There’s nothing better than to be able to relax in your own garden or backyard, and if you’ve spent effort and time making yours look precisely how you wanted it to be, you’ll be interested in getting just the right outdoor furniture.

Buying and maintaining outdoor furniture requires even more care than buying indoor furnishings for your home because of their high exposure to rain and sun. Hence, durability and resistance to weather is the first thing you should consider while buying outdoor furniture.

 Another factor would be the ease of maintenance. Being kept outdoors most of the time, it can easily get dust or mud on it and without proper maintenance, it’s definitely not going to last long.

Recycled plastic and resin are good choices for outdoor furniture since they are extremely weather-resistant and can be left in the open without worrying about the elements of nature. Being lightweight, these are easy to handle as well. Plastic and resins are stackable and a good choice for durable outdoor furniture.

Tips to maintain your outdoor furniture in good condition

Maintaining your outdoor furniture is no hard task. You need to follow just a few simple steps to make it last for years to come.

• Wash your outdoor furniture on a regular basis so that dust or stains do not leave a permanent mark on it.  Use a mild cleaner that is specified for your outdoor furniture and wash with warm water. After cleaning, leave it in the sun for drying or wipe it dry with a clean towel.
• Oil your wooden furniture regularly. If your furniture is left untreated, it will turn silver-grey as it ages. Oiling retains the brown tone of the wooden furniture. Oil it regularly to maintain the sheen and to protect it from the weather. If it is looking worn out, you can try sanding it down and reapplying a weather-resistant paint.
• Check the hardware for defects. Tighten the bolts which might have come loose due to usage. Hinges and wheels must be lubricated seasonally and any hardware that is damaged should be promptly replaced.
• Aluminum furniture should be washed regularly to resist pitting. If there are slight damages on the surface of the metal furniture, rub it with a steel wood pad to make it smooth. If required dab some paint thinner or kerosene on it. Wash it clean with a mild detergent and allow it to dry before applying a light coat of automobile wax on it.
• Examine the wrought iron furniture periodically to see if there is any bare metal exposed. You can apply an exterior spray paint or a rust-resistant primer on these areas.
• Cover your outdoor furniture when it is not in use so that it doesn’t get exposed to the weather unnecessarily.
• During winters it would be best to store the outdoor furniture inside, perhaps in the basement or garage.

Outdoor furniture from National Outdoor Furniture, Inc. is a solid investment designed to last a lifetime. Their furniture is durable and easy to maintain, reducing a large part of your maintenance task.