Archive for September, 2007

Wood vs. Metal – What Makes the Better Outdoor Furniture?

What are you going to use your outdoor furniture for? Are you going to use it for entertainment purposes, or is it for personal use only? How often are you going to use it? Will you be storing it for the winter, or will it sit out through the harsh weather? Are you willing to perform regular maintenance, or would you rather just sit back and relax without concern? All of these questions should be taken into consideration when deciding if wood or metal is better for your patio dining sets and other outdoor pieces.

Metal garden patio furniture is a good choice, if you don’t mind a little maintenance. By oiling folding joints every year, keeping the furniture stored during the winter, and regularly treating any areas that become tarnished or rusty, you can make your metal furniture last a long time. It can be especially good for items like outdoor hammocks, being used as a durable stand for the swing, as well as general seating options. It can even reasonably be used as outdoor deck furniture that can be comfortable, relaxing, and affordable.

However, depending on the rest of your garden décor, you may have difficulty blending metal furniture into the surroundings. If you have wood elsewhere, it may be best to stick with the theme rather than mixing materials. For example, if you have outdoor bar furniture, chances are that it is made of wood of some kind. Using metal chairs and tables with this more costly and sophisticated setup would look, well, cheap. Of course, not all metal furniture is cheap, but mixing media doesn’t work to your advantage in this way.

Also, solid wood furniture requires little maintenance, especially teak and cedar, which don’t even have to be treated and sealed against water damage due to their natural weather resistant properties. Other woods can be used as well, if you don’t mind throwing a new coat of varnish on every few years. Wood furniture, while fairing better in storage, can also be left out through the winter months if so desired with little or no damage to the wood. It is quite versatile, looks good in almost any environment, and can easily blend in to the surroundings.

Of course, if you rarely use your furniture, you may not wish to invest the money in cedar outdoor furniture or teak garden furniture and may prefer to stick with a less expensive material that you will only bring out in the open on the occasions in which it will be used. For this instance, inexpensive metal furniture may well suit your purposes. The determination is completely individualized. Since you know what you have in mind and how you’ll be using the furniture, only you can determine what material is best for you and your family.

Why Teak Planters Are the Perfect Choice for Your Outside Plants

If you know little about teak, then it’s no wonder you can’t imagine why a teak planter would be better for your outdoor plants than so many other materials. However, as soon as you begin to learn the properties of teak, the difference becomes abundantly clear, and you’ll want to make all your garden décor teak.

There are several advantages to teak as a wood for any outdoor use. The main reason this is so popular is that teak is naturally weather resistant. This is due to the fact that the wood naturally produces its own oils, meaning there is no need for varnish or oil treatment to seal it against rain or other elements. This makes teak patio furniture highly valuable, since it will last longer with little or no maintenance. That includes the teak material used to build your outdoor teak planters for the outside plants you tend.

Another trait of the wood afforded by the natural oils is a high rate of malleability, or ability to be molded and shaped easily without breaking. This makes molding the wood into interesting and intriguing shapes for pots and other lawn and garden décor quite simple and common. You can expect to find all manner of pots and planters, with various shapes, sizes, and designs included.

As a hard wood, teak is quite durable, and on top of that, the oils also make teak wood patio furniture resistant to decay caused by indigenous diseases to wood or by weather and other elements, including dust and dirt particles. It is also not easily scratched, damaged, or splintered by external irritants because it is a hard wood.

When it comes to home garden décor, there is little that looks as stylish and sophisticated as teak. Your planters will look like future antiques and can be quite exotic, as many are made in Southeast Asia, where the teak tree is grown natively. Unfortunately for consumers in the United States, this is the one downfall of teak. It only grows in the tropical environments of the South Pacific region and will not fair well in any U.S. climatology; therefore, it has to be imported, meaning that between covering the cost of transportation and import taxes and satisfying the high demand for the product, prices have skyrocketed for the material.

Still, teak garden furniture is definitely worth the investment. It is long lasting – with a small amount of maintenance, you can keep your furniture for decades – and high quality. By putting your plants in these planters, you are helping to protect them from decay and elements as well as stylizing your patio. Think it over – teak is the wave of the future that you don’t want to miss.

Why Does Teak Patio Furniture Last So Long?

You’ve had to replace several sets of patio furniture over the years, while your neighbor seems to have been using the same set of furniture since the beginning of time, and it still looks great. You finally decided to ask about the furniture and found out that it’s made from teak, which you’ve heard of before but know nothing about. Your neighbor tells you that teak is supposed to last for ages, which you could have guessed from the fact that it’s been at your neighbor’s house for what seems like centuries. But you want to know what it is about teak furniture that lasts so long.

Teak is a hard wood that produces its own natural oils, so you don’t have to varnish or seal it against weather in any way. This means that teak wood furniture is naturally weather resistant, allowing it to easily outlast other materials in harsh weather. Teak has long been used for the building of boat docks, ship decks, wood flooring, and other items that see lots of weather and possibility for damage from the elements. Storms, rain, and other natural moisture and weather won’t harm teak.

Teak outdoor furniture is of high quality, durable material that is resistant to decay as well as weather, a product of the fact that it produces its own oils. These oils also make it highly malleable so that it can be easily shaped and molded into furniture. While it is always best to store your outdoor wood furniture during the winter months when they are not in use for greatest protection, teak can even stay out in harsh cold with little or no concern for damage.

If you are looking into the purchase of some of this furniture, note that teak must be imported into the United States, as there is no natural climate conducive to cultivating the trees here. It grows only in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and is highly distributed in India. Therefore, the cost of garden teak furniture is prohibitive to some, covering the cost of transportation and importation. Still, for the quality, it is worth paying the price.

Teak is in high demand now for use outdoors, and more and more of the raw materials are being imported, as well as already manufactured furniture. That means that, despite the cost, teak is readily available to consumers for purchase. Instead of spending a fortune replacing your garden furniture several more times, you should think about investing in teak. This material will last for decades with minimal maintenance – simply wash it off every once in awhile, store it in the winter, and sand off any splinters or weak spots each spring – and will look amazing in your yard. In terms of quality for the price, is difficult to beat, and you can look forward to a long lasting relationship with your outdoor furniture.

Why Does Cedar Outdoor Furniture Last So Long?

You’ve been through several sets of outdoor furniture in the last few years, but you notice that your neighbor seems to have been using the same set of furniture the whole time, and it still looks amazing. When you ask about it, you find out that it’s cedar, and your neighbor tells you that cedar is supposed to last a very long time. That’s evident from how long your neighbor has had the furniture, but you want to know what it is about cedar furniture that lasts so long.

Cedar is a hard wood that produces its own natural oils, so you don’t have to varnish or seal it against weather in any way. This means that cedar patio furniture is naturally weather resistant, so it can outlast other materials in harsh weather. Cedar oil is also aromatic, which adds a nice fragrance to your outdoor wood furniture. As an added bonus, this musk repels moths, so when you sit outside at night with the porch light on, moths won’t bother you in their attempt to reach the light.

Cedar outdoor furniture is of high quality, durable material that is resistant to decay as well as weather, so you don’t have to worry about a lot of different diseases that can affect wood and cause it to crumble easily. While it is always best to store your wood patio furniture during the winter months when they are not in use for greatest protection, cedar can even stay out in harsh cold with little or no concern for damage.

If you are looking into the purchase of some of this furniture, note that not all cedar is the same. In fact, red cedar or “aromatic” red cedar outdoor furniture is actually another species entirely. This is mad from juniper wood, which actually has many similar properties – durability, natural oils, aroma, and strength – but is lighter than actual cedar and not related in any way at all to the other species. This is good for patio furniture that you want to move around and store since the light weight makes it more mobile.

Cedar is in high demand now for use outdoors, and luckily it is abundant in North America so it is not extremely expensive to produce the raw materials. Instead of spending a fortune replacing your garden furniture frequently, you should think about investing in cedar. This material will last for decades with minimal maintenance – simply wash it off every once in awhile, store it in the winter, and sand off any splinters or weak spots each spring – and will look amazing in your yard. In terms of quality for the price, outdoor cedar furniture is difficult to beat, and you can look forward to a long lasting relationship with your outdoor furniture.

Where Does Teak Patio Furniture Come From Anyway?

There are three species of teak wood in the world, though only one is typically seen in teak furniture. This is because the other two types are endangered, and only the breed known as “common teak” (Tectona grandis) is really used in making furniture. All three species are indigenous to tropical areas of Southeast Asia, with common teak in wide use in India and Indo-China.

If the wood has been in Asia all this time, why is it suddenly so popular in the United States to have outdoor teak furniture? First of all, let’s explore the properties of teak that make it desirable. It is a hard, strong wood that can grow to be over 150 feet tall. What makes it so valuable is the natural oil production within the species. This allows for it to be easily molded and shaped without breaking for creation of beautiful and exotic teak wood furniture. It also means that the wood is readily weather resistant without any additional treatment from oils or varnish. This saves time and materials in the preparation of such furniture.

For this purpose, as well as other uses like wood flooring, the building of docks, and manufacture of ship decks, teak has been imported into the United States, both as raw material and as premanufactured wood furniture. In most of the United States, it would be useless to try to grow the wood because there is not an adequate climate for its cultivation. Therefore, it is continually imported from Asia.

Importing the goods causes teak garden furniture to become rather pricey. Between having to fund the source and the transportation and needing to pay import taxes, the cost rises quickly. However, if you look at the properties of teak patio outdoor furniture, you can quickly begin to take notice of the advantages that make the product worth the added expense. Teak is a very long lasting wood that is difficult to damage and can be left out in inclement weather with little concern (though it is always best to store it in the winter). It requires practically no maintenance, which means you can set up your teak outdoor patio furniture and forget about it.

Other log furniture requires more careful maintenance – regular sanding, recoating of varnish every few years, and careful cleaning each season. However, teak patio furniture can usually be pulled out for the summer, rinsed off, and used, with sanding only required when a rare splinter should pop up. If you are the kind of person who forgets regular maintenance or doesn’t like to work hard to maintain furniture, teak is definitely a good choice for you. Be sure to invest your money wisely and buy a set you’ll love for years to come because it will last probably longer than you would believe!

Where Does Cedar Patio Furniture Come From Anyway?

Depending on where you purchase and what you purchase, cedar furniture may not actually be cedar at all. In fact, what is well known as aromatic red cedar is actually a species of juniper, which is not related to cedar at all and grows throughout much of North America in great abundance. While these two woods are similar in their production of aromatic oils that work well as patio furniture because they repel moths, their similarities are actually few.

Cedar patio furniture is going to be made from a very hard, durable wood that is decay and weather resistant. While this doesn’t make it foolproof, it does mean less maintenance on the part of the owner in keeping it in top shape. Real cedar is a coniferous tree, used often for ornamental purposes. Aside from wood patio furniture, the material has often been used to manufacture tiles and shingles for roofs, as well as to build fences, due to its ability to hold up under extreme conditions without any varnish or oil treatment.

Red cedar outdoor furniture that is made from the juniper tree is going to be lighter in weight – a good quality to make it more mobile and easier to store – and also weather resistant. However, it is slightly more delicate to use and while being decay resistant, can bow or splinter easily if not properly maintained. Still, it is one of the best materials for outdoor wood furniture, having proven in the past its strength in use for longbows and arrows by Native Americans and British colonists alike.

You can find outdoor cedar furniture just about anywhere these days; it is highly popular, and because of the high demand, all the major furniture chains carry it. The wood is abundant in the United States and Canada, so there is no importation to worry about, meaning that there is no tax raising prices on the furniture. However, because of the high demand, cost of wood outdoor furniture is on the rise. Be sure to shop around and compare prices before you buy, since you are likely to find a better deal this way. Also, look for clearance sales at the end of the summer, since most places don’t want to carry inventory of such items through the winter. You can always store the furniture until next season.

Garden patio furniture has become a standard of living for most people with a backyard or garden. It is a place to relax and have barbecues, drink lemonade, watch the sun rise and set, or just take pride in your lawn and garden. Having comfortable seating that is attractive to look at is a must, and the added aroma and ease of care that come with cedar (or juniper, as the case may be) make it a number one choice for your outdoor furniture pick.

What to Look For When Shopping for Patio Furniture

The search for the right patio furniture covers a broad spectrum of options, and when you know what you are looking for, you can narrow down the search drastically and save yourself a lot of time and patience. Unfortunately, what to look for involves a lot more than the style and material desired for your next design – you need to pay attention to quality and construction as well.

Are you set on looking for wicker outdoor furniture for your garden? Can you think of nothing better than an old fashioned set of white wicker in your vegetable patch? If so, be aware that not every manufacturer of this product offers the same great guarantee or quality of construction. Often, outdoor wicker furniture is built more for appearance than endurance, and the pieces won’t last longer than a couple of seasons through the harsh winters and wet springs and falls. Make sure that any wicker you buy is specifically for outdoor use and has a good guarantee to back it.

Beware of Adirondack chairs that are cheap – while they make great lawn and garden décor, being frugal in this purchase will only lead to disappointment. Truly good quality Adirondacks will last you years but will also cost you more up front. The investment is a good one, though, since the higher quality material will outlast several of the less costly ones that add up to the same price.

If you like wood furniture, there are any number of choices for you to shop, but if you are looking to furnish your outdoor area, the best choices are items made of cedar or teak, since these don’t have to be treated and will last a long time with little maintenance. They are sturdy woods and because of the high demand for them, patio dining sets and other exterior furnishings are easy to find in either material. The woods have their own oil, so you don’t have to coat them with varnish or another oil. The material and time saved in removing this process also makes these woods more cost effective than oak, pine, and other woods that are softer. Even wooden picnic tables are moving more toward these woods that are better suited for outdoor use.

As you shop for patio sets, keep in mind that wood is always the best substance and requires little maintenance during its relatively long life span (especially for cedar and teak), but there are plenty of options for those who don’t want to perform any maintenance whatsoever, such as vinyl or plastic and wrought iron, any of which will hold up well in almost any weather condition despite a lack of care. Just remember that vinyl and plastic are cheaper for a reason and will have to be frequently replaced.

What is Agio Patio Furniture?

You’ve been looking for the perfect set of patio furniture that is virtually maintenance free, and you can’t seem to find the ultimate choice. A friend has mentioned to you that perhaps you should look into Agio furniture as a solution, but you’ve never heard of the company and aren’t sure what is available. Who are they, and why would you choose them over any other random manufacturer? As you research the company, be prepared to fall in love with the outdoor furniture they provide.

Agio is a company that seeks to meet all the needs of anyone who wants to furnish their lawn, garden, patio, deck, gazebo, or other outdoor pleasure area with the finest furniture that will last indefinitely and be simple to maintain. The designs range in taste, but the prices, durability, and variety are sure to please even the most critical of skeptics.

With garden furniture made out of all-weather materials and straps and canopies to help hold furniture down in inclement weather, Agio takes care of all aspects of caring for your garden furniture, making maintenance a non-issue. At the same time, Agio offers both classic and contemporary styles of furniture with a more contemporary look at the need for durability. Lawn and garden décor from Agio includes all-weather wicker, wrought iron design, umbrellas, lounges, table and chair sets, weather resistant fabrics, and more that make it easy to find the style that’s right for you.

Agio patio sets can be found at many of the world’s largest retailers including Ace Hardware, Expo centers, BJ’s Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Costco, Menards, and more, making them readily available to anyone looking to decorate their patio. It also means that the prices on the furniture is easily affordable, unlike many high end manufacturers who provide such service. You’ll find that the company also provides reserve collections of lawn and garden furniture through specialty retailers. Through these retailers, you’ll find the pride and joy of the company – aluminum, alumicast, and all-weather wicker.

Aside from the typical pieces you find on a lawn or in a garden such as chairs, benches, tables, umbrellas, and statues, Agio also offers specialty pieces and accessories that make great outdoor deck furniture. Take a look at pergolas, fire pits, and patio fireplaces. Look for exotic pieces and relaxation zones with interesting additions and designs, like fabric hammocks.

Rather than continue to sit and brew over the need to keep up with your patio furniture or think on how to get around making the purchase, you should check into Agio and see what treasures you can find that meet your needs and your desires. The options are virtually endless, and there’s no time like the present to make yourself happy!

What Exactly is Aromatic Red Cedar Lawn Furniture?

What is commonly referred to as aromatic red cedar is actually a species of juniper, which tends to grow throughout most of North America north of the Mexican border and east of California. It is a fine grain wood that is very light, durable, and fragrant. While it has a long history of use in other areas of manufacturing, cedar furniture has been the biggest influx of usage for the material.

Lawn and garden furniture has benefited from several properties of red cedar, or Juniperus virginiana, which grows so freely and abundantly in this nation. First of all, it is naturally resistant to rot, and the pleasant aroma for which it is named actually repels moths. For this reason, it has long been used for building out closets and constructing hope chests and other textile storage compartments. Now, in the form of furnishings like wooden picnic tables, it keeps moths from flocking to your exterior lighting while you are trying to enjoy a late night barbecue.

Because the oils it produces are natural treatments for the wood, additional oil and varnish coats are not required for outdoor furniture. In the past, this first came in handy first as a material to use for shingles and other roofing products that needed to hold up against the elements without the expensive process of treating every single piece. This was also incredibly well received in terms of use for building a fence, since it can be quite time consuming to treat every single plank of the fence.

Because of its incredible light weight, sturdiness, and malleability, red cedar was often used in the past for bows and arrows by both Native Americans and the British who came to the land. Now, such light weight materials make aromatic red cedar patio furniture easy to move around, rearrange, and store during winter months, when the items are not in use.

As a material for wood outdoor furniture, this wood has become highly popular and is quite desirable. It’s inexpensive because it is largely in supply and doesn’t have to be imported like some other favorites, and you can save even further because you don’t have to spend the time and money treating the wood prior to use. Thousands of people are buying wood furniture that is made of red cedar (or juniper) and enjoying the pleasant aroma of just sitting in the wood rocking chairs or on the bench they’ve chosen.

When you go shopping for your next set of patio furniture, look for red cedar or juniper, which are one and the same, as your optimal set. You’ll enjoy the aroma, the beauty, and the long life of the pieces in which you’ve invested.

Teak Patio Furniture – The Perfect Choice Around the Pool

You’ve been looking for the right type of furniture to use as a setting around the pool you installed in the back yard and someone suggested teak as a material source, but you know little about it and aren’t sure why they would have suggested it. Rest assured that teak furniture is the optimum way to decorate around your pool to show style and class while also maintaining the protection your furniture needs from moisture and other elements.

In recent years, more and more teak has been imported to the United States from its native Southeast Asia tropical environment for manufacturing into teak furniture, outdoor items like docks, and even indoor flooring. There are several reasons that the material appeals to builders and carpenters, especially those who manufacture teak patio chairs and tables. First of all, teak is a very hard wood, but it is also quite malleable, meaning that you can shape it as you please without breaking it. This property comes from the same source as its natural weather resistance: the natural oil production of the wood itself.

Therefore, teak garden furniture is easy to mold into the desired shapes, it’s durable and long-lasting, and it’s naturally weather resistant, meaning that there is no need to seal it or treat it with varnish or oil. It also means that, as water is splashed out of the pool and wet bottoms make use of chairs and patio tables, the teak wood furniture will be no more affected than if it were plastic.

For this reason, teak is a perfect material to use for the décor around your pool. It also shows your taste and style, since teak is almost exclusively imported and has been rare in the United States until raw materials started being shipped in to meet this sudden rush of need for patio furniture in the last few years. The material, being imported, is not cheap in raw form and of even greater expense when a finished product is received in the country.

Teak patio furniture can withstand a great deal of abuse, and if you store it during the winter while the pool is out of use, you can make it last even longer. Even the best of woods are susceptible to some weather, not being completely weatherproof, and it is possible that the combination of extreme cold and moisture could cause damage to teak, a product from a very warm climate.

As long as you are dropping money to build a pool, you should pay for the best available furniture to line the pool deck. Look into the purchase of teak for your backyard design and see what you can create for your little nook of an oasis.