Winter Storing Furniture

TEAK FURNITURE

So, what’s the ultimate way to winter store your teak furniture? We recommend that you store your teak furniture under breathable covers, or in an unheated storage. The important thing is to just do something – especially if you want your teak furniture to age gracefully.

Teak furniture will last for centuries. That’s because the teak oil, infused in every cell of the wood, is a natural preservative, giving teak furniture a legendary resistance to rot. However, lasting long is not the same as aging well! Harsh Winter conditions can take their toll on teak. Winter store your teak furniture if you want it to get through the winter undamaged. Let’s look at what can happen to teak furniture during winter, and what you can do to protect it.

The biggest risk is the teak cracking. Temperature swings are the culprit here. This is true all year long, but in winter, many temperature swings occur right around the freezing point of water. When the temperature is above freezing, small amounts of moisture are always finding their way into any existing cracks in the wood, even those hairline cracks you can’t see.  When the air temperature dips below freezing, this moisture in those tiny cracks freezes as well. And whenever water freezes anywhere on earth, it expands. This expansion is powerful and virtually unstoppable. So, it’s no wonder that the freezing of a few drops water will widen the cracks in your teak furniture. This cycle of freeze-and-thaw repeats itself dozens of times in a typical winter season, as the temperature has huge variations. Such repeated stress can turn an unnoticed crack into an ugly scar in just a single winter!

STORING TEAK FURNITURE INSIDE. Now you might think that the ultimate way to protect your teak furniture, is to bring it inside. But there are a couple of concerns with this approach. Here again, temperature change can be a problem, especially if you bring the furniture inside your house to a heated room. Most indoor spaces are less humid than the outdoors. The added heat wants the wood to expand. The drier air wants the wood to contract. The result is cracks!

A better approach is to put your furniture in an unheated room, a sheltered porch, or a garage. Your furniture will get all the protection – without the shock of that big heat and humidity change going from outdoors to a heated interior room.

WINTER STORING ALUMINIUM AND STAINLESS-STEEL FURNITURE

So, what’s the ultimate way to winterproof your aluminium and stainless-steel furniture? We recommend that you store your furniture under breathable covers, or in a storage. The important thing is to avoid to water inside the aluminium and stainless-steel frames (tubes) that can freeze and weaken the frames.

Aluminum and stainless-steel furniture will last for a long time by taking care of them properly. However, lasting long is not the same as aging well! Both aluminum and stainless steel is nearly rustproof, so rain itself won’t cause too many issues. Most aluminum and stainless-steel furniture frames are including holes to help drain water, but these also let water in. As winter temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing, the water will freeze and melt, potentially weakening the frames. Be sure your aluminum and stainless-steel furniture is completely dry before storage to avoid this. Before winter storing, scrub your furniture with a few drops of a mild laundry detergent and warm water. After drying, look for any scratches and touch them up with paint as needed.

WINTER STORING ALUMINIUM AND STAINLESS-STEEL FURNITURE INSIDE. To store your aluminium and stainless-steel furniture inside is a good (but not a necessary) way to protect them. If you have the space, it’s a good solution. You can also store aluminium and stainless steel on a sheltered porch, or a garage.

WINTER STORING OUTDOOR CUSHIONS

So, what’s the ultimate way to winterproof your outdoor cushions? We recommend that you store your them inside or in a storage during the winter.

All our outdoor fabrics are designed to be weather-resistant and much stronger than those made for inside. However, rain, snow, and ice can still damage your outdoor décor if you aren’t careful. Outdoor fabrics will last for a long time. By taking care of them, you will extend the lifespan significantly.

CLEAN THE CUSHIONS BEFORE WINTER STORING. Clean the outdoor fabrics, pillows, cushions, and umbrellas before storage so they’re ready to go for spring. To clean your outdoor cushions, move it to a shady area and brush off any loose dirt. Mix mild detergent with lukewarm water. Use a soft brush or rag to get out tough stains. Let the solution sit for 15 minutes before rinsing with a hose. Allow to air dry in the sun and do not store them until they are completely dry.

FURNITURE COVERS

A breathing cover is a great way to winterproof all your outdoor furniture. There’s one thing you need to look out for when you winterproof your furniture with a cover. It’s got to be “breathable”. Yes, you need it to be watertight. Just not 100%. There’s no problem finding such covers. All the covers we are providing from Skargaarden is breathable. The breathability factor is to prevent mold and mildew from taking hold.

You can of course sew your own furniture covers. Just remember to use breathable fabric and use thread that is for outdoor use. You can order cover fabric from us. If you are looking for a less expensive solution, you don’t even need to sew the covers, just cover the furniture with cover fabric. It is not the best way to do it in our opinion, but it is better than not covering at all. Remember to leave a small gap between the ground and the fabric to ventilate to avoid moisture under the cover.

NOTE. There is a risk that vermin can damage your outdoor cushions that are covered by furniture covers. Because of this we recommend that you store the outdoor cushions out of reach for vermin.