Outdoor decor has it rough. Aside from being a little less insulated than indoor decor, we’re definitely a little less considerate when it comes to its use and maintenance. But as far as furniture goes, it also needs its fair share of love and care—or else you’ll find yourself getting a rather expensive replacement or repair job sooner than you thought you would.
Start with the item itself
Of course, one of the best ways to assure that your furniture can hold up is if it’s built to withstand the elements. This is one area where splurging actually does you some good as it’s more budget-friendly to get something that resists the elements for a long time. Think about this way: If you have plenty of cheap, low-quality furniture and fixtures, they won’t really last long inside your home, especially with the stresses that outside furniture is exposed to. They’ll break easier, which means that you need to get them replaced more often. Even if they don’t, they’ll most likely be in poor shape that you can’t really show them off to guests.
Future-proof your fixtures
On the other hand, if you have to make the most of a bad situation—for example, if the fixtures that you have on hand are something you inherited or are naturally part of the property—there are ways you can get around this, like applying coatings or membranes that can help extend the lifespan of your outdoor decor. High-quality fountain waterproofing products are an excellent example of these, as they easily work with preexisting fountain structures without the need for much with regard to renovation. Simple things, such as applying a coat of varnish or even making your fixtures hydrophobic, can also be excellent options.
Storage, maintenance, and care
Finally, if your outdoor furniture can be stored or folded away, then absolutely take the chance to do so. If it’s intrinsic to its design to actually be portable, then there’s no harm in taking it into the house or to the shed. Not only does this get it literally out of your way, but it also provides you with extra space to work with on the lawn or patio. Otherwise, you may want to look into constructing a shelter for your outdoor furniture or at least investing in a cover of some sort. This helps you keep out the majority of the elements (unlike your usual wind and rain) and gives you some flexibility over the possibilities that you can do with such a space.
Maintaining your outdoor decor is admittedly not easy, but it’s also less complicated than you might expect. There are plenty of products on the market that you can try applying yourself—of course, ideally after a little research—and there’s a very low barrier of entry for care and storage, depending on the fixture.
If all else fails or you’re simply not sure about what to do, you can always ask for professional help. There are plenty of professionals around who can offer you advice on everything about outdoor decor. They can even give you recommendations on how to get the best use out of it.
