how to clean patio furniture

What Type of Garden Furniture is Best?

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Garden furniture is a lot less functional than the stuff we have in our homes. It doesn't get used as much so it doesn't have to be as comfortable. You can compromise a little on chairs and tables as opting for smaller furniture is fine when you'll only be using it a short while during the summer months. As with indoor furniture, you still need to consider your space and how much of it you want to be occupied by the garden furniture. Unlike indoor furniture, you need to consider maintaining the garden furniture as it's exposed to all weather.

Wood Furniture

If you opt for wood furniture, you'll buy tables and chairs that fit in with all surroundings because they can be finished to match. Wooden furniture is normally light enough to move around when you want to rearrange the garden or if you want to store them in the garage but wood furniture also requires maintenance as it'll need occasional coating or oiling to keep it as good as new.

Metal Furniture

As with wooden furniture you'll have to think about maintaining the latest additions to your garden. Paint chips off metal objects over time, it wears away too and rust can develop thanks to the weather so you'll need to make sure you take care of your furniture with a mild soap solution that's scrubbed over the surface. You should also remove stains, mold or rust with some fine sandpaper before applying touch-up paint in several very thin layers.

What to Buy?

Remember this is a product you don't buy very often so do your research and don't automatically think of renewing what you have in the garden like for like. You might want to free up some space by opting for a smaller table and set of chairs. Perhaps a foldable sun lounger that changes from a chair to a bed would be better than buying a chair to enjoy the summer's sun? You don't need a pool to enjoy one of those chairs.

Price

It's tempting to go for the cheapest option because you won't be using the garden furniture for long but that's not always the best way to go. You need to buy quality furniture that will last but you shouldn't go for the most extravagant set either. As with most purchases, the sensible money is spent in the middle of the marketplace where high quality and affordable prices make the buying decision an easy one for most of us.

Ask for Help

The biggest mistake that shoppers make every day is to think they know best. In most cases, the people selling the furniture know more than you do and will be willing to offer the benefit of their experience and expertise if asked. Remember that this is a product you buy very rarely. You will have carried out a ton of research online but you'll learn more through a conversation with someone in the know than you can get from the web because you'll be able to focus on your needs rather than taking general advice.