Choosing the Right Garden Furniture – Which is best for you?
Garden Furniture Sets:
There are thousands of garden furniture products on the market and when looking for the first time, the choice can seem overwhelming. Here are a few considerations which may help you identify the most suitable products for your purposes:
Base Material -
Teak is a beautiful wooden material for outdoor furniture sets and has proved to be a very popular choice. The wood retains natural oils and withstands weathering, requiring only occasional cleaning and application of teak oil to retain its golden colour. Teak is a dense hardwood and therefore larger items of furniture can be quite heavy. Top quality teak will last a lifetime and so can be quite expensive initially. Eucalyptus is often also used as a cheaper alternative and has many of the properties of teak.
Cast Aluminium furniture can offer ornate styling, weather resistance and long term durability. Cast Aluminium items also have a solid feel and will not blow over in wind, yet are light enough to be moveable. There are an infinite number of coloured powder coated finishes available, although white and ‘cast iron’ hues are popular. Items of furniture are usually of fixed dimensions (not foldable) so they can be bulky to store if you do not want your furniture outside all year.
Textilene fabric is a woven material made from plastic coated polyester fibres. It is used extensively in folding outdoor seating in combination with aluminium or wooden framing, offering the benefits of strength, durability and light weight. Textilene is great when you want a dual purpose set which you can take with you on days out.
Tables
Decide where you will store the table when not in use- this may determine its maximum size;
Make sure you have enough space not just for the table size you are condsidering, but also for a person sat each side of it at your chosen location;
If you already have, or are considering a free-standing patio heater, look for compatible ‘patio heater’ tables which can accommodate the diameter of the heater stem;
Some tables also have a ‘Lazy Susan’ incorporated, which is a swivel top for rotating food dishes;
Consider the variety of table shapes available to suit your setting – rectangular, oval, square or circular.
Benches and Loungers
Wood remains popular, with Teak being the top choice for ultimate durability, although Eucalyptus hardwood is a cheaper alternative, requiring occasional maintenance treatment. A solid bench needs to be set on firm ground: timber or concrete, which is level so that the structure of the seat is not stressed in situ.
Loungers come in all manner of materials, sizes and weights. You may want a lounger to compliment your garden set, as possible with our Oasis range. Some are portable with wheels on an axle or ultra-light for taking on holiday.
Garden Structures:
Garden Structures add interest and focal points to your garden, breaking up blank views and facilitating new vistas and hideaway spots. Typical structures include:
Arches – for climbing plants and an element of interest;
Arbours – seating units with a side and roof structure. For a garden hideaway, encourage climbing plants to take hold on the trellis sides, partially camouflaging the arbour;
Gazebos and Pagodas – open sided structures with a canopy, offering space underneath for social gatherings and eating alfresco. Some timber built gazebos include built-in benches.