Whether it is located on your terrace, patio or in your backyard, wooden furniture can add a classy look to your outdoor areas. That look can be long-lasting if you take the steps necessary to protect the surfaces of these pieces. Protecting the wooden furniture outside your home is important, since it is an investment that you’ll want to take care of for years to come. Having good looking, well maintained outdoor furniture represents an investment in your home overall and helps to increase both curb appeal and the value of your home should you ever choose to sell it.
Seal Seal Seal
If your locale is one where you constantly get lots of rain or if you'd like to provide the maximum protection for your outdoor wood furniture, seal your furniture every few years. We recommend the brand Sikkens. Sealing your outdoor furniture or shade structure protects against rain and moisture by simultaneously allowing the wood under the sealant to dry faster and keeping the wood from drying out. This helps to minimize warping, chipping and splitting, and increases the longevity of your furniture.
Varnish
Your local hardware or home supply store will have plenty of options available, so you can choose the one that works best for you. There are wide range of varnishes out there with different particular properties. Note that with any varnish you’re going to need reapply a few coats every couple of years in order to maintain its strength, appearance and protective properties.
Covers Are Effective
A patio furniture cover can physically protect furniture from the weather, children and pets. For a cover to be effective, you have to choose the right ones. Get good quality covers that can stand up to the weather themselves. Make sure they fit your outdoor wood furniture. If they’re too small, driving wind and rain can still get under them and introduce moisture to the surface of the wood. To avoid this problem, make sure you carefully measure each piece of furniture so you get the shapes and sizes right.
Think about Position
Where you decide to put your outdoor furniture can have a big impact on how much it may be affected by weather conditions. For instance, if you have a covered gazebo with furniture on it, you might want to always pull your furniture to the center of the gazebo when it’s not in use. This will provide the maximum amount of rain protection, while also minimizing the amount of UV rays striking the service of the wood. Positioning your furniture underneath shady trees may seem to protect them from the sun, but also may keep them wet longer without the direct sun to dry them out quickly. Oftentimes minimizing one problem can increase another.
Furniture on Wheels
One approach to protecting your furniture is to simply remove it from exposure to the weather except when you happen to be using it. If you have a relatively flat surface between where your furniture is and where you want to put it, simply have wheels installed on the furniture.
Protecting Outdoor Furniture from Pets
If your dogs or cats have free run of your yard and can get to your outdoor furniture, you may have a problem. Many dogs love to chew the edges of wooden furniture, while cats will be just as enthusiastic about sharpening their claws on it.
Providing your cat with one or more outdoor scratching posts can help divert your cat away from furniture. You might even decide to provide your pets with their own personalized outdoor furniture that they can chew up and scratch to their heart’s content. If nothing else works, you may want to create a separate fenced in area for your pets and not allow them to be around your outdoor wood furniture.
