How To Protect Terrace Furniture From The Rain

Winter rain and summer sun can seriously damage outdoor furniture. After a few seasons exposed to the elements, your patio or deck furniture can start to show the symptoms of ‘age’. Although most outdoor furniture fabrics and finishes are strong enough to withstand the wear and tear of many sunny days and stormy nights, regular maintenance can help extend their life.

Outdoor furniture requires regular maintenance to combat the inevitable build-up of dirt, mold and rust. Learning how to protect them can help keep furniture clean and looking like new for years.

1. Attention to wooden furniture: Cleaning and applying a special oily product to wooden furniture before storing it to cope with autumn and winter. This will re-hydrate the wood after a long summer. You can start by cleaning them with a brush and a little soap, thus removing the accumulation of debris and leaves that may have accumulated. Once they are dry, apply a rich oil such as teak in a color that complements the furniture so they will be as good as new for the following season.
2. Go for strong coverage: To obtain adequate coverage for parts that cannot be stored in a storage room or shed, it is important that hard fabrics are chosen, although they are generally more expensive. These tarps or covers should be checked to see that they have a string at the bottom so that they fit properly around the furniture. If there is something that cannot be covered with a standard cover, a tarp can be cut to the desired size and secured with bungee cords. The key is to make sure the covering, whatever it is, fits tightly over the furniture; otherwise the wind will blow through it and hit it. On the other hand, it is necessary to keep the furniture grouped in the same area during the winter, thus being less likely that its coverings will turn in the strong wind.
3. Special care with the rains: If you live in an area that traditionally suffers from a harsh rainy season, or if you simply need to keep your wooden furniture outdoors, you should consider applying a water sealer. This will keep the wood looking lovely while giving it the protection it needs, preventing water damage, and resisting flaking.
4. Secure large furniture to the floor: If the furniture is stored on a terrace with a stone floor, it is good advice to ensure that the furniture is anchored to the ground. Some items such as tables with 10 or more seats for example, have a considerable dimension and you may not want to move. In addition, they will take up a good space in any garage or shed. Therefore, in addition to covering these types of pieces, they can be anchored to the ground as a perfect solution so that they do not suffer any damage.
5. Be careful with everything textile: If your lawn chairs have removable fabric cushions, they should be removed, washed and air dried completely before the cushion is put back inside. If the cushions have a non-removable cover, another method will have to be used if they are to be cleaned. What’s more, for cushions with non-removable fabric, you should consider buying coverslips for their protection. Once all this process has been carried out, it would be convenient to keep them in a dry and protected place until the next season.

The possibilities to take care of the furniture are endless and have to do with the space of the garden or terrace and with the type of furniture; However, these five simple tips that can be done at the beginning of each season will serve to protect and restore the furniture, so that it can be enjoyed for years to come as if it had just been brought from the store.