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

The exterior of the home is as important as the interior and one should devote equal attention while designing and planning the whole set up of the house. To quite an extent, doing interiors of the house is comparably easy than doing the exteriors as every place inside the house has a significant importance and purpose and it is designed keeping in mind its purpose and utility. But the exterior is something where one has to show his complete creativity in order to make his house stand apart from others. There is no such fixed style or furniture that one can specifically place to provide a decent look to the exterior of the house. In order to provide a unique look to one’s house, outdoor furniture plays a vital role, where one can show his creative talent and come out with some different ideas.

Few things should be kept in mind while purchasing outdoor furniture as it has to be placed in an open area where it will be more prone to bad weather conditions, dust, scratches and ugly scrapes. Keeping these things in mind one should opt for good quality wooden outdoor furniture as it is considered as durable yet stylish. Outdoor furniture should be made of quality wood that should be durable and weather resistant so that it lasts longer. Proper care and maintenance of outdoor wooden furniture will increase its life. Outdoor wood furniture not just adds elegance to one house but it also provides a comfy space to spend your some time with your family on holidays. Wood outdoor furniture will not only provide one with the style but it will also help to spend some quality time with family in your garden or lawn.

As far as quality of wood is considered, the teak wood has been the preferred wood for generations and especially when it is the matter of outdoor furniture where the durability and longevity of the furniture is required. Teak wood not only provides durability and long life but also gives elegant and stylish look to the exterior. However, it contains natural oil and silica sand and hence it is impervious to insects and wood rot. It is due to these substances that teak wood is able to maintain its shine and luster for years, leaving the furniture seamless and maintenance free. Outdoor wooden furniture such as umbrellas, arches, mini tables, lounge chair, swing, gliders and benches made of teak wood are quite commonly used in most of the house to provide a classy look to the house.