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Whether made out of polymer, plastic, wood, and cushioned fabrics, outdoor furniture items are both practical and tasteful additions to any deck. If the weather turns sour, you might worry about your deck set. Does outdoor furniture need to be covered? It is best to cover outdoor furniture when not in use. An owner of outdoor furniture should check the material their furnishings are made of, as covering and cleaning methods vary. The furniture on your deck or in your backyard doesn't have to be in danger! After consulting reliable sources and researching the different circumstances of protecting furniture, we are prepared to answer the question: does outdoor furniture need to be covered? In this article, you will learn: Why outdoor furniture should be covered, including types of damage that are possible.How outdoor furniture should be covered, including a categorization of types of furniture. Why should outdoor furniture be covered? Depending on where you live, the environment may not seem like much of a concern. Not everyone has to deal with weather that is obviously harmful to their furniture, like snow or harmful winds. However, all types of furniture can sustain damage, even those sitting in yards where the weather stays tropical. Let's go over the types of bad weather that can harm your deck set so that you have a definitive answer to the question: when does outdoor furniture need to be covered? Rain The states that receive the most rain in the U.S. are Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, not to mention Hawaii! Whether you live in one of these states or not, everywhere sees a little rain. This is important, because all moisture can affect outdoor furniture. Not only can rain actually damage lawn furnishings, but it can cause damage to the people that use them, too. Though the effects are more long-term, it is notable that anything which rain wets can hold mould and mildew. Mould must be cleaned correctly, or else unsuspecting guests can get sick. Visitors to your lovely deck sitting space could suffer from respiratory problems or rashes if exposed to mould. Make sure to protect your outdoor furniture from rain! Green growing on your deck furniture never looks good even without health effects. Better to take steps to p[revent damage. Humidity Humidity is the type of fun weather that can make us feel like we're swimming rather than walking through air. As uncomfortable as it is, humidity is just as potentially harmful to outdoor furniture. This is because just as wetness from rain can affect lawn ornamentation, so can general humidity. Warping and rusting can creep up on items that remain unprotected from the subtler threat humidity poses. Wind Rain is something people can see, just as humidity is something we can feel. But unless the weather is downright tornadic, many communities overlook the wind's role in damaging outdoor furniture. Patio furniture is sometimes sturdy, but not always. A gust of strong wind before a thunderstorm can snatch patio umbrellas away or knock over lightweight chairs, leading to injury or further damage. Snow It looks light, and fluffy, and makes us feel like we're in a movie with Bing Crosby. Actually, snow is not light or fluffy. The weight of a small snowbank on a chair or table can break it, and it has even been known to crack patios. Don't forget that snow is also water. Like rain and humidity, snow can seep into furniture as it melts and causes even more mutilation of your lovely backyard set. So be sure to get the right protection for your outdoor furniture during the winter! How should outdoor furniture be covered? Now that we've established the kinds of weather that can sneak up on the unsuspecting outdoor furniture owner, what can be done about it? Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to cover and protect chairs, tables, and most other pieces you'd like to keep outside. To best figure out how to take care of outdoor furniture, it is essential to note what each piece of furnishing is made of. Inclement weather affects different materials in lots of ways. It is clearly best to be prepared for them all! Let's dive into the various ways outdoor furniture can be affected. Aluminum Furniture This may seem like one of the sturdiest, most reliable types of outdoor furniture, and that is not far from the truth. However, even aluminum needs protection from bad weather. Aluminum furnishings are safer from rain damage because the main problem rain poses, rust, does not easily settle on the metal. However, many aluminum umbrella stalks or chairs have holes to adjust the piece's height features. These holes can allow water to seep in and stay when it rains. Keeping aluminum furniture covered isn't always strictly necessary because some living places don't have freezing weather. However, if the temperature ever drops below freezing, that trapped water can turn to ice and break it from within. If water has already entered the piece, a covering won't protect it but can slow the damage rate. Every once in a while, tip aluminum furniture upside down to drain. Plastic Plastic furniture is by no means as durable as any kind of metal. Both heat, as in extreme summer weather, and cold, as in harsh winter temperatures, can crack and chip at plastic pieces. However, most people have plastic furniture because it is lightweight, easy to carry, and affordable, low-maintenance deck furniture. Deck furniture often needs to be covered and protected much less than other materials. If this is the case, covering and uncovering might be a hassle. Still, one upside to plastic furniture is that although it needs to be covered frequently, rain doesn't bother plastic in the slightest. Watch out for strong winds, though. A heavy cover can not only protect from harsh temperatures but weigh the lightweight plastic stuff down! Wicker Wicker furniture is lovely, a good and slightly more complex type of outdoor decoration. There are actually two different classifications of wicker furniture. If you have natural wicker furniture, it will be weaker when it comes to defences from rain, any kind of wetness like humidity and snow, or the sun. On the other hand, if your wicker furniture is synthetic, it will usually come with a coating that keeps it safe from those dangers and even radiation. To protect the natural variant of wicker, buy a cover and use it often year-round. However, if synthetic wicker furniture decorates your yard, it only needs to be covered in the winter when snow is a possibility. Summary Relaxing around an outdoor fire, by the poolside in plastic chairs, or on the lawn greatly benefits keeping outdoor furniture. Now that we've covered the many dangers posed to patio décor, be sure to check what material each piece is made of and protect it accordingly.

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