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.Chalky finish paint is an ultra-matte finish paint that’s getting a lot of attention from designers and DIYers. This is not chalkboard paint, by the way. That’s something totally different. Chalky paint is made for giving furniture or decorative pieces a high-end, professional finish. The Home Depot’s Americana® Decor™ chalky finish paint is great for giving new life to old pieces you might find at a flea market, or giving a luxe look to discount store furniture. We wanted to find out what DIYers could do with our chalky paint. So we sent Americana Decor chalky finish paint to some of our favorite home improvement bloggers for our Paint Style Challenge. Gwen Hefner is the creative mind behind The Makerista. She used The Home Depot’s chalky paint to rescue an old homeless chair she found. She shares a few tips on using the chalky finish paint to its full effect. I’ve heard so much about chalky paint and been curious to try some myself, so I was thrilled when The Home Depot sent me a box of chalky finish paint to put to the test.
As any good thrifter and DIYer, I had a large collection of projects stacking up (much to my husband’s chagrin) and several of them got a fresh coat of paint thanks to the samples I received. I opened the box to find quite the array of colors to choose from. They were all really lovely, but I thought it might be fun to mix two of them for something a bit different. I’ve been seeing plum in fashion a lot lately and traces of it in the fall leaves the last few weeks. Mixing the Romance and Treasure colors together created a nice, saturated result; so I filled a cup with 1 part Romance and 1 part Treasure and mixed it well with a spoon. I found this chair on the side of the road a few months ago, and had already given it some white primer, originally thinking I would do something lighter with the finish. I’ve read great things about the staying power and coverage of chalk paint. I figured a dark, rich color over a white primer would really test those claims. The first coat showed a lot of the primer, but that’s pretty normal with any paint.
As it dried, it did start to smooth out. And after two coats I had complete coverage and this pretty finish with lots of character. I thought some wax would add another dimension to the piece, so I tested out the Brown Creme Wax on a scrap piece of wood and liked the results. The key here was to not use too much. I gently used the wax brush and brushed in the direction of the paint’s brushstrokes, then let it dry for about 30 minutes. Then I took a rag and buffed the finish a bit, helping to remove any excess wax. I came back in with my sanding block and lightly took some of the wax off to bring back touches of the original color. I’m really happy with the end result. The color is rich and sophisticated, yet the matte finish feels relaxed. The wax and paint strokes add depth and character. I topped off the chair with some lilac ikat fabric. You can find a tutorial on simple bench and chair upholstery on my blog. Along with the chair, I added some of the Carbon color to the base of a dresser I just refinished and a Beethoven bust I snagged for 10¢ at an estate sale.