Your outdoor garden furniture can be the centre of your outdoor living and the hosting location for barbecues and drinks with family and friends. Your garden furniture should allow you to soak up the sunshine and relax.
However, exposure to the elements, including rainstorms, high humidity, strong sunshine and blizzard-like snow fall can all take its toll. With this in mind, we should consider whether plastic, metal, or wood furniture is more comfortable and able to endure the best and worst of our British weather.
The comfort and durability of outdoor garden furniture
Your selection of garden furniture may include picnic tables, workbenches, outdoor dining sets, outdoor coffee tables, and rocking chairs. Here we take a look at how metal, wood and plastic furniture perform over time.
Moisture and rain – Pressure treated wood furniture and plastic furniture can stand up to rot, mould, and mildew, which can all be causes of health issues. Steel furniture and iron furniture are susceptible to corrosion and the material can decay. The oxidation process gradually begins to weaken the metal, which then rusts and discolours.
Temperature and sun exposure – Fluctuations in temperature, both hot and cold, can be a problem for some types of garden chairs and tables. UV rays may cause some plastics to fade or crack, losing their patina and colour vibrancy. Metals can absorb heat, and this can make them uncomfortable or even dangerous to touch. Wood can retain its looks for many years and remain temperate, even under strong sunshine.
Wind – Plastic furniture can be lightweight, which is great for moving the garden items around. But, under windy conditions they may blow away or tip over. Hard materials or sharp materials like metal may damage other items in your garden, such as a wooden deck, if they blow over. This may mean that you will need to store wood or plastic furniture over winter.
Maintenance – Wood furniture can be cleaned with soap and water, along with a cloth or sponge. Plastic can be wiped down but degradation in colour cannot be restored. Metal furniture may need to be treated for rust and repainted on a regular basis.
Handcrafted wood furniture made from the finest Swedish Redwood
Our Swedish redwood is pressure treated to protect it from the elements. The furniture grade wood is durable and sturdy and because it is resistant to moisture and decay, it retains its natural beauty and remains eye-catching well into the future.
Resistant to insects and able to withstand large amounts of weight and constant use, MG Timber’s wooden outdoor garden furniture feels smooth and is comfortable to relax on. Wood from optimal parts of the tree, with the fewest defects, has beautiful grains that can have a variety of finishes, including varnish and paint.
Wood is the most natural material, so it makes sense that wood outdoor garden furniture performs best, in comparison to metal and plastic.