We all know how unpredictable the UK weather can be. On average it rains 160 days a year in the UK, and we don’t want to be having to cover or put away our garden furniture every time it rains to keep it looking good. Therefore, it is important to buy outdoor furniture that will be able to withstand whatever the UK weather throws at it.
While there are many different types of outdoor furniture available, for us there is only one that comes out on top for weatherproof garden furniture and that is aluminium garden furniture.
Types of outdoor furniture:
1. Natural Rattan
Although it is an ecologically sound option and it looks wonderful, put simply, natural rattan furniture is not weather resistant. It can be a costly material and is likely not going to last you very long.
2. Wood
Wooden garden furniture needs constant maintenance, and constant sanding and oiling, to keep it resistant to harsh weather. As well as this, some wooden furniture comes from trees cut illegally from the world’s rapidly disappearing rainforests.
3. Plastic
Plastic garden furniture can be durable depending on how heavy it is, some is so light it will blow over. Plastic is also not an eco-friendly option for garden furniture, with a large amount of plastic ending up in landfill. Plastic already makes up 30% of landfill, we don’t want to add to this with waste from our gardens.
4. Steel
Steel outdoor furniture can look wonderful outside and if it is the very expensive marine grade furniture it will last against the weather. If it is normal steel, it will rust as all ferrous material does. Once it starts rusting there is nothing that can be done to prevent it.
Why is aluminium the best choice?
For us, aluminium is the obvious choice for garden furniture. Not just due to it being weatherproof and maintenance free, but for many other reasons.
1. Weatherproof
Aluminium is the perfect materials for all-weather furniture, being able to withstand the worst the UK weather can throw at it. When aluminium is treated properly it does not rot or rust. The quality of aluminium outdoor furniture you buy depends on the amount of material used in manufacture and the time and care taken to prepare it before painting. For example, Oxley’s Furniture manufactures aluminium outdoor furniture that will last for generations.
2. Maintenance Free
Aluminium requires no maintenance to keep it looking good. Aluminium garden furniture can be left outside all year, every year and will still look as good as when you first bought it. It can become a beautiful centrepiece of your outdoor space, to be enjoyed for many years to come.
3. Sustainable
Aluminium is one of the most recycled elements on the planet. Using recycled aluminium saves 95% of the energy needed to make new aluminium. Plus, because aluminium is endlessly recyclable, it can be recycled over and over and never lose its quality. Oxley’s Furniture demonstrates this with their 10 Year Buy Back Guarantee, where they will buy back furniture from customers for half the original price within 10 years of purchase. This simple process is sustainability in action and proves the quality of recycled aluminium.
4. Weight
Aluminium provides the perfect balance of being lightweight enough to easily move your furniture around but also sturdy enough to withstand strong winds. Giving you the best of both worlds.
Our customers come to us to renovate their aluminium furniture as they know that even though their furniture is looking tired and old, the aluminium itself is usually completely sound. It is likely that the original paint and finish job on the furniture was not high quality and therefore not long lasting. Here at Metal Furniture Doctor, we renovate garden furniture that will look good as new when we’re done with it. We firmly believe that our renovation process creates a better finish that what was originally applied to your furniture, we can say this because it is the same process used for Oxley’s Furniture.