Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

As we march toward March, cabin fever is at fever pitch for those of us who live in areas where winter is winter.  With spring about to spring, we long for the long, sunny days, when we can garden in our gardens, plant plants, and picnic at our picnic tables.  Now, those in frozen regions may say that things won’t melt ‘til Memorial Day; but, land agoshen, that’s a scary notion!  All of this cold has really gotten old, and May may be too long a way away to wait.

Of course, if you live in a warm climate, you don’t have to worry about winter; and if you have an enclosed porch, sunroom, or gazebo, at least, you can use your patio furniture all year long.  Otherwise, relax in the knowledge that spring is but a few weeks away, and get your outdoor furniture ready.  Make sure that it’s up to another season of heavy use and abuse, especially if it’s old and worn.

You may have a faded favorite that holds cherished memories of family gatherings, and has held cherished family members who are no longer around.  It’s well broken in, and, perhaps, broken down; but you still don’t want to part with it.  However, if any piece of porch furniture is questionable, safety-wise, you’ll have to decide whether or not it can – or should – be repaired.  For example, an old rocker that’s off its rocker, and has to be propped against a wall to be kept upright, is a lost cause; but a porch chair with a loose rung or two may just need a bit of glue.

Before you take the patio chair apart, make sure that you will remember which pieces fit where, by stretching a length of masking tape from the leg to the end of the rung that goes into it, and labeling it with corresponding letters or numbers at each end.  When you pull the rung out of the leg, just tear the tape in two, so that you can simply match ‘A’ to ‘A’ or ‘1’ to ‘1’ when putting it back together.  The masking tape should peel off easily, without damaging the finish; but if you’re unsure, either test an inconspicuous area, or use painter’s tape.

Loosen and remove the old glue by brushing hot vinegar onto the joints.  This should work in only a few minutes, but if the old glue is very thick, it may take up to an hour to completely dissolve the build-up.  Get all of the old glue off, or the new glue won’t attach properly to the wood fibers.  White or yellow wood glue will work beautifully; epoxy or permanent glue will ensure that your outdoor furniture will never come apart again.

Don’t use nails or brackets to put the patio chair back together; and use screws only if they were there in the first place.  To make certain that everything sets properly, clamp the joints together until the glue dries thoroughly.

Indeed, sometimes, the sentimental value of an old patio chair or porch swing makes it well worth the effort it takes to fix it.  And sometimes, the comic value of something like, say, that backward-tipping rocking chair, makes it priceless to keep around, even if it’s irreparable.  I know I’ve had some real laughs with mine!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: gazebo, Outdoor Furniture, patio chair, patio furniture, picnic tables, porch chair, porch furniture, porch swing, rocking chair, sunroom