Owning a patio comes with its challenges. Buying and placing furniture on your patio is not enough. You would need to maintain the furniture, with regular dusting and cleaning. One such challenge is to make your furniture water-resistant. So, here’s how to waterproof outdoor furniture.
The simplest way of doing so is by purchasing waterproof patio furniture, and if you are living in Toronto, then Wickerpark is among the best. However, if you do not own one, you can look for other ways to ensure rain does not spoil your patio furniture.
In this article, we talk about some ways to waterproof your furniture. It does not take an expert or professional services to bring this difference, you can do it easily with our hacks!
Types of Outdoor Furniture Materials and Their Pros and Cons
Before we tell you how to waterproof outdoor furniture, here are some of the popular options for you to consider for your living room decor:
- Wood
Pros: Timeless appeal, warmth, and durability.
Common Types: Teak, cedar, and eucalyptus are naturally weather-resistant.
Cons: Regular maintenance, such as sealing, is required to prevent water damage and warping.
- Metal
Pros: Strong, durable, and available in various finishes. Aluminium and stainless steel are rust-resistant.
Cons: Some metals, like iron, may corrode if not properly coated.
- Wicker/Rattan
Pros: Lightweight and stylish. Synthetic wicker is weather-resistant and low maintenance.
Cons: Natural wicker is susceptible to moisture and may require waterproofing treatments.
- Plastic/Resin
Pros: Affordable, lightweight, and resistant to water and UV rays.
Cons: Can fade or become brittle over time if exposed to direct sunlight.
- Concrete
Pros: Extremely durable and weather resistant.
Cons: Heavy and may require sealing to prevent stains from moisture.
- Fabric
Pros: Commonly used for cushions and umbrellas, outdoor fabrics like Sunbrella are water and UV-resistant.
Cons: Non-waterproof fabrics may require sprays or covers for protection.
Choose from any one of the above materials for your outdoor furniture – choose fabric if you have a covered space!
Ways to Waterproof Patio Furniture
It may seem challenging and sometimes impossible to keep the rainwater off your patio furniture, but it isn’t. There are specific ways to make this possible, and out of them, the widely used ones are as follows:
Effective Use of Oil to Waterproof Wood-
Though it may seem a little awkward, oil can turn out to be a perfect remedy for waterproofing your wooden furniture. Let us walk through the ways of how to do it.
Choose the desirable oil:
The oils usually used include walnut, tung, and linseed oil. Since Tung oil is a little expensive as compared to other varieties, it is advisable to use Tung oil for smaller pieces of furniture. The oil that you can find commonly is walnut oil. However, be careful if you or your family and friends are allergic to the variation.
Linseed oil can be found in many repair shops and sold as boiled or raw. The boiled ones have agents that can dry metal, plus they are poisonous as well.
So, if you are using this oil, make sure you don’t use it on anything which involves food.
Mix oil with other substances:
Once you have chosen and bought the oil you want to use, mix it with apple cider vinegar and turpentine. For this mixture, you must take one part of oil, one part of turpentine oil, and half of apple cider vinegar. You can mix these in a metal bowl.
Prepare the wooden furniture:
Before applying the mixture, you need to make sure that the surface is free of imperfections. This can be done by using sandpaper.
Start the coating:
Before you start coating, make sure to wear rubber gloves. To apply the coat, you need to pour a small amount of oil on the rag’s surface and rub it with the grain.
The movement has to be from the interior portion to the exterior one. When needed, you can apply more oil to it. Wait for the first coat to dry for 30 minutes and then take a cloth and wipe it off gently. Before using the next coat, wait for at least 24 hours.
Use Sealants-
You can also use sealants to waterproof the wooden furniture. To do so, follow the given steps:
Clean the surface:
You can use sandpaper to clean the surface before applying the sealant.
Get the best water-based wood sealer:
Many sealants are available in the market, but you must get the best for your requirements.
Apply the first even coat:
Get a paintbrush or a sprayer for applying the sealant coat on the surface. You can do this work in a garage to make sure that the sealant is used in an appropriate condition. Once it is applied, leave the wood to dry. Once it is dry, clean it with a cloth.
Apply other coats:
Depending upon the type of furniture, the number of coats is required. If you have softwood, you may need to apply two to three coats, but if it is hardwood, only one coat is enough. When the coating is done, leave the wood to get cured.
Use Waterproofing Fabric Spray-on Fabric-
Waterproof sprays are available in the market specifically used for making fabric waterproof.
If your furniture has cushions or any kind of fabric, you can buy a good waterproof spray and use it to make the entire fabric waterproof.
Moreover, these sprays also make the fabric stain-free. To do so, follow the given steps:
Clean the fabric:
The first thing to do is to clean the fabric of the furniture. To do this, you can take the help of a vacuum or use your hand to remove the dust properly.
Before applying waterproofing fabric spray, you need to ensure it is clean and free of dust.
Dry the fabric completely:
While using a waterproofing spray, ensure the fabric is completely dry. You can use a hot drier or keep the fabric in sunlight to dry it off.
Spray the waterproofing spray:
Once the fabric is clean and dry, you can spray on it uniformly. After spraying, wait for a while to get it settled.
Coat the Metal Furniture:
If your patio furniture is made of metal, you can use quality liquid and coat it over the metal to make it waterproof. Also, you can use auto wax to make the metal much more resistant.
Apart from these, many products on the market protect against metal corrosion. Any of these can be a good option to make your furniture waterproof.
Bottom Line
That’s all about how to waterproof outdoor furniture. From the ways mentioned above, it is pretty clear that the process of doing so is not so challenging. So, you can choose any way to make your furniture waterproof.
Depending upon the type of furniture you have placed on your patio, you can choose any of the ways mentioned above. Plus, the best way of making your entire furniture waterproof is by using suitable waterproofing sprays for fabric, wood, and metal.
You need to be wary of brands selling substandard products. These will do more harm than good for your furniture. Make sure you purchase the correct product. Research thoroughly before buying one and always rely on trusted brands.
Or, if you want to do away with the hassle of waterproofing, you can buy waterproof furniture from a trusted supplier like Wicker Park.
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