Tuesday, October 28, 2014

How to Safely Store Your Outdoor Furniture

There will be times that we have to store our precious outdoor furniture. In fact, some of the patio furniture items need to be stored during winter and rainy seasons. Though many of us don’t like moving indoors after the joyful summer, moving in and getting the furniture to safety is a great step to prepare a fresh start right away when spring returns.

To safely store your outdoor furniture, you cannot just directly move them to storage or indoors. The following tasks are necessary to keep the pieces in excellent condition.

Clean and Completely Dry
Cleaning is the most important but completely drying is a must. Dirt and moisture both invite mold and mildew that can infest your furniture. Moisture also causes corrosion and rust to metal and steel furniture items.

All you need to clean a patio furniture are basically soft brush, cloth, mild soap, and water  patio furniture.

By the way, the same task of cleaning is good for an outdoor umbrella. Make sure to completely dry the canopy fabric and frame before getting to storage.

Stain and Seal
This step applies to wooden outdoor furniture. Staining is similar to painting but with different result. Unlike painting, which leaves a thin layer of paint on top of the wood surface, staining colors or enhance the color of the wood by absorbing the stain. Colors are limited to wood tones but it is extremely great at bringing back the original color of your wood furniture without affecting the texture. If you want to bring back the original beauty of your wood pieces, staining is the best option.
After staining, it is best to apply a wood stain sealer. This preserves the stain color and protects the wood from the elements. Some sealers makes the wood furniture waterproof.

Cover
A good furniture cover adds more protection for your outdoor patio furniture against dust and dirt. Also, there are furniture covers specially made for outdoors that protects furniture even in winter. Every types, sizes, and forms of furniture have a corresponding cover for outdoor protection. Even large outdoor market umbrellas have an umbrella cover that you can use to secure them outdoors or in storage.

When you leave your furniture covered outdoors, check them day to day. Remove snow before it accumulates and makes a large mass on top. Melted snow may make its way into your furniture, be sure to remove and prevent it. It will make damage once it freezes again.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Deck Finish - Paint Or Stain

Applying a finish is a must for every woodworking project such as a wooden deck. It will provide color, enrich texture, and protect the wood from rapid corrosion and decay.

There are two types finishing touches that can be used, paint or stain.

Paint and stain are technically very similar in composition. Both have the same purpose which include providing color and protection. Their difference in on how they work on wood, and on how they are applied.

With paint, any color can be made so you won’t have a problem with matching your deck to your house and to your existing outdoor furniture and fixtures. You have a freedom to choose a color theme you like for your outdoor room.

Wood stains have fewer color choices. It usually just include wood tones and dark colors. However, this is a great choice if you love to preserve the texture of some great woods. Some wood stain can just accentuate the wood texture.

Paint and stain works very different when applied. The paint just sits on the surface of the wood forming a thin layer while stain is absorbed into the wood. This is the reason why paint easily chips and peel off making the surface look unpleasant after its lifetime. The stain just kind of fade in the long run. Both does not really differ in how long they last and they should be renewed. The renewing of the finish is a job that makes another considerable difference between these two.

When you need to renew the paint, the existing paint coating must be totally removed which will require a lot of work. You cannot just paint over an old paint layer, it will make a terrible outcome. You may need to spend on paint strippers and a powerful pressure washer.

Restaining on the other hand just require a minimal effort of cleaning and stripping of old stain if necessary.

Price is another significant difference between paint and stain. Paint is generally more expensive than stain.

Now you have some ideas how painting and staining your deck differs. The choice is in you and you just have to consider what is best so you can make and maintain a beautiful outdoor room where you can relax in comfortable seat under a patio umbrella.