Dec 22 2009
Finding Patio Furniture Covers
When I was choosing new patio furniture covers I felt a bit lost. I was really tired of having to wash my patio table each time my family wanted to eat in the backyard, which in the summer is almost every other day. I live in an area that has a lot of squirrels and birds and raccoons and I just wasn’t comfortable with my children eating off the table before I had a chance to wash in it good warm soapy water.
The other reason I wanted patio furniture covers is that the sun and the rain and the snow can really damaged the finish on my wooden furniture. I have some lovely furniture that looks teak but isn’t teak. I got a great deal on it at Canadian Tire a few years ago. It has really held up well and I’m pleased with it. However, it can show some age.
Almost every autumn I have a fall clean up ritual that involves the whole family. I lightly sand the table and chairs, re-apply a teak or walnut stain and then rub some furniture oil into the wood. The patio furniture really looks fresh and nice when I’m finished. Undoubtedly, this little effort has saved me money by adding years to the life of my furniture. I don’t really mind the job and enjoy the fact that it has become a family tradition. However, having some new outdoor patio furniture covers might allow me the time to do other fall clean up jobs.
I have spoken to a lot of people about buying covers and it would appear that I might be the only one in my circle of friends that has ever thought seriously about these covers. Furthermore, I have gone to a handful of patio furniture shops and very few of them sell covers for the furniture. The covers that were available were either the wrong size or far too expensive for my needs. Most of the staff at the patio furniture shop only thought about covering the furniture for the winter. One guy who was trying to be helpful suggested I just use a table cloth for family dinners.
Given the effort I’ve put into finding the covers, I have been able to clearly define what I need to get out of the covers. The covers need to be water resistant and washable. I’m ok with covering the furniture with a tarp during the harsh winter so the patio furniture covers don’t need to stand up to snow and freezing weather. They need to be reasonably priced. In my mind, I should be able to cover 4 chairs and a 3.5′ by 6′ patio table for under $100US.
Buying outdoor patio furniture covers is not as simple as I first expected it to be. The covers themselves are fairly hard to come by. Finding something in your price range and colour and that fits your furniture can be daunting. On the advice of a friend, I’m going to continue to write articles and post on my blog on outdoor patio furniture covers until I finally find a set to call my own.
Find more articles about outdoor furniture covers by visiting outside furniture covers.
