Furniture that’s designed to be used outside needs to be attractive, and needs to withstand the weather. Even if you plan to move the furniture back and forth into a shed of some kind, it needs to be weather resistant. On warm days, the humidity outside can be much higher than the humidity inside. That alone can cause some types of exposed steel or iron to rust. Furthermore, you will need to deal with the direct sunlight that can begin to bleach paint. One of the best materials for furniture is cement. Cement is a great material that will withstand a lot of abuse. It will hold up against wind, rain, spills, sunlight, and whatever else it’s exposed to.
Glass-Reinforced Cement
In the past, some outdoor furniture was made from just a mixture of cement. This furniture was incredibly durable and reliable, but was also very heavy. The new types of cement furniture are much lighter weight and more adaptable. The most common kind of cement for furniture is a glass-reinforced cement. Glass-reinforced cement is not filled with glass in the typical sense; it is made by mixing cement with fibreglass. Fibreglass is lightweight and flexible, but also very strong. So when it is mixed into cement, it greatly reduces the weight of the cement while not compromising the integrity of the material.
It’s a great choice for any type of patio furniture you might be looking for. In addition to being lightweight and strong, glass-reinforced cement is a great choice since it is attractive. It looks good, and actually begins to look better as time goes on.
Patina of Age
As the cement is exposed to different weather conditions, it will begin to change colours. Most glass-reinforced cement begins to take on a mottled grey patina as it ages. If you’ve seen old stone statues, you’ve seen the kind of patina it begins to pick up. It is considered very aesthetically pleasing, for it adds a classic feel to any patio to have the mottled patina. However, you should not just leave your cement furniture completely unattended. You want it to pick up the patina, but you don’t want it to actually degrade.
Typically, cement furniture is sealed with a clear coat that keeps the tabletop from absorbing too much moisture and dirt. Cement is a somewhat porous material that will pick up moisture over time. That’s not much of a danger to your table, but it can allow fungus and mildew to grow in the cracks of the table. It can also make it much harder to clean.
Reapplying the sealant every few years is a good idea for maintaining a quality table. You should also clean the table occasionally. Fortunately, all you need to do is spray it with a hose. If you want, you can use a mild detergent and a soft-bristled brush to scrub the table. Those simple steps can keep your table looking great for decades. Cement furniture is built to last a very long time.
