AS the weather starts treating us Brits better, we start getting our garden furniture out again to enjoy some hot days out in the sun.
But it you’ve kept your furniture outside for a long time, you might have noticed that it got a bit rusty – so here we’ll show you how to protect it.
1
Why does your garden furniture rust?
You’ll find that most garden furniture is made out of steel or iron.
When this material is exposed to the elements – sun and rain – it develops small reddish and brownish spots. This process is called oxidization.
If you do not look after your furniture, the rusted areas may get bigger and worse and there would be no going back from there then.
Sometimes, you’ll find that garden furniture has a powder coating which protects it from rusting.
It protects the furniture from rusting earlier than it should but eventually it will be exposed to the same phenomenon too.
If you do not want your furniture to rust, you can always look at some made out of non-rusting materials such as aluminium, teak or all-weather rattan.
If you want to stick to a budget and buy iron or steel furniture and then look after it, keep on reading so you’ll find out how to stop your furniture from rusting.
How can I stop my garden furniture rusting?
When you buy new garden furniture, you should start following these tips immediately, so that you prevent rust from forming in the first place.
You have to protect your furniture from moisture. Morning dew and rain will rust your furniture so when not in use, make sure to cover it or put it inside.
If it just started raining out of nowhere while you were using your furniture, or maybe it got wet while playing some water games outside, then make sure to dry it up immediately. Simply use a clean towel to wipe it up.
Make sure to also keep your garden furniture clean. At least twice a year, make sure to give your garden furniture a good deep clean with warm water and detergent. As previously said, dry it up immediately.
You can also try and find a rust-resistance paste. It would come with its own instructions but normally you apply it to the furniture and not only protects it from the outside elements, but also keeps it clean and looking shiny.
Does the cost of the garden furniture make a difference?
It does because when you have furniture that is made with weather-proof material and has more protection applied to it, it will naturally cost more.
It’s estimated that such garden furniture lasts for up to five years.
A simple steel or iron chair will of course cost less than an aluminium or a rattan chair with powder coating that increases its durability.
You might not want to spend too much when buying garden furniture, but you should also compare what is going to end up costing more.
If you keep buying furniture that rusts up quickly, you’ll end up buying replacements each year.
If you buy good-quality garden furniture that comes with more protection, then you will only have to spend a costly amount once.
What you spend every year on new garden furniture might end up costing you even more than buying a good quality in the first place, so do your maths before rushing to buy.