Garden Furniture Types
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Wooden garden furniture.
Hardwood Garden furniture
The majority of wooden garden furniture is hardwood such as teak or oak. Teak is a tropical hardwood containing natural oils which offer protection against the elements,
making it ideal for the manufacture of outdoor furniture and boat building. Teak garden furniture will last for many years and all manufacturers will provide instructions regarding the maintenance of their products. If teak furniture is not oiled, it will eventually take on a silver grey sheen.
Always ensure the teak garden furniture you buy is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC ensure that certified timber has been grown and harvested in a sustainable manner.
Explore the wooden garden furniture ranges.
Softwood garden furniture
The softwoods are predominantly conifer species such as pine, fir and spruce. With the exception of cedar, garden furniture manufactured from softwood should be tanalised for added protection against the elements; if it isn’t tanalised don’t buy it. Softwood furniture will not last as long as hardwood but neither will it cost as much to buy. Unlike hardwood furniture, softwood garden furniture does have a tendancy to warp and crack after exposure to the elements, although if the wood is treated this shouldn’t cause any problems. Most softwood timber is sourced from sustainable forests located in Sweden.
Metal garden furniture.
Aluminium garden furniture.
Much of metal garden furniture bought today is manufactured from aluminium for its strength and durability. There are two main types of aluminium garden furniture, cast and tubular.
Tubular aluminium garden furniture is extremely popular due to its lightness and often fashionable design. It is available painted or bare metal and often incorporates other materials such as fabric and wood.
Cast aluminium garden furniture is often copied from traditional wrought iron designs but with the added benefit of being lighter and resistant to corrosion.
Wrought iron garden furniture is heavy and can be highly breakable depending on the quality. Cast aluminium offers a better option if you want a traditional style.
Steel
Steel garden furniture is coated in either zinc or plastic for protection against corrosion and is most usually used in the manufacture of fold up chairs and sun loungers. If you’re looking for something to take to the beach, choose aluminium for corrosion resistance. The rather uncomfortable looking small cafe style chairs often have timber slats bolted to a steel frame. Most steel garden furniture will need repainting at some point so avoid it if you don’t want any maintenance to carry out.
Browse the metal garden furniture ranges.
Stone garden furniture.
Not renowned for being particularly comfortable, stone garden furniture can add a rustic touch to a cottage style garden. Stone garden furniture is extremely heavy so you'll need to decide on a permanent position to avoid moving the items more than is necessary.
