Making the Outdoors Great

Summer is right around the corner and more people are looking to utilize their unused outdoor spaces. It’s easier than you might think to turn your blank slate into a beautiful outdoor room that you and your family can enjoy year-round.

When looking for outdoor furniture consider these things:

Measure, Budget and Plan
Measure your area and reflect on how you will use this space once it’s complete. Is this an area for large parties or relaxing reading? How you use the space can help determine what furniture you will need.

Materials
Metals
Steel rusts but aluminum doesn’t. Look for aluminum with paint that is applied with an electrostatic finish.

(What is an electrostatic painting? It’s a powder coating that uses electrically charged powders to paint metal objects. Once painted, the object is baked at up to 500°F to create a hard shell that is incredibly durable (it resists chipping and peeling). This method produces mirror-smooth finishes without runs, sags, bubbles and drips that occur with traditional painting methods. The process is also Eco-friendly since it doesn’t use any solvents that can evaporate or contaminate drainage water.)

Wicker
Synthetic wicker is superior to natural wicker when it comes to outdoor furniture. You want wicker that has high quality vinyl or poly-resins treated with UV inhibitors.

Fabrics
Make sure the fabrics are truly designed for outdoor use – that they are UV tested and made of materials that let water drain through. Find out what the cushions are stuffed with – you want Dacron, Dacron wrapped foam, reticulated foam or waterproof liners. These materials help wet cushions drain, preventing mildew.

Construction
Also look for full circumference welds when shopping for outdoor furniture.

(Full circumference welds run the full circumference of the tube, providing superior strength over spot welding. These welds will be even and extend completely around the joint to fortify its strength.)

Style and Comfort
You may think it’s common sense, but make sure that the furniture you choose is comfortable! Are you drawn to the style? Does it fit into your vision of your ideal backyard retreat? You have to make sure to balance comfort and style. There is a huge range of comfortable styles out there to choose from.

Keep the Elements in Mind
Consider the amount of sunlight you will receive and whether or not you will need an umbrella to shield you from the light. Also think about the winter months and ask yourself if you will need to store some of the furniture, or buy covers for it.

Ask About Cleaning
Once you’ve purchased your outdoor furniture, be sure to ask your sales person what the best way to clean your furniture is. You want to take good care of your investment so that it can last for the long haul.

The items pictured above are just a sampling of the assortment of outdoor furniture carried by Star Furniture, to see more visit: http://tinyurl.com/c2m9yaf and follow us on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/StarFurniture/

 

Tagged as: comfort, dacron, electrostatic finish, full circumference welds, furniture, metals, outdoor, outdoor design, outdoor furniture, outdoor living, style, summer, wicker