process can be done in the simple way by recoat the furniture with the new finish material (could be the same types or not). Many finishing suppliers recommend doing refinishing every certain period of time (6 months or 1 year) to keep the finishing color and look. You can choose the finishing material that can be applied by brush or rag to make the refinishing can be done easily. There are some exterior finishing materials, such as spar varnish, oil- or water-based paint finishes, that can be applied by brush or cloth.