Which garden furniture best withstands winter?

Garden furniture is exposed to extreme weather conditions all year round. Especially in winter, however, the material can suffer additional damage – regardless of whether the furniture is made of metal or wood. Livarea shows you how to best get your garden or balcony furniture through winter and keep it fit for the next summer season.

How can wooden garden furniture be protected in winter?

If moisture penetrates the wood and freezes, the water expands in ice form, creating cracks. If temperatures rise above freezing, this also paves the way for mould spores, rot, and insects. For outdoor furniture in winter, this presents a real challenge.

If wooden garden furniture cannot or should not be stored protected, cool, and dry, then design garden furniture made from high-quality, oil-rich wood for outdoor use should be chosen. Teak wood proves particularly durable in this regard. Thanks to its high oil content, this tropical wood is naturally equipped against moisture penetration and requires minimal protection. Wooden garden furniture from the Prostoria Umomoku Outdoor Garden Collection  therefore does not need a special winter storage place. A cover with protective covers or tarpaulins is completely sufficient. If, in addition, it is re-treated with teak oil from the second year onwards, the lifespan can be further extended and the beauty of the material preserved.

Are metal garden furniture suitable for winter?

Metal garden furniture is quite robust, but sun, moisture, and frost can also affect it. Cracks in paint and metal are the consequences. These, in turn, lead to rusty spots, which often go unnoticed at first but then become hard to miss. Here too, design garden furniture has the edge. High-quality and powder-coated metals such as aluminium and stainless steel are unaffected by weather influences, scratches, and other damage. Therefore, additional coatings can be omitted. Apart from that, the material offers great design versatility. The Oasiq Sandur Series made of stainless steel and the Corail Collection  made of aluminium impressively demonstrate this advantage. Furniture made of aluminium, in particular, is exceptionally lightweight and impervious to rust.

Tip: Whether wooden garden furniture or metal variants: No matter how high-quality and durable the pieces are, frost-free and protected winter storage is always preferable. This further reduces maintenance effort and keeps the pieces beautiful for longer.

What to consider for garden furniture cushions in winter?

To make wooden garden furniture and similar items truly comfortable, the right cushions are essential – and these also need to be stored correctly in winter. The following should be considered for them during the upcoming garden furniture winter:

• Water expands in the fibres, can cause cracks, or lead to rot and mildew stains in poorly ventilated rooms. Cushions should therefore be stored dry.
• Contaminants are not only unsightly but also a source of ongoing deterioration processes. Therefore, thorough cleaning of the cushions is necessary before storage.
• Sun can fade cushions and make them brittle. The ideal storage space is therefore dark.

Conclusion

High-quality wooden garden furniture not only offers aesthetic advantages but also scores with less maintenance and a longer lifespan. Oiling wood, repairing small cracks in the coating of metal furniture, and storing both furniture and cushions dry, frost-free, and dark, or at least protecting them with appropriate covers, can further increase their durability. Because the rule is: protecting garden furniture in winter should not take too much time or cause too much effort.

Mira Celini

Interior Designer at Livarea

As an interior designer at Livarea – since 2012 one of Germany's leading online shops for designer furniture – I help customers create their dream homes. My tips come straight from practice: honest, inspiring, and always with an eye for the extraordinary.

→ View all Trendblog articles