Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

Labor Day has come and gone; and, in its wake, it has left millions of people shaking their heads – as they do every year – and wondering how summer managed to slip away so quickly.  In many regions, there are also those who are mourning the passing of the season, as it means that they’ll soon be moving patio furniture, picnic tables, and grills into their sheds until next spring.

Naturally, these items won’t have to be tucked away under outdoor furniture covers just yet, as there’s still plenty of fair weather left, even in areas where the winters are harsh.  Moreover, those who live where it’s always warm can use their outdoor furniture all year long, as can people who have enclosed porches, patios, gazebos, and sunrooms.  Truly, the latter group is growing larger every year, as folks are becoming increasingly unwilling to give up outdoor living.

Of course, they want to be able to decorate these living spaces as meticulously and fashionably as their other indoor rooms.  That’s why today’s outdoor furniture comes in materials, styles, and colors that will complement any motif; and why it’s also as versatile and comfortable as indoor furniture.  In fact, when you’re furnishing your indoor/outdoor living room – or kitchen, or bedroom – you may even find that patio furniture offers more choices.

Take, for example, the basic chair.  Sure, there was a time when the patio chair bore little resemblance to the one in the living room.  Often made with a flimsy aluminum frame, and stiff, woven plastic strips, it barely had the strength to last for more than one season.  Modern porch chairs, on the other hand, are solidly constructed from a variety of materials, including cedar, pine, oak, cypress, teak, cherry, vinyl, aluminum, cast iron, synthetic wicker, and polywood.  They are also available in dozens of colors and styles, and can be topped with outdoor furniture cushions in scores of colors and patterns.

When you’re trying to find the equivalent of a couch, the outdoor sofa actually comes out ahead of its indoor counterpart.   After all, besides a stationary outdoor sofa, you have the option of selecting a garden bench, porch swing, glider, face-to-face glider, or outdoor settee, which also come in a wide range of materials and colors.  This goes for outdoor loveseats, too.

Certainly, you’ll also want a rocker; inside or out, it’s a universal favorite.  As a matter of fact, most people have rockers that they have cherished for years; and, in many cases, these rocking chairs have been in their families for generations.  Fortunately, contemporary outdoor rocking chairs are not only as comfortable – and comforting – as the old-fashioned ones, but they are durable enough to become heirlooms as well.  What’s more, if you’re not satisfied with an outdoor rocker for one, you can get an outdoor rocking bench.

Of course, no room, of any description, is completely furnished until it has a place where you can rest your feet.  That’s no problem, either, because, these days, you can find ottomans in materials, styles, and colors, to match any piece of outdoor furniture.

Hmm.  I wonder if I’m alone in feeling that the plural of ottoman should be ottomen.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: face-to-face glider, garden bench, Gazebos, grills, orroman, Outdoor Furniture, Outdoor Furniture Covers, outdoor furniture cushions, outdoor rocking chairs, outdoor settee, outdoor sofa, patio chair, patio furniture, picnic tables, porch chair, porch glider, porch swing, rockers, rocking chairs, Sunrooms

Because wood patio furniture is more susceptible to damage than other types, such as polywood and aluminum, it’s more likely to end the season with some scratches, chips, gouges, and even burn marks.  Fortunately, you will often be able to fix such afflictions, or, at least, hide them.

Before you attempt any repairs, however, clean the porch swing, patio table, Adirondack chair, or whatever the injured party happens to be.  Start by using a soft, dry brush, to remove dirt, dust, and debris; then smooth out scratches and chips with sandpaper.

Although it’s best to use a product that’s specified as a wood wash, you can clean most outdoor wood furniture with very mild soap diluted in lukewarm water.  Dip a sponge into the mixture, wring out the excess, and gently wipe the surface.  Then, rinse it, blot it with a towel, and allow it to dry thoroughly in the sun before you operate on it.

Superficial scratches are pretty easy to handle, as there are several products made to cover them.  Many solutions can also be found in things that you may already have in your home.  Of course, some of them may sound a bit nutty; for example, you can often rub out a scratch with a pecan (or another nut that has a high oil content), a dab of peanut butter, or olive or vegetable oil.

Another pantry item that can rescue dark wood outdoor furniture is coffee.  Mix one teaspoon of the instant variety with one tablespoon of vegetable oil or water, and work it in gently with a soft rag.  This method can be very successful; but don’t use it on shellac, or antique wood.

Other things that can work well, but which should be tested on inconspicuous spots, are iodine (on reddish finishes, such as mahogany), and liquid and paste shoe polishes.  You can also use felt-tipped markers and softened crayons, and, if necessary, mix their colors to match the wood on your outdoor settee, loveseat, accent table, or whatever you’re mending.

You may be able to fix gouges on outdoor wood furniture with a furniture filler stick, made of wax or putty, and some dark furniture wax, which you’ll find at a wood-finishing supply store.  After cleaning the area with mineral spirits, apply a filler stick that matches the lightest shade of the wood, and then smooth it with a small piece of wood.

Next, buff it gently with superfine steel wool, and then use the dark furniture wax to even out the color.  Because this is a soft filler, it works best on outdoor table legs, the backs of patio chairs, and other parts of outdoor furniture that are not as heavily put-upon as tabletops.

To apply a harder fill, you’ll need a shellac stick, matched to the finish, some superfine, wet/dry sandpaper, mineral oil, alcohol, and a grapefruit knife, or a curved burn-in knife from a supply store.  Apply the shellac by (repeatedly) heating the knife, then pressing it against the stick, to make it melt and drip slowly into the hole.  When it’s filled to just above the surface, smooth it with the knife, and let it cool.  Then, even out the spot carefully with sandpaper and some mineral oil, and use the alcohol to remove the excess shellac.

Because this technique requires a little more skill, you should practice on a piece of junk furniture or scrap wood before trying it.  After all, you don’t want anyone giving you a bunch of shellac for ruining a good porch chair.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: adirondack chair, Outdoor Furniture, outdoor settee, outdoor table, outdoor wood furniture, patio chairs, patio table, porch swing, wood outdoor furniture, wood patio furniture