Imagine this You're hungry. You've got your food, your cold drink, and the weather's beautiful, and you want to eat outside. But wait you have no furniture outside. You sit on the ground, and it goes downhill from there. Your white pants get dirty, and the grass stains are probably going to bepermanent. That nest of biting ants you sat on is not contributing much to your sense of well being, either. No doubt you can see the value of sitting on something more civilized. That's where patio dining sets come in. They are made from three typical categories of material: metal, plastic and wood.
Wood is great looking, and very durable. It is no surprise that a lot of outdoor furniture made of wood, considering it is charm and practicality as a construction material. If wood conjures mental pictures of your dad's old pine do-it-yourself picnic table, or your mom's rattan patio tables, and how quickly they fell apart when exposed to the elements, think again.
There are many excellent, beautiful hardwoods that can make an excellent building material. Forget pine, oak or natural wicker, for outdoor furniture, they won't stand up to the weather and the sun. Teak, eucalyptus or cedar will.
Teak is the jewel in the crown of outdoor furniture woods. It is extremely durable. So durable, in fact, that it was the shipbuilding material of choice in the days of the clipper ships. Teak patio tables can outlive their owners-teak lasts up to one hundred years. It weathers from a warm orangey medium brown to a rich silvery gray.
Keep your teak looking good and fresh by applying coating to protect it once a year (or twice in particularly humid climates). Natural teak oil works well, and even deters termites. Be aware that as a rare, rain-forest wood, you should only buy teak with a stamp from the Forest Stewardship Council. The only real negative of teak is its cost, with five piece patio dining sets ranging from $900 to $3,000 in price, normally.
Less pricey woods, like cedar or eucalyptus, may last nearly as long as teak when treated with a water-based acrylic sealant. Prices range from $325 to $1,000 for eucalyptus. A yearly coat of protective oil helps cedar to hold out for about twenty years or so. Pay attention to how wooden outdoor furniture is put together-avoid the ones with cheap glue and staple joinery and look for sturdy dovetail or mortise and tenon joints.
If you purchase wrought iron outdoor furniture, make sure it is powder coated rather than painted with cheap spray paint, as it will make for patio dining sets that are less likely to rust. You still have to maintain it though, and should keep some paint handy for touchups. Buy it when you buy the outdoor furniture to ensure that the color matches. Aluminum cost the same as wrought iron but resists rust, and aluminum patio dining sets are easier to carry than wrought iron. They, too, are available in almost any style you can imagine.
Consider only powder-coated wrought iron. This means that the outdoor furniture is sprayed with ground pigment resin to protect it from rust. Even so, your wrought iron can rust if it isn't maintained correctly. Luckily, paint for touching up your outdoor furniture is widely available.
Aluminum patio dining sets are no more expensive than wrought iron, but are entirely rust resistant. Even better, aluminum patio dining sets are so light that they're easy to carry. They can look as intricate as wrought iron or austere and modern. Plastic outdoor furniture is by far the most affordable option, starting at only around fifty bucks for a patio set. While its looks won't eclipse wood or metal patio dining sets generally, it's inexpensive and rugged. Plastic outdoor furniture withstands all sorts of weather conditions, including the wettest, the hottest and the coldest.
Be aware that patio set made of plastic don't have to be flimsy and junky-looking. Many furniture designers are using High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) these days, which is stronger, heavier, harder and a whole lot more attractive than older plastics. Armed with this knowledge, you're now prepared to choose from patio dining sets and find one that's right for you, not just in terms of looks, but material. - 15485
Wood is great looking, and very durable. It is no surprise that a lot of outdoor furniture made of wood, considering it is charm and practicality as a construction material. If wood conjures mental pictures of your dad's old pine do-it-yourself picnic table, or your mom's rattan patio tables, and how quickly they fell apart when exposed to the elements, think again.
There are many excellent, beautiful hardwoods that can make an excellent building material. Forget pine, oak or natural wicker, for outdoor furniture, they won't stand up to the weather and the sun. Teak, eucalyptus or cedar will.
Teak is the jewel in the crown of outdoor furniture woods. It is extremely durable. So durable, in fact, that it was the shipbuilding material of choice in the days of the clipper ships. Teak patio tables can outlive their owners-teak lasts up to one hundred years. It weathers from a warm orangey medium brown to a rich silvery gray.
Keep your teak looking good and fresh by applying coating to protect it once a year (or twice in particularly humid climates). Natural teak oil works well, and even deters termites. Be aware that as a rare, rain-forest wood, you should only buy teak with a stamp from the Forest Stewardship Council. The only real negative of teak is its cost, with five piece patio dining sets ranging from $900 to $3,000 in price, normally.
Less pricey woods, like cedar or eucalyptus, may last nearly as long as teak when treated with a water-based acrylic sealant. Prices range from $325 to $1,000 for eucalyptus. A yearly coat of protective oil helps cedar to hold out for about twenty years or so. Pay attention to how wooden outdoor furniture is put together-avoid the ones with cheap glue and staple joinery and look for sturdy dovetail or mortise and tenon joints.
If you purchase wrought iron outdoor furniture, make sure it is powder coated rather than painted with cheap spray paint, as it will make for patio dining sets that are less likely to rust. You still have to maintain it though, and should keep some paint handy for touchups. Buy it when you buy the outdoor furniture to ensure that the color matches. Aluminum cost the same as wrought iron but resists rust, and aluminum patio dining sets are easier to carry than wrought iron. They, too, are available in almost any style you can imagine.
Consider only powder-coated wrought iron. This means that the outdoor furniture is sprayed with ground pigment resin to protect it from rust. Even so, your wrought iron can rust if it isn't maintained correctly. Luckily, paint for touching up your outdoor furniture is widely available.
Aluminum patio dining sets are no more expensive than wrought iron, but are entirely rust resistant. Even better, aluminum patio dining sets are so light that they're easy to carry. They can look as intricate as wrought iron or austere and modern. Plastic outdoor furniture is by far the most affordable option, starting at only around fifty bucks for a patio set. While its looks won't eclipse wood or metal patio dining sets generally, it's inexpensive and rugged. Plastic outdoor furniture withstands all sorts of weather conditions, including the wettest, the hottest and the coldest.
Be aware that patio set made of plastic don't have to be flimsy and junky-looking. Many furniture designers are using High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) these days, which is stronger, heavier, harder and a whole lot more attractive than older plastics. Armed with this knowledge, you're now prepared to choose from patio dining sets and find one that's right for you, not just in terms of looks, but material. - 15485
About the Author:
Numerous Patio Dining Sets to select from including Aluminum, Wrought Iron, Wicker Dining Sets and Teak Sets. See our huge variety of furniture for your outdoor areas at Best Outdoor Life.com .
