Tag Archives: Patio Furniture

Easy Care Aluminum Patio Furniture

Aluminum Patio Furniture

Maintaining aluminum patio furniture is simple and easy, making it a great choice for a beautiful and durable product with minimal upkeep. Aluminum is designed to stand up well to weather, temperature, and heavy use. When your furniture does become dirty, washing it with a mild soap and water will have it clean quickly. A soft bristle brush will give you extra cleaning power without harming your finish. If you have non-textured aluminum furniture, using automotive wax maintains gloss and shine. For textured surfaces, wax will be too thick and may stick in your textured areas. Baby oil or mineral oil will be a better option. Another good tip is to clean spills or spots on your furniture as soon as possible. Cleaning and maintaining your outdoor furniture is the best thing that you can do to ensure its long life and continued beauty. With aluminum, cleaning and maintaining is super quick and super easy!

Iron Patio Furniture for Extreme Climates

If you live in a cold climate, or one with any extreme weather, choosing the right patio furniture can be a challenge. You can bring it in during the winter months, but the hassle of doing so may be more than you care to deal with. Choosing a furniture type that is made to stand up to extreme weather is the key! Iron patio furniture is a great option! This furniture has a special powder coated finish for exceptional durability in any kind of weather. It resists chipping, fading, and cracking for years to come, ensuring that your furniture will stay beautiful. Iron is easy to clean and easy to maintain. You will be able to buy an affordable set and make it last!

Why Material Matters for Outdoor Furniture Protection

When you cover up your patio furniture before a storm or a long winter season, what kind of material actually touches the surface of your furniture?  If you skimped when you bought your patio furniture covers, there’s no guarantee that they’ll offer adequate protection, and no guarantee that they’ll last more than a couple of years…tops.  Here’s why.

Poor quality patio furniture covers may last only one or two seasons because they are often made with cheaper vinyl or plastic. These inferior materials are easily damaged by extremes in cold or hot temperatures, and they can even damage your furniture if they stick to the surfaces or develop cracks.

It’s worth it to splurge for higher quality patio furniture covers because better materials really do make a difference in how well your furniture is protected from weather extremes.  Covers can be constructed from a variety of materials, but there are some crucial characteristics you should look for before making a selection.

Outdoor furniture covers should be made of a durable waterproof and UV resistant material that is able to withstand extreme temperatures and weather conditions, both hot and cold, without being compromised. Additionally, covers should be lightweight so that they are easy to use and easy to store when not in use. Some covers are backed with a soft cloth material to help prevent anything from scratching delicate furniture surfaces, which is an ideal feature if your patio furniture sits near any trees that may drop small branches or other debris over the course of the winter.

Taking a bit of time in the beginning to find the best material for your outdoor furniture covers will pay off in the long run. By covering your outdoor patio furniture properly, you will extend the life of the furniture for many years. Alternatively, skimping on quality now will most likely result in having to spend more money later to replace poor quality furniture covers that don’t last beyond a season or two.

Replicate These Multi-Million Dollar Backyards!

1721 Coldwater Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Photo by Coldwell Banker Previews International

I recently read an article titled Pools, Patios, and Gardens to Die For which featured some pretty spectacular homes. The $25 million Aspen, CO home includes a patio, heated pool, and breathtaking mountain view. For ONLY $4.8  million, you could go with the Beverly Hills home with a custom fire pit, pool, and hot tub (pictured above). These homes and backyards are gorgeous, but they are also out of the price range for most Americans. Recreate these scenes at your own home with the products below!

  • Steamer Deck Chairs are a beautiful way to lounge pool side. They will create a similar look to the Aspen home’s pool area. They offer a multi-position back, beautiful durability, and exceptional strength in their Eucalyptus frame. They will last for years and are a great investment. Add your favorite cushions for colorful custom look.
  • The Malibu home mentioned in the article above ($3 million) features an sprawling garden and impressive greenhouse. Create a stunning garden at your own home with the addition of pergolas, garden arbors, and hobby greenhouses. Flowering and lush green plants will create an eye catching escape.
  • Love the pirate ship play house in the Westlake Village home? Add a wooden swing set with tons of features to create fun and adventure for your little ones. A rope ladder, monkey bars, rock wall, telescope, steering wheel, and spiral slides will encourage creative play and healthy exercise year round.
  • Custom fire pits, like the one in the multi-million dollar Beverly Hills home, can cost thousands of dollars to install. Produce a warm, inviting atmosphere on your patio with an easy to use, pre-built fire pit or fire bowl. They are affordable, durable, and easy to operate.

Steamer Deck Chairs Hobby Greenhouse Kit Swing Set Kit Fire Pit

What George Washington Didn’t Know About 21st Century Civility

George Washington

George Washington.  The founder of our country, first president, and man whom we admire even today for his bravery and courage was also a stickler for polite manners.  In his Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation, he instructed readers not to sleep while someone is talking to you, touch yourself in public, or blow your nose at the dinner table.  All good rules of civility that still apply today.  Some of George’s ideas about behaviors to avoid are thankfully out of date, though.  Here are just a few:

  • George wrote: “Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.” 

I agree that spitting in the fire is gross, and you shouldn’t prop your feet up near a fire where people’s food is cooking, but thank goodness he’s wrong about putting your hands near the flames to warm them.  What else would one do on a cool evening when gathered with friends or family around the Outdoor Fireplace?  When hands are cold, and there is a deliciously warm fire nearby, the natural instinct is to put the two together.  Warm your hands, George!  No one will think less of you for doing so.

  • George wrote: “When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them.” 

Clearly, George did not own an ottoman or a lounge chair of any kind on which he could prop up his feet after a busy day running the country.  In fact, keeping one’s feet firm and even doesn’t even sound comfortable.  Perhaps a rule of this sort still survives in fancy living rooms and sitting rooms.  In outdoor living areas, though, kicking back and lounging around on comfortable Patio Furniture is the only acceptable behavior, even in company.

  • George wrote: “Make no Shew of taking great Delight in your Victuals.” 

Sorry, George.  Food is one of the greatest pleasures we have, which is why cooking shows and food channels are so popular.  To not delight in one’s food, especially when that food has been carefully and lovingly prepared by friends or family, would be rude.   When we can enjoy our meals cooked outdoors on a Gas or Charcoal Grill, the delicious food combined with the fresh air makes for an even more pleasurable eating experience.  If he could experience it himself, even George would agree that a few oohs, ahhs, and yums would be acceptable.

Sure, times change, and so do ideas about appropriate behavior.  It’s fun to read George’s long list of 17th century manners and discover what is still relevant.  Not surprisingly, much of what he has to say about personal comfort and how to behave with friends has changed dramatically.  Perhaps he’d be appalled if he could see us today.  Or, perhaps he would feel a renewed sense of freedom.  Go ahead, George, kick back, enjoy your meal, and be sure to warm your tootsies by the fire.

Outdoor Fireplace / Firehouse Cosabella 3 pc. Club Chair Chat Group Electric Grills and Smokers