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Original poster

All-year-round outdoor furniture?

15 replies

CoffeeMum · 29/03/2011 09:46

Does this exist? I'm after a chunky, wooden table and chairs set, but we won't be able to store it in rainy or cold weather. Are there wooden sets that you can just leave outside all year, or do you have to go for plastic, or buy covers?

Happy to spend about £200.

Any suggestions or recommendations gratefully received, thank you!

OP posts:

nocake · 29/03/2011 12:21

I've just bought a Kettler Royal table and chairs, second hand from eBay. They last better than anything else I've seen, which is why we bought them as we have no-where to store them indoors. Unfortunately they are way outside your budget new but it's worth keeping an eye on eBay as I paid £211 for ours.

Original poster

CoffeeMum · 29/03/2011 16:20

Thanks nocake. Just googled Kettler Royal furniture, and it's lovely, but i was definitely hankering for something wooden - it'll just suit our garden better i think. The Kettler stuff looks far too sophisticated for our purposes!

Anyone else got wooden furniture that they leave out all year round? I'm open to weatherproofing it somehow...

OP posts:

geordieminx · 29/03/2011 22:16

You could cover them in the winter? Focus have a wooden set reduced just now, 6 chairs and a table I think

CointreauVersial · 30/03/2011 00:39

We have a teak set, bought off eBay, but from these guys. It is very solid, goes green/silver over the winter, but a quick blast with the jet-wash brings it back again. Teak is very weather-proof, but you may struggle to stay under £200.

Pinkcushion · 30/03/2011 07:13

Be careful with covering - the moisture build from condensation can cause mould to grow.

We have teak - good quality teak - I really wish we'd waited a couple of years and bought the new plastic weave stuff that doesn't require any maintenance and can even be bleached if the mould or algae grab hold, unfortunately finances (& guilt) do not allow for a swap. I hate the maintenance involved with teak.

teta · 30/03/2011 09:15

The all-weather basket weave furniture is really lovely and hard-wearing.Ikea have a good range that can be left out all year.I move my wooden furniture under cover every winter and then they have to be cleaned and oiled every year.

CointreauVersial · 30/03/2011 18:09

Pink - teak is low-maintenance, really. You don't have to oil it if you don't want - it will go silver, but because of the close grain, it shouldn't rot.

Original poster

CoffeeMum · 31/03/2011 09:20

Thanks everybody! Hmm, maybe wood isn't a good bet after all [though thanks for the tip about Focus]- i really don't want to have to cover it in the winter because our garden is titchy and i don't really want a covered set of furniture looking ugly and taking up lots of space. Also, it sounds quite high maintenance if you have to oil it, hose it down etc - i am quite lazy really

Thanks for the tips about the plastic weave stuff though, sounds very interesting, I will investigate - especially the Ikea tip.

Thanks again everyone

OP posts:

Pinkcushion · 31/03/2011 09:48

It does go a silvery colour and in my view looks old and shabby compared to the beautiful honey colour is was when new. Not even keen on the oiled version - it looks too dark.
I know it won't rot but it won't look good either. It's my biggest most expensive regret in the house yet.

Original poster

CoffeeMum · 31/03/2011 10:00

Thanks pink. I've looked at the plastic weave stuff,and it's nice enough, but not really my taste and is a bit too posh for our garden! I think i'm still really up for wood, but i'll make sure we get something fairly small and foldable so that we can put it up in the attic over the winter. Should have thought of that sooner! - for some reason was thinking we'd need to store it in a shed or something, that we don't have. Have seen some lovely cheap, compact wooden stuff in Ikea, so i'm happy. Thanks everyone

OP posts:

CointreauVersial · 31/03/2011 13:23

Pink - have you got a jet-wash (one of those Karcher things)?

DH blasted our set with it last weekend, and it looks brand-new again - all the colour came back.

Pinkcushion · 31/03/2011 14:17

Yeah we had to buy one last year - specifically for the outdoor furniture - my back was broken scrubbing the bloody thing every year.

J0hn1 · 11/04/2015 15:32

Has anyone any experience of 'lifeoutdoorliving.co.UK' weather proof garden furniture . its expensive but lovely and worth it if it is as good as suggests .

Hobbes8 · 12/04/2015 16:31

I've got some hardwood furniture. It's not teak, but has similar properties, ie it doesn't rot. I've had it years - after a couple of years it had gone a silvery colour. I painted it bright blue with cuprinol and it looks lovely.

nevertoomuch · 12/04/2015 17:17

I think we have teak also. It just gets cleaned down every year, not a massive job tbh and it is now a lovely silver colour. Over winter DH tips it on its side so the rain runs off and it goes against the wall for bit of extra protection. We used it over easter - just popped a table cloth over it as we not cleaned it yet. Its gone back on its side again now:(

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