Choosing Outdoor Furniture For The First Time: 5 Minefields To Avoid

　　Buying your first piece of outdoor furniture is almost as exciting as buying your first house with a garden. Before you rush out to shop, take the time to do your homework and pick out weather-friendly furniture for your patio, patio, or porch. Before you choose the best outdoor furniture for your home, here are five things to know:

　　1. Cheap furniture may cost you more

　　When you start shopping for outdoor furniture online, you'll notice a big price difference. I should have asked our seats not to slide around every time we sat down. Used to be tempted by the price tag and bought a faux wicker sectional, the seat would slide and the cushions would slide unless you were very careful to sit down and even the dog in the house was very sensitive to it.

　　Lesson: While cheap is tempting, don't let it be the only factor driving your purchases. Cheap things are often very light and fragile, so you get what you pay for.

　　2. Some chair legs are too thin for wood floors

　　If your chair is going to be placed on a wood floor, the legs on the chair are thin, which means they can easily get caught in the gaps between the planks. We had to be vigilant about the placement of chairs and constantly remind guests to do the same – it wasn’t exactly the best setting for spontaneity and fun.

　　Lesson learned: If you're looking to buy a set of outdoor wood dinettes, consider chair legs to make sure they don't get stuck in the gaps when you pull the chair out.

　　3. The right material is suitable for the right environment

　　For fate, we pay attention to mutual affection, and the same is true for furniture. The right one is the best. Here's a non-exhaustive list of the types of materials you'll find when buying outdoor furniture: teak, eucalyptus, stainless steel, aluminum, cast iron, wicker, and synthetic resin. Each material has advantages and disadvantages that make it suitable for certain climates and outdoor environments and not others. Take various metals for example. Aluminum is light, which means it's not suitable for areas with high winds. Stainless steel is bulky and difficult to maintain, but it gets super hot in the sun, so it's not ideal if you plan to expose it to the sun.

　　If you live in a particularly humid climate, ignore wood furniture for now; even durable hardwood furniture like teak requires regular year-round treatment to prevent cracking and warping. As for natural wicker, they are designed for outdoor covered spaces as they cannot stand up to the natural environment. Synthetic resin wicker furniture is a better choice if you like the style and want to use it outdoors.

　　4. You need a rainy day plan

　　Outdoor fabric furniture is waterproof, but that doesn't mean we don't have to do anything -- a common mistake made by newbies. Wet, heavy cushions in the short term after the fabric furniture has been exposed to the rain, and mildew in the long run if left undried.

　　Some conservation strategies, from best practices to the most basic: bring them indoors and place them upright, but at an angle, so they can dry out moisture. As for bases and unpadded parts, consider purchasing a protective case -- especially for wooden furniture.

　　5. Place outdoor dining sets where the wires are.

　　Suppose you have trees and birds in your yard, everything seems beautiful. However, if there is a wire going through it, be extra careful, never put furniture near the wire, of course, if you don't mind being a "shoveler" then don't worry.