How do you know when it’s time to replace your outdoor furniture? Let’s be honest, we all enjoy shopping for furniture. You get to explore lots of different colors and styles and imagine how they will all fit into your backyard. It’s a chance to create the perfect outdoor space that you’ve always wanted.
But it’s a big expense, and it’s not one you can undertake on a whim.
So, when is the right time to take that big step and invest in a new set of patio furniture?
When Your Furniture is Warped, Rotten, or Rusted
Outdoor furniture needs a lot of care and maintenance. This is especially true for wood, wicker, and metal furniture, which is prone to weather damage:
- Wood Furniture: Although wooden furniture has the “rustic” and “authentic” appeal that many homeowners seek, it’s also the most problematic material. During the winter, moisture becomes trapped inside the pores of the furniture and when it freezes, it expands and cracks the wood. These cracks aren’t always evident, but if the furniture remains exposed and the problem persists, it will eventually break completely.
- Wicker Furniture: Wicker suffers from many of the same issues as wood. The difference is that it’s not as strong or as easy to treat. Always check the care instructions and make sure you follow them to the letter. Doing so could add years to the life of your wicker furniture.
- Iron and Steel Furniture: Although iron and steel chairs and tables are strong, heavy, and durable, they are also susceptible to rust. Rain is the worst enemy of iron and steel and if it’s not properly cleaned and maintained, the damage will build up and leave you with a few heavy lumps of worthless metal.
- Plastic Furniture: You generally don’t have to worry about rotting, cracking, or rusting with plastic furniture. It’s also relatively cheap. However, it’s not impervious to harm and is very susceptible to warping under intense heat or as a result of general wear and tear. What’s more, it’s lightweight and will blow away in strong winds. When that happens, it is prone to cracking, bending, and terrifying your neighbors.
It should be noted that most furniture can be salvaged. It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, there is usually something that you can do to repair it. However, it may require a lot of work, patience, and a level of craftsmanship that you just don’t have.
In such cases, you may determine that the best course of action is to buy some new tables and chairs and send the old ones to the scrapyard.
When Your Furniture is Riddled with Bacteria
Rain doesn’t just rust iron/steel and crack wood. It also creates a haven for bacteria. If your way of cleaning your furniture is to wait for the rain to wash it and the sun to dry it, it’ll be riddled with bacteria, mold, and mildew. You might not notice it right away, but it’s there, and eventually, it will start to smell and even rot.
Again, most of it can be salvaged. You can cut away rotten wood and clean mold. But when the rot has spread too far and you don’t have the means to repair it, the easiest solution is to buy some more furniture.
When Your Furniture is Old and Faded
Summer can be just as harmful for your furniture as winter. In fact, most homeowners store/cover their furniture during the winter and leave it out during the summer, so it can be even more damaging.
The same UV rays that harm your skin can fade your fabrics and damage your wooden furniture. It’ll turn bright and vibrant upholstery into dull and jaundiced fabrics while destroying protective lignin inside wooden furniture.
A little elbow grease and spray paint isn’t going to help you here. You could try changing the fabrics and treating the wood, but even that might not save it.
When Your Furniture Requires Too Much Maintenance
Wooden furniture needs to be treated every year or two. It should also be cleaned every couple of weeks to remove bacteria, dirt, and detritus. Metal furniture needs a similar level of care to remove salt, dirt, and rust.
If you’re a very busy person who hates cleaning, all of that maintenance becomes a chore. You could be tempted to just ignore it and let Mother Nature do its thing, but that will greatly shorten the life of the furniture.
The other option is to give your existing furniture one last scrub and then sell it on the used marketplace. If it’s in good condition, you can get a very respectable price before using that cash to buy something that requires less maintenance.
Seven Summers furniture is a great example. All of our pieces are made from poly lumber, a material composed of recycled detergent bottles and milk cartons. Not only is it an eco-friendly material that reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, but it’s also comfortable, attractive, and very easy to maintain.
Poly lumber doesn’t fade like fabrics. It doesn’t split like wood. It doesn’t rust like iron. It will still get a little dirty after heavy use and as a result of rain, wind, and dust storms, but it’s easy to clean and not as demanding as other materials.
Just think of all the time and money you could save by opting for a low-maintenance alternative!
When Your Furniture Has Broken
It should go without saying, but if a chair leg has snapped, a dining table has cracked, or a side table has smashed, it’s time for a change. You could piece things back together with a little glue, tape, and creativity—place a book under the wobbly leg, push the wonky table against a wall—but at some point, it stops being practical and becomes a liability.
Do yourself and your guests a favor and invest in some brand-new patio furniture!
When The Styles Don’t Match
Many patio furniture sets are composed over time and are completely disordered as a result.
You began with a single chair and table, you add a chair you found on Craigslist, a side table given by a friend. In the end, it looks like you’re arranging a garage sale.
Sure, it’s practical, but does it look good? Does it make you feel happy when you step outside? Are you happy to invite your friends, families, and neighbors around?
More importantly, is it the patio that you always wanted and are you happy with it?
If not, and if you have the funds for a renovation, it’s time to invest in some new furniture. Look for pieces that all come from the same collection or otherwise work well together. You want a clean, cohesive collection that makes you proud to host garden parties!
When You’re Organizing a Party
Speaking of garden parties, if you’re planning a big event, it’s time to consider how your patio will look and whether or not you have enough chairs and tables.
You don’t need to buy a chair for every guest, otherwise, you’ll have dozens of chairs that only ever get used once a year and spend the rest of the time gathering dust, rust, or dirt. But you will need enough for most people to sit down, rest their drinks, eat their food, and play games.
Outdoor parties are a great way to throw a house party without putting your sofa or carpet in harm’s way. You don’t need to worry about spilled drinks or food and as long as the sun keeps shining, you can go all day long. Just remember to check the weather, make sure you have enough surfaces and chairs, and if it’s going to run long into the night, add some lighting and a firepit or two.
When Elbow Grease Just Isn’t Enough
If your furniture has accumulated a thick layer of dust, rust, or grime, and no amount of soapy water and scrubbing will remove it, then it could be time to invest in something new. Most dirt can be removed, but the effort might be more than you care to expend.
When You Want To!
Last but not least, you should change your outdoor furniture when you want to! That’s really the only rule. If you fancy a change, whether because you’ve found a new collection that you like or you’re just getting tired of the old one, now is always the right time.
It really all comes down to what you want and whether or not you have the budget. And if you don’t have much cash to spend, don’t worry, as there are lots of ways to get quality outdoor furniture for less.
For more information, check out our Collections page, which includes a wealth of high-quality poly lumber furniture. You can find a style and collection that suits you, and because our furniture is timeless, durable, and comfortable, it should maintain pride of place in your collection for years to come.