Outdoor Furniture Covers Guide
What are outdoor furniture covers?
Outdoor furniture covers are pieces of material to help keep your prized garden furniture safe during the winter months. In a perfect world we’d store the furniture indoors, however if this isn’t possible, to help your garden furniture survive the winter you need a decent cover.
Types of furniture covers
Universal covers come in several different outdoor furniture styles as long as your furniture are the same or smaller than the cover.
Custom covers are created for specific furniture sets, and you can also use customized covers for furniture that has less than the standard shape.
Ideally, get one sizeable universal cover to protect all your furniture in one place or several smaller ones to protect your objects individually. Before buying this cover, ensure the furniture is measured perfectly before using it.
What to look out for?
Patio furniture covers are specially shaped to keep your patio furniture from deteriorating when they are not being used. We highly suggest washing the furniture thoroughly before storing it for the winter.
The right size
It is important that you buy the appropriate sizes of covers to cover your outdoor furniture . Sometimes the cover length is excessive and the floor is covered with dirt and water which absorbs moisture in to the material. .
If they are too tight that they cannot be completely stretched across furniture pieces, they make shrinks a bit and leave some furniture exposed
How should I measure:
Sometimes it can prove difficult when measuring furniture due to the odd shape. Measure your items at the longest point hozirontal and vertically, if you’re buying a cover for multiple pieces of furniture then don’t forget to take account of the space in between them. Water-resistant cover helps keep away the occasional drenching and is designed to protect against dust, bird droppings, leaf and other debris.
Fabrics
The correct furniture covering should provide an effective and durable surface during the seasons while preventing damage to patio furniture. These are some popular materials: Polyester has a strong withstand and water-resistant nature. This cloth is coated with ultraviolet protection, as well as resistance to mildew. It has a durable surface that can withstand water and UV. Canvas is natural and requires protection from the sun and mould and mildew – resistant coating. These fabrics are sturdy and washable.
Types
Universal covers fit many types of outdoor furniture provided your furniture pieces are of similar sizes. Choose a large universal cover for protecting your furniture at once or a few small covers for protecting your individual items. Tailored covers can be customized to specific furniture styles. They’ll be the perfect size for the manufacture’s patio sets. You are also able to customize furniture covers in different shapes and sizes. Get an accurate measurement on your sofa before putting your cover together.
A good cover will tie down well. If there’s strong winds, without being adequately tied down, the furniture cover may flap in the wind and allow moisture i.e the rain in, which could potentially damage the furinture. Another way to add security is to attach covers with additional elastic, reinforced tie straps with buckles, velcro or zippers.
Ventilation
When water is trapped inside your patio cover, mould and mildew can grow on your furniture. It is important that there is air circulation. Some covers have breathable fabrics, but these fabrics have the capacity to absorb water. Other covers contain ventilation ducts which allow air to pass.
What type of outdoor furniture can you help to protect?
BBQs
Top things to look for in an outdoor furniture cover.
Waterproof fabric (you need more than water-resistant)
Tear resistant
UV resistant coating
Heavy duty cover
Ideally, you wouldn’t leave garden furniture outside during winter. Still, if you can’t take everything indoors, you need to look at another solution like buying covers.
It might seem like a hassle and aren’t cheap, but a good furniture cover is vital to protect your outdoor furniture.
Finding the best garden furniture cover made simple.
An essential part of an adequate cover is that it does not allow any moisture in or out. There might be some research needed because each piece has different dimensions and sizes from others, and some will be better at protecting from the elements than others.
There are many great options available, especially if you buy a cover made with heavy-duty material that will keep water at bay and other elements such as dust, dirt and germs away from your furniture sets that can ruin them over time due to weather conditions.
The more layers, the better protection your furniture will have from water and other elements that can damage the finish or even cause mould to grow on it over time, so if your furniture is costly, then you might want to think about doubling up the protection.
Easy to put on and remove
A great thing about these covers is how easy they are to put on and take off, just like a fitted sheet for a bed, while others snap together with ease; each piece of furniture is effortlessly protected once they are on.
These covers come in various sizes, including those that fit standard outdoor furniture sets along with ones that also cover chaise lounge chairs, small tables and larger patio tables.
Furniture covers come with a way to secure them onto each piece along with an elastic feature that goes around each leg and secured into place or even leaving enough overhang at one end where snow and ice may build up fast during storms but will easily slide off and out of harm’s way.
How to protect the furniture in winter?
Use a furniture protector that fits the size of your furniture, or order a custom one if available.
One factor to consider that is often overlooked is the smell that can be created with furniture covers. Try to choose one with hidden air vents that helps to prevent mildew build up underneath the cover, which can degrade the furniture’s material and cause it to smell.
An excellent way to find out which one works best is by checking online for customer reviews—the more positive ones you see, the better you’ll know it is! It’s always good to know your budget beforehand, so don’t go overboard if you don’t need to.
How do I secure garden furniture covers?
Tying down the garden furniture covers is very important if you want your cover to work correctly. Most covers should have straps or hooks as their attachment point.
Some covers include additional Velcro straps for better fit – they need to be tightened to attach the furniture they are trying to protect fully. These straps should be long enough to be used universally with chairs and tables of different sizes.
Important! If you do not attach the garden furniture cover properly, it will not offer you the protection against bad weather that you were looking for in the first place.
Can you wash garden furniture covers?
Spray the surface with the appropriate cleaning solution, leave the solution exposed and wipe down dirt and stains if required.
As the covers are made of various materials, following the manufacturer’s instructions and cleaning may be necessary. In most cases, you can wash them with a soap dish detergent or with a spray washer.