When choosing outdoor furniture for a garden room, outdoor kitchen, or multi-level deck, some consumers prefer quality tables, chairs, and assorted pieces that become an investment to protect. Quality furniture in good condition with good bracing can be refurbished at a substantial savings over replacing it, while less-costly furniture may be refurbished to avoid adding to the growing waste stream. In either case, the best way to keep outdoor furniture looking its best is regular maintenance. Outdoor furniture comes in many materials, from exotic woods to metals to recycled high-density polyethylene to plastic, so check the guide that accompanied your purchase for specific care for the individual product. Most importantly, keep it clean. Immediately wipe up spills or deposits. Exposure to the sun, rain, pool, suntan lotions and body oils, and the outdoor casual lifestyle eventually take their toll on much furniture. The vinyl strapping on chairs and lounges eventually fade, crack, and break.
Slings might rip or discolor. When it comes to repairing or replacing materials or parts, there are options. Replacement parts are available that include anything from vinyl strapping to tires, custom-made slings to end caps, even chair glides to keep bare metal ends from scratching decks. Chair Care Patio, based in Dallas, is one business that caters to those caring for their outdoor furniture. “Most people are not aware that they can refurbish their lawn furniture,” says Lelia Brown. “Before I came to work here, I threw away a chair because I did not know you could replace the sling.” Brown says Chair Care Patio is both a traditional business that offers patio furniture repair and refinishing at its Texas store and a web-based parts and materials business. Brown says the web-based portion of the business has grown astronomically. Through do-it-yourself instructions on supplier websites, such as Chair Care Patio’s, customers can learn how to measure, cut, and install using common vinyl strap installation methods such as single wrap, double wrap, or slotted conversion.
A fresh coat of stain or paint can work wonders updating outdoor furniture. For wrought iron, touch it up with a rust-resistant primer, such as Rustoleum’s, whenever bare metal is exposed and it can look good for years. But if the rust has spread, consider having the piece sandblasted and powder-coated for a new look. Aluminum furniture will resist rust but is subject to pitting that can dull the metal. Wash it frequently and wax it with automobile wax to keep it in good condition. Most wood outdoor furniture will benefit from a mild scrubbing and rinsing at the start and finish of each season. Many pieces also work best with an annual sanding and a fresh coat of a protectant, such as a good outdoor varnish, to prevent drying or cracking. Maintenance will vary with the wood type. Today’s wicker furniture comes in both natural and synthetic. Organic natural wicker is best kept for short uses outside and in the shade. Its synthetic cousin of vinyl or resin better handles exposure.
Rinse and scrub away dirt to keep a good-looking synthetic wicker surface. Bamboo, another popular natural material, is fine on a covered porch or deck but tends to split and separate if left out to weather. Keep it looking good by bringing it inside when not in use. Putting a new face on plastic furniture has had its problems. It’s easy to scratch the surface when trying to clean it. Applying paint often results in a coating that beads up or peels away after it dries. Instead of sending a good but faded piece of plastic furniture to the landfill, there are options. Krylon® Fusion for Plastic® is one. This is a no-prep, super-bond paint that works on most plastics as well as several other surfaces. Available in a variety of colors as well as “textured shimmer” shades and a clear “Mystic Prism Effect,” it is dry to the touch in 15 minutes or less and cures to full chip resistance after seven days. Keep cushions, pillows and other fabrics clean and fresh-smelling and -looking.
Mold or mildew can set in older cotton-batting fillings. Fabric colors can fade. Among the options to consider are a fabric-protecting spray finish, such as Krylon’s Outdoor Spaces® UV Fabric Protector. It can be used on canvas and everything from tents to table napkins to keep colors or patterns looking good longer and it repels water. Another option is to replace faded and smelly cushions and pillows with upgraded items. New fabrics include Sunbrella® that is made from acrylic fiber that resists sunlight, mildew and rot and is coated with a soil- and stain-resistant finish for easy cleanup. New cushions can be filled with high-density, all-weather foam or fiber filling. If the cushions have zippers, remove the core for cleaning or replacement. Care and recycling tips for outdoor furniture Dust furniture before washing in a solution of mild detergent and water. Avoid using ground water that may contain sulfur, iron oxide or other minerals that can stain the furniture.
Rinse and dry thoroughly.In the realm of floor care, a lot of attention is placed on protecting floors against outside contaminants and making sure everyone in the home is aware of good floor-friendly habits. Sometimes, furniture and chair legs can get overlooked as potential sources of floor damage. Unprotected furniture and chair legs can still grind grit and debris into your floor’s finish. Greater concern for scratches and gouges comes from heavier pieces of furniture. For another added layer of hardwood floor protection, chairs and furniture legs need to be made more floor-friendly. A popular form of chair leg protection is the chair glide or furniture pad. Quite simply, these are pads made of different types of material that are put on the bottoms of your chair legs. There are different types of chair glides, each offering different levels of cost and protection.These types of pads are very secure since they are attached to the furniture leg with either a small nail or screw.
Tap-on pads use different materials to make contact with your floor, depending on your floor type. Care should be used with tap-on pads because if they are not properly installed, the nail or screw may be exposed to harm your floor.These are peel and stick pads that can be found almost everywhere. They are typically made of felt or rubber and are the least expensive. However, the adhesive on these pads won’t last as long as tap-on or slip-on pads.These pads are made to fit over a chair leg and are often made of rubber or soft plastic. These won’t have a problem of falling off like a self-adhesive pad or have the potential to scratch your floor like a broken tap-on pad. While most chair glides and furniture pads are sold as universal pads for all floor types, some consideration is needed for the floor type you have. Common materials to make chair glides and furniture pads are felt, rubber, cork, plastic and metal. Be especially careful with chair glides since they are made to help furniture move on the floor.
Choosing the wrong material with chair glides can lead to floor damage.A harder material like steel or plastic work best. Hard Floors (hardwood, ceramic tile). Felt and rubber work best. If using rubber, be weary of potential scuff marks. Make sure the felt is thick enough for even heavy furniture. Soft floors (vinyl, rubber). Felt, rubber and plastic work best. Just like foot traffic, how often your furniture moves will play a part in choosing the right type of furniture pad or chair glide. For heavy pieces of furniture that won’t be moved at all, you have a wider range of furniture pads to choose from. Thick pieces of felt or rubber work well with heavy furniture. In dining rooms or kitchens, you will have high furniture traffic, so choosing a felt pad can be a good option. Plastic pads or glides will wear down over time, so be sure to check the life of your chair glides periodically. Depending on your kitchen floor, rubber might need to be avoided for scuff marks.
In family rooms with couches and sofas, consider how hard the furniture will be treated. Will kids jump on the couch, or will you plop down in your favorite chair after a long day of work? These types of actions will cause small movements, so choose your furniture pad wisely. A rubber pad can do well in this scenario since it will help to restrict furniture movement. While chair glides and furniture pads can be purchased at your local home improvement store, other options are available if you want to minimize cost and make your own. Here are some DIY solutions that can help if you have these materials lying around. For all of these options, a hot glue gun is a great way to make sure that these materials won’t slip or fall off your furniture.Old scraps of carpet can be cut and placed on furniture legs. Make sure these pads are installed with the carpet-side touching the floor.While felt furniture pads can be store-bought, any thick felt will do nicely. Cut the felt into the appropriate size and glue on.
If you have industrial grade Velcro, use the soft side of the Velcro (looped side) as an effective furniture pad.Old towels can be cut into pads, making sure they are of appropriate thickness.Tennis balls that are slightly cut open can make good DIY slip-on pads if you don’t mind how they look on your floors.Leather is another soft, durable material that can be made into a good furniture pad. Regardless of which type of pad you buy or make, make sure that your furniture is level on the floor. If it’s not, it can scratch the finish or make gouges on your floors. Also, be sure to maintain a good cleaning routine to make sure your floors are clean and dirt-free. No matter how durable your furniture pads are, they won’t protect properly if your floors are dirty. For more tips on how to clean your floors properly, be sure to read our cleaning guides. Also, we provide strong hardwood floor finishes and cleaners that will help make your floors beautiful and well protected.