Overwintering garden furniture – what you should consider
Yesterday we were still happy about spring; today, autumn is already around the corner. It can happen so quickly. Squirrels gather nuts for storage, bears eat bacon for hibernation, and we have to prepare ourselves and our garden for winter.
It is essential to cut plants and bring others in to overwinter. The same applies to the garden furniture – bringing it in, not cutting it.
Let’s discuss where the good pieces are best kept and how the various materials cope in winter.
The right winter quarters
Garden furniture should be stored dry, well ventilated, and sufficiently protected from frost and UV light. However, where can you find all this at once?
Depending on the space available, garden furniture is often found in the basement, garage, or attic during winter. Here it is (normally) dry, dark, and protected from frost. Ventilation can then be provided manually in between. But make sure that the winter quarters are not too warm inside, especially with natural materials. Wooden furniture could be sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity, and crack.
The garden house sounds ideal for winter storage, provided it is big enough. But is it airtight and therefore dry and frost-free? If you are unsure, better not take the chance.
If you don’t have space for your large garden furniture or want to use it in winter, take protective covers to help. The furniture should be stored in them as dry as possible. Do you also remember the excellent ventilation? Even protective covers should not be completely airtight because no one likes sweaty furniture full of mold.
No matter which storage location you choose, your furniture requires extra care and has different needs.
It all depends on the material
So now you know where you want your furniture to go. Next, we need to look at the material your good pieces are made of, as not all fabrics respond to weather and temperature changes in the same way.
Wooden garden furniture
Whether the wood is susceptible to frost and moisture depends entirely on the wood itself.
Hardwoods such as teak or eucalyptus are naturally robust and can easily be overwintered outside, provided they are well cared for and oiled regularly.
Softwoods such as beech, spruce, or larch, on the other hand, are very susceptible to cracks, moisture, and the corresponding mold or pest infestation. Therefore, this wooden furniture should be stored indoors, but (as mentioned above) not too warm otherwise, the wood will become brittle.
In addition, care plays a vital role in garden furniture made of wood. They should be thoroughly cleaned before storage; this can be done with soap and water or special cleaning agents. This also includes sanding down weathered areas. If the wood is clean, free of grease, and dry, you should still seal it with special oils or glazes.
Metal garden furniture
There are also two types of different metal furniture.
Those made of aluminum and stainless steel are extremely easy to care for and robust. As long as the riveting points are clean and any plastic joints are in good condition, the furniture is hardly susceptible to rust and can be left outside without any problems.
Heavy metal furniture made of cast or wrought iron which rusts very quickly and is therefore already painted when purchased. If the paint is flawless, this furniture can also spend the winter outdoors. Even the most minor crack in the paint can lead to nasty rust spots. So look twice and touch up the damaged areas. It is better to bring the iron furniture into the dry if you are unsure.
Genuine wickerwork is sensitive and, due to its nature, cannot be helped even by conventional oils. Only special rattan varnishes form the important protective film that makes your furniture weatherproof. However, the varnishes will not get your rattan furniture through the winter.
If possible, rattan furniture should be stored indoors. If there is no way around an outdoor space, protect your garden furniture from moisture, including your feet. Unique covers, such as the premium cover sets, cover the entire piece of furniture.
Garden furniture made of plastic/poly rattan
Poly rattan is an exceptional case. This material does not absorb moisture, is very robust, and can easily spend the winter outdoors. A cover still makes sense so that your poly rattan furniture is not exposed to too much UV radiation.
Yes, that’s right: You only have to protect this material from too much sun in winter.
Do you feel ready for winter now? In our range, you will find various protective covers and boxes and large equipment cabinets in which you can store a lot.
After that, you can snuggle up and wait for spring.
