The title of this article is a question you may well be asking yourself when springtime comes around – why do your outdoor furnishings look so bad? If you find yourself asking this question, just know that you are not alone. A lot of people end up in the same boat not realizing what damage has been done to their furniture over the winter until they get an up close look in spring.
Most people are unaware of the kind of damage that winter can do to their furniture until they see it in person. By then it’s usually too late to do anything about it other than get an estimate to fix the problems or to replace the furniture altogether.
One of the first threats to furniture in winter is from the precipitation that falls. Whether it’s snow or freezing rain, there is plenty of precipitation that can fall and get on and in your furniture. The on the furniture part is not as much a part of the problem as the in the furniture part.
When that water gets into your furniture, it sits there and waits until the temperature drops. Then it will start to freeze. Since each drop of water gets larger as it freezes, that means you are going to suddenly have frozen water that is trying to displace more area. This can cause it to push on the furniture pieces making it crack or break. If this happens enough times, it will cause your furniture to weaken through breakage.
The next threat to your outdoor furnishings comes in the form of the dry weather that goes along with winter. Winter is known as a dry time of year. That is, in part, why your lips and skin dry and crack during the winter. Well, your furniture may be having a similar experience.
When it comes to wood furniture you can expect to see some cracking in the wood of the surface as the dry weather pulls natural oils out of the wood. This can lead to small cracks and splits that are ripe for that frozen water we mentioned above to cause problems with.
And it’s not just the furniture construction material that may be having a tough time with the cold and dry weather. The finish on your furniture pieces may not like it either. Often paints, varnishes and other finishes have an adverse reaction to extremely cold temperatures. In many cases freezing weather can cause the paint to crack. Eventually this can lead to chipping. Before long, there will be a lot of damage to your pieces and you will have to refinish them.
Now that you know the threats winter can bring to your outdoor furnishings, you have two choices. You can wait until spring and deal with all of the repairs and refinishing projects you will have to do to reclaim your furniture, or you can act now. That means bringing in the furniture for the winter months to help it stay out of that severe weather.
Author Jennifer Akre, owner of many sites dedicated to indoor and outdoor home decor product and information, provides online consumers with advice on purchasing gorgeous and stunning world globe. Learn how to furnish your space in style and comfort with copper weathervanes for your home. Click today and indulge your senses.