Likes / Dislikes of Outdoor Wicker Furniture...?

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Yeah, this is what I'm worried about...the blazing sun here and the 115 degree heat, ugh! Just not sure it will hold up or not. It's so hard to find durable outdoor stuff here.

Thanks all for your feedback, so helpful. I do agree that the wicker stuff is almost always so comfy, which I really like.

Our teak set we got last year has been on our roof deck since we got it. It holds up great to the heat, and we bought it already a few years old. You just gotta put cushions on the chairs, otherwise not comfy. I think teak is really the only thing that will last for years and years in the desert. Vegas summers are 115 also.

[ironmike86]

Teak will last anywhere. The pillow is what makes them all comfy. Teak is what I would buy if I had the budget for it. Last for awhile

[capt_noonie]

Yeah that is what I meant. Teak lasts forever anywhere but will also last very long in the desert. Luckily for us we got our set used. She told us it was her daughter's who lived in Orange County, lived on the same street as Kobe Bryant in Newport Beach. They paid like $5k for the set. She sold it to us for like $250 IIRC. Long table that extends out and 5 chairs.

[ironmike86]

Yup not my budget for where I live. If I was in a hot climate I would build a big outdoor space with a roof that filtered the sun and buy good outdoor furniture. Its worth it imo.

[MauiGirl]

I really like my teak table and chairs, very solid and sturdy. After many years of various metal tables that rust, with glass tops that always look dirty and get permanent spots, the teak was a nice upgrade. I have had it 9 years, and as Priscilla said, it will last forever.

I like the orangey color when new, but also looks good when it fades to the patina grey natural look. Wish I had the time to sand mine and use teak oil to make it look new again. And yes, seat cushions are good for comfort.

[KazzyK810]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Yeah, this is what I'm worried about...the blazing sun here and the 115 degree heat, ugh! Just not sure it will hold up or not. It's so hard to find durable outdoor stuff here.

Thanks all for your feedback, so helpful. I do agree that the wicker stuff is almost always so comfy, which I really like.

Will it be completely exposed or do you have sone kind of shade, pergola, umbrella, etc?

All my outdoor wicker is inside (I have wrought iron furniture on my patio), but it is exposed to literally freezing cold in the winter in my unheated sunroom. And it gets hot n the summer as it has three walls of windows and no ac, faces south and gets full sun all summer long. Some pieces are 4 yrs old and some 5yrs, but it all looks brand new still.

I need wrought iron on my patio, because of wind...and I like it...just not too fond of having to touch it up with fresh paint every few years to keep it looking good. And you HAVE to use a cushion or you end up with a mesh imprint on your legs and a sore butt after just a few minutes.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by MauiGirl

I really like my teak table and chairs, very solid and sturdy. After many years of various metal tables that rust, with glass tops that always look dirty and get permanent spots, the teak was a nice upgrade. I have had it 9 years, and as Priscilla said, it will last forever.

I like the orangey color when new, but also looks good when it fades to the patina grey natural look. Wish I had the time to sand mine and use teak oil to make it look new again. And yes, seat cushions are good for comfort.

I love the patina'd color! We stained it too dark last year, plus two chairs. Now the sun has faded the stain and I like how it looks now. We still have 3 other chairs we left unstained. We bought teak oil last year too and never used it!

[MauiGirl]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

I love the patina'd color! We stained it too dark last year, plus two chairs. Now the sun has faded the stain and I like how it looks now. We still have 3 other chairs we left unstained. We bought teak oil last year too and never used it!

Nice that either way is totally acceptable. I get tempted to lightly sand and use teak oil, but have so many other things to do I know I won't get around to it. I just love teak and inside have teak flooring upstairs, and lots of teak furniture pieces (bookcases, coffee tables, benches etc.).

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by KazzyK810

Will it be completely exposed or do you have sone kind of shade, pergola, umbrella, etc?

All my outdoor wicker is inside (I have wrought iron furniture on my patio), but it is exposed to literally freezing cold in the winter in my unheated sunroom. And it gets hot n the summer as it has three walls of windows and no ac, faces south and gets full sun all summer long. Some pieces are 4 yrs old and some 5yrs, but it all looks brand new still.

I need wrought iron on my patio, because of wind...and I like it...just not too fond of having to touch it up with fresh paint every few years to keep it looking good. And you HAVE to use a cushion or you end up with a mesh imprint on your legs and a sore butt after just a few minutes.

It's hard to explain (I should take a pic), but it's mostly covered -- BUT, the harsh afternoon will hit it after a certain point, which can get very, very hot.

Guys, I do love the idea of teak...the reason I struggle w/ it is this: you need lots of cushions to make it comfy and cushions don't last here in AZ hardly at all...so they'd need lots of storage. Whereas w/ wicker -- you need less cushions, but it's still comfy. I'm terrible at storing cushions so I'd either be lazy and leave them out, requiring frequent replacement, or, I'd be putting them away all the time and would then rarely even use the furniture. Ya know? So I just don't know.

How do you guys store your cushions? Or do you use covers?

[Verbena]

They sell covers to put over the furniture. You can get those so you can leave the cushions on the chairs and protect them . . Then you just have to store the covers when you use the chairs . . Lot less to store

[ironmike86]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Whereas w/ wicker -- you need less cushions, but it's still comfy. I'm terrible at storing cushions so I'd either be lazy and leave them out, requiring frequent replacement, or, I'd be putting them away all the time and would then rarely even use the furniture. Ya know? So I just don't know.

How do you guys store your cushions? Or do you use covers?

Nope wicker needs good cushions also to be comfortable. Not hard like teak but not comfortable either. I just use covers for mine.I only use them maybe 2-3 months outta the year . Most the time they are covered. Parties or nice summers they get used. Cover are about $100+ for good ones.But I dunno..hot climate you would use more no covers would be a pain also. Replacing cushions maybe the only choice if you wanna be lazy. Or finds some good one you can hose off the clean.. Everything is either gonna co$t money or co$t time....

[KazzyK810]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

How do you guys store your cushions? Or do you use covers?

I don't like covers outside because spiders and such crawl under them.

In summer, I hang my cushions on the wall in the breezeway, so they are easy to grab. Usually it's just me, or me and a friend, so i only need a couple of cushions most of the time. I do have to make a point to rotate them, or I'd be using the same few cushions over and over again, and they'd wear quicker than the rest.

When i have a large group over, I make sure the cushions are on the six seats already, and grab the 4 cushions for the table in the yard too, and make sure everything is set up before anyone arrives. This is often when i drag my wicker chairs outside too for extra seating. My wicker is pretty comfy even without cushions...so i think that depends on the style of furniture you have. I only use seat cushions on my wicker, no back cushion, and they aren't very thick. They are mainly just to add color to the room and coordinate with my window treatments & accessories.

[dinkster]

I have a fake wicker chair and ottoman. It spend about 6 years on a 3 season porch, and has been on a covered front porch for the last 3 years, so it really has not been exposed to snow or rain or even heavy sunlight. Still, it looks great. No splits, no fading.