Your patio furniture makes your outdoor space as comfortable and inviting as your living room.
No matter the size, style, or design of your patio, it’s the outdoor chairs, dining tables, loungers, and loveseats that make spending time with your family and entertaining outside such an enjoyable experience.
But can patio furniture get wet? It depends on the material of your patio furniture.
The best way to make sure your patio set continues to furnish your good time is to take care of it in all types of weather. In particular, you need to know if your patio furniture can get wet or if water is likely to damage it. Read on to learn more about how your favorite pieces can be affected by the rain and snow and how to enjoy them for years to come.
Moisture and Your Patio Furniture: A Guide to What Can and Can’t Get Wet
Some materials are better than others at withstanding wet weather conditions. Fabrics and other cloth materials may not be suited for sitting in the snow or rain. But even with materials that you might assume are weather-safe, like some metals, there are things to know about which ones hold and which ones need extra care.
So, what are the best materials for outdoor furniture when it comes to water? You can’t go wrong with:
- Cast aluminum – Aluminum is lightweight and iron-free, which makes it the perfect wet weather furniture for two reasons. The first is that its lack of iron means it’s less likely to rust and erode. The second is that it’s lightweight, which means moving it around for storage is made easy.
- Resin weave – This synthetic form of wicker replicates that material’s woven texture but adds extra durability and weather resistance.
- Plastics – Increasingly, people are turning to plastic patio furniture. They’re drawn to the material’s ability to endure many different weather conditions and its general durability.
- Some kinds of wood – Certain wood varieties, like teak, are just fine in the rain and other forms of precipitation. Others, like cedar and pine, are less durable and don’t fare as well.
Although some materials have a slight edge, most patio furniture is designed with outdoor elements in mind. That means that when it comes to precipitation, most patio furniture has some degree of water resistance.
However, it’s important to understand that water resistant does not mean waterproof. For that reason, knowing the best ways to care for all your patio furniture no matter the material is crucial to keeping it in good condition and making it last. Here's what to know about protecting the most common patio furniture materials from water.
Wood Furniture and Wet Conditions
Wood patio furniture is beautiful, versatile, and durable. However, it’s also one of the most vulnerable materials if it gets too wet. While a passing rainstorm or occasional snowfall is nothing to worry about, preventing water from sitting and pooling on surfaces helps you protect your wood furniture from:
- Cracking
- Rotting
- Warping
Hardwoods like teak outdoor furniture make for a good choice since this wood type is highly durable and denser than softer woods like fir, cedar, or pine. Acacia, Black Locust, and shorea are also good options, among others.
How to Waterproof Wood Furniture for Outdoors
All wood furniture has some level of natural resistance to water. However, taking extra steps to protect your wood furniture from water and precipitation will keep it in better condition longer.
Wondering how to water proof wood furniture for outdoors? Here are two easy solutions:
- Sealant - Add a protective sealant to protect your wood patio furniture and keep it watertight all year long. Wood sealers keep the wood from absorbing rain, moisture from snow, and other kinds of precipitation.
- Off-season storage – Keeping your patio furniture in storage during the offseason can protect it from inclement winter weather and ensure it’s ready to go when spring comes back around.
Wicker, Water, and Your Patio Furniture
Can patio furniture get wet if it’s wicker? In general, it’s perfectly fine if it gets wet occasionally and can even stand up to harsh weather conditions. As a bonus, wicker is easy to clean, which is always a desirable quality when it comes to patio furniture.
Keep in mind, synthetic wicker or resin weave is one thing. But the natural materials used in wicker furniture require extra care when it comes to moisture.
When faced with the occasional thunderstorm or snowstorm, your wicker patio furniture should be fine. That said, you should keep your wicker patio furniture covered during inclement weather or stored in an indoor location. Fortunately, wicker is very lightweight, so packing it up and putting it away when winter blows in should go pretty smoothly.
Metal Furniture and Water
Several different metals are used to make patio furniture. They each have unique attributes that make them perfect for the job and shortcomings that require additional care. Here’s how to clean patio furniture and what to know about three popular types of metal used:
- Aluminum – As we mentioned above, if your patio plans don’t involve worrying about rust and erosion, iron-free aluminum is the way to go when it comes to water. Occasional cleaning with mild soap and warm water followed by a thorough towel-dry is about all the care that’s required.
- Iron – This heavy-duty metal is an ideal choice if you live in an area with high winds and a lot of stormy weather. On the other hand, iron is very vulnerable to rusting if it gets wet. Make sure you choose iron patio furniture that has been treated with a protective coating or apply a sealant to it yourself to protect it from water. During the offseason, you should either use an outdoor patio furniture cover on your iron patio furniture or store it away for future use.
- Steel – Stainless steel is reinforced with a rust-resistant metal known as chromium, which means rust is less of a concern. However, regular steel is susceptible to rust and other forms of outdoor damage.
Protecting Your Outdoor Cushions From Water
Technically, any outdoor furniture can get wet to an extent. However, water that puddles on the surface of your outdoor cushion can be a welcoming environment for mold and mildew to grow. This is why knowing how to clean outdoor cushions is also important.
That said, many outdoor cushions are treated with a special water-repelling chemical or are made from materials that are able to keep water from penetrating into the cushioning underneath the outdoor fabric. If you notice that water beads off of your outdoor cushion without soaking in, it’s either been treated or has natural water-repellant properties. Read the manufacturer specifications for your outdoor furniture cushions to confirm that they’re made of weather-resistant and water-resistant materials.
If your patio cushions do get wet, it’s best to dry them off as soon as possible. If you have tufted outdoor furniture cushions, make sure you pay close attention to the divots, as this is where water tends to settle. Shaking the cushions out and letting them dry in the sun after a rainstorm will help keep your cushions in great shape for longer. You should also:
- Take care in heavy rain – If you’re expecting storms to arrive, go ahead and remove the cushions and place them in a dry area like a shed or garage until the storm has passed.
- Put in storage during the off-season – Most outdoor furniture cushions can handle a bit of water, but they’re not meant to stay soaked for long periods of time. Store your cushions indoors during the winter season to help them last even longer.
- Treat with fabric spray – Look for a quality cushion fabric spray that you can use to re-treat your outdoor cushions every season. Do this after you clean them thoroughly and at least once per year to keep them clean, dry, and protected.
- Choose the right fabric – Not all outdoor furniture cushions are created equal, so it’s important to select an outdoor fabric that is also a weather-resistant cushion cover. Not only will these cushions have UV resistance to prevent fading and discoloration, but they should also stay fairly dry during rainy weather.
HC Luxury Outdoor—Patio Furniture For Any Kind of Weather
Your patio furniture should be designed to withstand all kinds of weather, from heavy rains and wind to relentless sunshine. Purchasing high-quality outdoor furniture means that you’ll have items that will last for years to come. And when it comes to quality patio furniture, HC Luxury Outdoor is setting the standard.
Elite, luxurious, beautiful, functional—these are just a few of the adjectives that best describe the wide array of patio furniture available from HC Luxury Outdoor. From outdoor club chairs, sofas, and loveseats, to dining tables, rocking chairs, and recliners, we combine quality construction with premium materials to help you build an outdoor living space that’s stylish, comfortable, and one of a kind.
Shop our collections now and discover the patio of your dreams.
Sources:
Woodsmith Spirit. 11 Best Woods for Outdoor Furniture: A Guide. https://woodsmithspirit.com/best-woods-outdoor-furniture/
US Vintage Wood. 8 Most Effective Wood Sealers According to Experts. https://usvintagewood.com/wood-sealer/
Family Leisure. Aluminum Patio Furniture Care – Ideas & Resources. https://www.familyleisure.com/Blog/Aluminum-Furniture-Care
APX Enclosures. Metals That Don’t Rust – And Ones That Do. https://www.apx-enclosures.com/apx-blog/metals-that-dont-rust#
