Metal Garden Furniture

Metal as the material for garden furniture has a long history in the UK.

However most older furniture was made of cast iron and would readily rust and require treatment.

Usually a wire brush and rust treatment along with hours of painting would be the norm in Spring for the trusty metal furniture owner.

With the advent of Aluminium garden furniture the situation was much improved.

Aluminium does oxidize leaving chalky white deposits but needs little or no maintenance compared with iron made furniture.

Aluminium garden furniture has other advantages as well as not turning your patio brown.

It is light weight and easily moved to a more sunnier position.

It is much more affordable than say Teak and will last a long time.

I should mention that it does matter about the quality of the furniture set you buy.

I have many people say to me for both metal and wooden garden furniture, "I bought my set from …. and it was only £…. and was great the first year. But when I went to it the following spring it just fell apart.

You should also be aware on the cheaper versions of garden furniture the metal is hollow and water can find it’s way into the tubes.

You may end up with a cold wet surprise when moving your furniture!  

Metal Garden Furniture Best Buys   

I think the four best companies for metal garden furniture are Li-Lo leisure, A-MIR, Ascalon’s and Marvells.

Li-Lo Leisure



Li-Lo supply some really excellent quality furniture, you will find them stocked in the likes of Asda.

We have just started dealing with them.

They have a massive range far to many to show in this article.

I will be adding information to the supplier database when I have time, but I would say for quality and value they qualify as a best buy.

A-MIR 



Based in Birmingham they have been trading for many years and have a huge range in most of the multiples.

You can see the high quality powder coated finish on the Eclipse range which has a full range of furniture sets and benches and loungers in the same style.

Ascalon



The furniture from Ascalon would be great on a patio or in a conservatory, it has a beautiful style of it’s own.

It reminds me of shabby chic or antique furniture.

There is a large range from bistro sets to Arbours and benches. If you don’t like modern furniture and you want a more stylish classic look then they are worth considering.

Marvells



Marvells started with some beautiful art deco wall art and mirrors etc.

There site www.marvells.com is a veritable wonderland for all sorts of cool stuff.

They have started stocking some good looking garden furniture sets, the best being below.

I would say "watch this space" with Marvell’s I think they are going to be big in the next few years.

Garden Furniture is an integral part of the modern garden landscape, when landscaping it is as important a consideration as a plant, gardening scheme or lawn.

There are many types of garden furniture so before you start that project or visit a plant nursery lets have a look into landscaping and how to blend the style of your garden furniture into your garden and create a outdoor living area to be proud of.

The first area to consider when landscaping your garden and considering furniture for outdoor use is whether you intend to have a formal patio area.

If you are designing a functional garden in which you wish to entertain or dine then a paved patio area is best.

There is something very enjoyable about having people around for dinner, however the dining is all the better when eating outdoors .

Teak table and chairs are the top range option as they will last a life time although they are out of most peoples price range if you are looking for good value Teak then Oiled Teak is a good option.

If you are buying an outdoor dining set then similar considerations should be given as when buying sofas, desks or chairs for your living room.

The material that the furniture is made of is important, Wicker or Rattan is great for conservatories, patio’s or around a pool. The sets usually come with cushions and can be left outdoors (not the cushions). I think the wicker in black white or brown goes well with the ceramic tiles of a conservatory or pool.If you intend to have garden structures such as climbing frames arbours and pergolas then wooden garden furniture would suit best.

Hardwood is the most popular which keruing is the Mahogany of garden furniture and would suit the colour of most other garden structures.

Using wood in the garden both compliments planting and co-ordinates the natural look of the garden with the absence of metal.

Teak looks good in both modern and formal areas, the unmistakable elegance and silvery appearance suits most landscape themes. I would recommend thought on the purchase of Teak as it is expensive but also if you wish to co-ordinate your furniture and or example buy benches and loungers then the cost will mount considerably.

If you want to create an old world theme then Ascalons or Marvell’s ornate aluminium furniture is ideal. You can now co-ordinate this look with loungers arbours and benches.Modern metal furniture is also great for conservatories, pools and patios, with the benefit of the fantastic price as well.

When designing your landscape project it is important to remember the size and material of your chosen garden furniture. The set should fit the size of your patio and not overwhelm it. Ensure the colour and materials match the colour and finish of your patio area. Finally, the planting scheme should not impinge or clash with the dining area.

www.peakgardencentres.co.uk

Garden furniture Outdoor patio Furniture Choices

Patio furniture has come a long way from the green plastic resin chairs of old.

There is a world of choice in the market and many fine pieces of furniture.

We can separate the categories into five main types.

1) We have traditional wood furniture.

2) We have metal patio furniture.

3) Rattan or wicker furniture.

4) Plastic resin furniture.

5) Ceramic or concrete furniture.

I will be publishing articles on all the above in turn, first up wooden Garden Furniture.

1) Wooden Garden Patio Furniture

Wooden outdoor furniture has been widely used for years, either for dining sets or generally for garden furniture such as benches, hammocks and planters.

The wood used has primarily been hardwood although tanalised Pine is popular in the Swiss designs.

The best and of course most expensive is Teak which mainly comes from Indonesia.

Teak is graded, grade A is the highest quality.

Most people agree that Teak can be left untreated and will mellow to lovely silver grey over the years.

Most other grades of Teak will be supplied pre oiled, the furniture will last just as long if you treat regularly. The reason for the lower grade is that the wood will have defects in and grain anomalies, apart from that the lower grade Teak can sometimes not be kiln dried.

Other woods are used for garden furniture include Keruing, Acacia, Rose wood and Juniper.

Keruing is a good solid hardwood that will last up to 25 years. Great for outdoor dining furniture and bistros, a trend at the moment is to have a Keruing frame on a chair with textilene back and bottom for comfort.

You can also find steamers, loungers, picnic tables and benches in Keruing all in all it is a very hard wearing heavy set wood ideal for outdoor furniture.

Acacia is becoming popular as it is better value for money.

A MIR has developed a major range in Acacia. The only thing to watch for is that it is plantation Acacia, as there has been a problem with lower quality wood that has not been properly dried.

That aside you can buy an Acacia dining set, 4 chairs and a table for under £100, which is a bargain.

Rosewood is fantastic but only if you have deep pockets as dining sets can set you back £2/3000 a time.

Juniper is mostly used for the pole of wooden parasols but still is a good solid wood and will last years outside with proper maintenance. In the next article I will look at metal garden furniture and how it has developed into a vast array of styles.

Author: Julian Wood www.peakgardencentres.co.uk