Monthly Archives: October 2015

How Do You Know It’s Time to Store Your Outdoor Furniture? 5 Things You Should Know

Store Your Outdoor Furniture

Feeling a slight nip in the air? Are you actually having to put on a jacket now when you go outside in the morning?

Brace yourselves, winter is coming…and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. The time for outdoor parties is quickly coming to an end and you need to make sure that your outdoor furniture is able to survive until the next party season.

When you see the leaves start to fall and tank tops being replaced with long-sleeved shirts and hoodies, you know it’s time to get ready to store your outdoor furniture for winter. For many unfortunate procrastinators, winter is a death sentence to patio or backdoor furniture.

If you’ve spent the money to make your outdoor relaxation time as comfortable as possible, do yourself a favor and make your investment last by keeping these five tips in mind as you get your outdoor furniture ready for winter.

1. Pay attention to what your furniture is made of!

Is your outdoor furniture metal? If so, what kind of metal is it? Is it the kind of metal that rusts when it gets wet? Is it made of plastic or wood? Are there any glass attachments? Are your cushions made of waterproof acrylic or some other kind of material?

All these questions play a huge factor in how you store your outdoor chairs and tables. A rule that can be universally applied to all types of outdoor furniture is to store it in a clean, dry place. Here’s a small checklist that you can use to make sure your storage area is up to the challenge of winter:

Are there any water leaks?

Are there termites or other bugs?

Does the storage area have any mold already?

Are there flammable hazards?

Will it get so cold that it will cause plastic to crack?

Could anything fall and break glass?

2. “Water Resistant” doesn’t necessarily mean “Waterproof”

Over time, furniture that is designed to be waterproof can lose some of its water repelling qualities. Many types of wood furniture collections are either chemically treated to be water-resistant or have naturally occurring water-resistant properties. However, no matter what kind of wood your outdoor furniture is made of, water always has the potential to be absorbed, causing furniture to crack or erode from the inside.

Before you get ready to store your wood furniture for the winter, make sure you apply a water-repellent finish to it. Most professionals in the woodworking industry recommend a finish that is lacquer based because it adds to the richness of the wood, dries quickly, and is incredibly strong.

3. Ignoring rust spots is a HUGE mistake!

If rust spots are already starting to appear on your furniture, it’s important that you get rid of them before you store the furniture away for the winter. If you don’t, the rust will spread and cause structural damage that will make the furniture unsafe to use. Plus, let’s be honest, it looks terrible!

Grab your drill, make sure that it has a metal bristle brush attachment, and buff out those rust spots before they start to spread. Just before you store your metal furniture, prevent new rust from forming by applying a high-quality paste wax to all areas that could potentially rust. In addition to applying a paste wax, make sure your metal furniture is also covered during storage.

4. Don’t just ignore a crack

Has anyone ever told you to get that small crack in your windshield repaired before winter so that it doesn’t spread?

Apply the same logic to your plastic outdoor furniture. If you don’t take care of any small cracks right away before winter, they will just get larger and larger, eventually leading to the furniture being damaged beyond repair. So, how do you fix cracking in plastic outdoor furniture?

Some larger cracks just aren’t fixable and that’s life. But in the case of small cracking, applying an epoxy resin can work very well. Just spread the resin over the cracked areas, making sure that it is applied smoothly. After the resin is applied and hardens, you can sand it down to get rid of any unseemly bumps.

5. Glass needs extra special attention

Glass table tops can be a whole other beast to store on their own. The obvious reason is because they are more fragile than the rest of your outdoor dining pieces, but the most important thing that you need to remember when you are storing outdoor glass is to keep it covered in a warm place!

If you let glass sit in cold places for an extended period of time, it is much more susceptible to getting weak and shattering when it is finally taken out of storage. Keeping it covered not only keeps the glass from getting nicked and scraped by the everyday happenings of life, but it also gives it a much needed layer of insulation. If you have any extra blankets lying around that aren’t being used, wrap your glass table tops in them and secure them on with rope or bungee cords. Once it’s wrapped, make sure it is stored in an area where things won’t fall on it and there isn’t a threat of it rolling away or falling over.

Conclusion

You have two options when it’s time to store your outdoor furniture for the winter.

You can either let winter be your furniture’s demise and watch your investment go down the drain, or you can take the necessary steps now to make sure that it lasts for years to come. You didn’t invest your money into outdoor furniture to watch it rust, crack, mold, or wither away after using it for one season.

These five tips will help you not only keep your outdoor furniture longer, but enjoy it longer too.

9 Outdoor Decorating Ideas to Light Up Your Life This Fall

outdoor decorating ideas

As the temperatures drop, you may find yourself wandering outside in a cozy sweater trying to soak in autumn’s essence. And no one will blame you.

Fall is a wonderful time of year and it beckons many of us outside for the last few weeks of temperate weather before the snow begins to fall.

If you find yourself slinking outside to breathe in the falling leaves, you might want to add an extra level of magic to your outdoor space. These outdoor decorating ideas will help you add some simple lights to transform your backyard into an eerie asylum or rustic retreat, and you’ll get the most out of the space this fall.

1. Trade Bright Lights for Tea Lights

To add some ambiance to your patio, get rid of that harsh wall light and instead sprinkle the space with small tea lights. By spreading out the light source, instead of shining one bright spotlight, your space will glow warmly.

Because it can get windy in the fall, opt for battery-powered tea lights. They will last longer and you won’t have to worry about getting up to relight them every time the wind picks up.

2. Tinted String Lights Offer Variety

String lights, like those hung at Christmas, provide great ambient light, and they are designed to handle the weather so you don’t have to worry about wind and rain as the seasons change.

Trade out bright white or colored lights for tinted string lights. Brown or orange-tinted bulbs will give your patio a nice glow. String lights are easy to hang and they can go almost anywhere. Line them along a table, over the doorway, or on your overhang for some extra aminance in your outside space.

3. Try Flickering Candlesticks

To create some lighted accessories for your backyard, reach for LED candlesticks. You can easily make all kinds of cool arrangements with these and place them around your patio for a moody setting.

You can paint the candlesticks to have whimsical patterns in fall colors or be dark and spooky for a haunted backyard theme. Make sure the lights flicker for the added element of atmosphere that comes from a burning candle.

4. Intertwine Lighted Garland

To add extra ambiance to fall decorations you already have, wrap them with bendable lighted garland. The small lights add a twinkling effect to anything they’re around, which can complete your magical outdoor space.

Wrap the lighted garland around wreathes, other hanging lights, or your patio arbor for simple, yet elegant lighting that will completely change your backyard design.

5. Illuminate Your Space with Globe Lights

Globe lights add an eclectic feel to any backyard space. You can string them across the yard, along the house, or in between branches for a unique, quaint atmosphere.

To take your globe lights to the next level, get them orange tinted or surround them with paper lanterns. This will break up the light so that it is more muted, adding to your backyard’s ambiance.

6. Candles Galore

Although LED candles are great, nothing can emanate the warm glow of fire like real candles. Use a variety of sizes and colors to decorate your yard and gather them in clusters around the patio.

When you really want to illuminate your surroundings — perhaps for outdoor dining — light the candles and watch the shadows created by their light dance around the backyard. You can also put the candles in patterned tins or paper lanterns as party decorations or just for your own outdoor enjoyment.

7. Perfect Pumpkin Lanterns

Fully embrace the season by using its signature foods to help illuminate your backyard. Carved out pumpkins, or even gourds, with candles inside make for perfect decorations and offer a little bit of that signature orange light that characterizes autumn.

You don’t need to carve out scary faces to get the right effect. Simple patterns punched out with a screwdriver can create an attractive display that isn’t too focused on Halloween.

8. Add Creative Paper Lanterns

Create some additional ambiance by adding paper lanterns to your outdoor lights. White lanterns reflect the surrounding light, giving your patio a gentle glow. Or reach for colored lanterns that will add some tint to your outdoor space.

You can buy lanterns for fairly cheap, or build your own to get custom patterns and colors that match your outdoor decorations. To really capture the autumn atmosphere, choose colors that match the falling leaves like warm oranges, muted browns, and deep reds.

9. Utilize Bare Branches

To complete your autumn sanctuary, capitalize on classic fall features in nature. Falling leaves, autumn harvest, and bare branches are perfect companions to your fall lighting.

Bring the iconic look of leave-less branches into your autumn design by draping them with amber lights or pulsating candles in mason jars. The part spooky, part familiar essence of the bare trees will really make your backyard feel like fall.

Conclusion

Whichever of these outdoor decorating ideas you choose to for your backyard design, have fun with your fall decorations. Creating a special space in your backyard will make those cozy sweaters and warm cups of coffee that much more enjoyable.

Sources

http://www.lightsforalloccasions.com/c-263-thanksgiving-fall-lights.aspx

http://www.landscapelightingworld.com/landscape-lighting-project-ideas-fall-maintenance-a/346.htm

Host your own outdoor movie night

You are a big fan of going to the movies, but you want to get out and enjoy the pleasant weather that won't be around much longer. Instead of sitting in a dark, possibly crowded movie theater, take just a little time and set yourself up to host a movie night in your own backyard. You get to watch the film you've been itching to see, enjoy the outdoors and, best of all, it's in your own backyard. Here are a few things you should keep in mind as you prepare your home cinema:

Seating arrangements
You're going to have to plan this based on the number of guests you are expecting. If you're hosting your own version of date night, your seating needs will be much different than if you are inviting a few friends over. Either way, chaise lounges are comfortable options for your guests. Lounge chairs are excellent options for your outdoor movie seating because they give you the freedom to sit upright or sprawl out if you're so inclined. Make sure you set up your seating close enough to see everything happening in the film.

Projector and screen
The easiest way to bring a movie outside without bothering with the electrical setup that goes along with an entire television set is to utilize a projector. Even if you don't have one, they aren't terribly difficult to find. If you want to purchase one, head to your local electronics store or check online for cheaper options. Don't want to buy it? There are usually projector rental services available, sometimes even for free at your local library. For a screen, use a white bed sheet (with no wrinkles!) or a canvas painter's drop cloth. Hang it wherever it makes sense in your backyard, as long as there's a support or frame behind it. Against the house or against the fence are great choices.

Extra layers
Now that you've successfully made it outside to watch a movie, you're going to have to contend with the elements for the night. Bring extra jackets, hoodies and sweatshirts for starters. It's always a good idea to have a few blankets around in case it gets cold or windy.

Snacks!
Don't miss out on all of the tasty treats you usually get when you go to the theater. Pop some popcorn, grab your favorite candy and pour a tasty soda to go along with your flick.

Make Your Outdoor Furniture Last All Four Seasons

Purchasing high quality outdoor furniture is a year-round commitment. You wouldn’t expect a pool to just take care of itself throughout the year would you? So don’t expect your outdoor furniture to do it either. Unfortunately, many people don’t know where to start.

Luckily, we’ve come up with a short maintenance guide that you can use to keep your outdoor furniture looking and feeling great all year-round.

SPRING

The spring months are probably when you will use your patio furniture set the most. It’s not too hot, not too cold, and there’s plenty of sunshine to go around. However, one thing that spring does bring a lot of is rain, and rain can cause a lot of damage to wood and threaten metal-framed chairs and tables with rust.

To help your patio or backyard furniture make it through the storm, there are a few things you can do for your wood or metal frames.

Wood Frames – The biggest thing that you want to look out for is mildew. Mildew not only looks bad, but it can smell and if you’re not careful, it can ruin a wood frame over time. To protect your furniture, start by clearing off the mildew spores with a soft brush, so as not to damage the wood. Once the mildew is cleared off, wash the whole frame with a damp soft cloth then let it dry. Once the frame is dry, pick out a good synthetic resin water repellent that matches the color of the wood and apply it to the frame.

Metal Frames – Rust is the ultimate killer of all metal-framed outdoor furniture. Obviously, the best way to prevent rusting is to keep the furniture dry, which is why investing in good furniture covers is always a good idea. But what if rust has already gotten to your frame? The simplest method is by getting your hands dirty and scrubbing it out. Power drills often come with metallic bristle attachments designed for this kind of work. It’s important to remember when using the drill bristle to make sure you only use it over the rusted areas so that you don’t cause unnecessary damage to any other areas of the frame.

SUMMER

Summer is the season of outdoor barbecues and pool parties and as a result, your outdoor furniture will most likely be getting lots of use. Here are two really quick tips on how to make your summer parties more enjoyable and safe:

The thing about outdoor furniture protection that you have to remember during summer is that heat not only makes your outdoor chairs hot, but it makes you hot. When you’re hot, you sweat. When you sit in your chair, you sweat on your chair. When you sweat in your chair, it accumulates and…well…you can guess what accumulated sweat smells like.

So do yourself a favor, just like how you would clean off a bench at the gym after using it, clean off your outdoor chairs after using them in summer. No one wants a smelly barbecue.

Let’s be honest, not every outdoor chair has a high quality Sunbrella seat cover like RST Brands. So to help protect your seat covers from fading in the intense summer sun, you can either store them in shaded areas or invest in furniture covers to protect them while they aren’t being used. You bought the furniture because you liked the way it looked, so keep it that way.

FALL

Fall is the awkward stage of the year for outdoor furniture.

“Do I use it still?” “Is it too cold outside?” “Does it look like it’s going to snow?”

Instead of just letting your furniture sit awkwardly outside during the autumn months, treat fall like the ultimate maintenance period. Oil those hinges. Buff out the last little bits of rust that have accumulated throughout the year. Apply that final coat of resin to keep it water tight and safe for the upcoming winter.

One thing that outdoor furniture can be used for in the fall is gathering around a fire pit with friends to enjoy the last few weeks of cooler weather before the extreme cold of winter hits. In that case, fire safety is an important thing to keep in mind. Remember these outdoor fireplace safety tips:

Sometimes, the resin on wooden frames can be VERY flammable, so don’t park your chair too close to open flames.

Metal gets hot! I know it’s obvious, but some people need to be reminded every now and then. Don’t be that person that ends up with a burn scar the width of your outdoor chair metal frame because you sat way too close to a fire for too long.

Some chair covers are plastic based and when heated, they can melt to skin pretty quickly.

Falling leaves are dry, flammable, and capable of spreading flames everywhere.

If you practice common sense both with yourself and your outdoor furniture, fall can be a very enjoyable time of year. Just remember to be safe.

WINTER

The only thing that comes to most people’s minds during winter, when it comes to outdoor furniture, is storing it. Storage for your backyard or patio furniture during the winter months is just as important as regular maintenance is during the spring and summer. When getting your furniture ready for storage, remember:

Make sure your storage area stays dry throughout the year. That way you can avoid rust, mold, and mildew. Get it clean first, especially your cushions. Proper cleaning before storing can reduce the chance of mold growth.

If you’re using outdoor furniture covers, make sure they are fastened COMPLETELY. The last thing you want is to have water leaking all winter and potentially ruining your frames.

Hopefully this helps! Remember, purchasing backyard furniture is a commitment just like any other household purchase, but it’s a commitment that can make your relaxing time at home all the more enjoyable.