Should I Cover My Patio Furniture In Summer? – Let’s Find Out

I was confused, so I asked myself; Should I cover my Patio furniture in Summer?

Well, let’s find out what will happen next with the newly obtained patio furniture that arrived at my home just a few days ago.

It’s summertime! And this year, just like every other year, my family and I will be traveling!

It is generally advised that we have furniture covers, especially during winter and other rainy seasons.

During winter the weather is cold, dry, and full of moisture. This can be quite damaging to our furniture.

Unlike winter, summers are mostly sunny, hot, and humid. These effects of summer can also cause certain damage to our outdoor furniture.

In this article, we will be discussing if there is a need to cover our patio furniture in summer, the effects of excess sunshine on our furniture, and the best type of covering we can use.

It is important that we cover our patio furniture in summer, so as to protect it from any effect of the sun which could reduce the quality of our furniture.

Patio Furniture Cover

Our outdoor furniture is an extension and an important part of our home designs, as it helps beautify our gardens and backyard.

Considering the fact that they are outside our homes, they get little to no protection against external conditions that may be damaging to them. 

As such, it is needed that we protect them from external factors that may affect them.

One of the best ways to protect our furniture is by using furniture covers. Furniture covers are very helpful as they protect our furniture from almost all external conditions that may be damaging to them.

Note: Protecting your furniture also preserves and prolongs its lifespan of the furniture.

Furniture Cover Materials

Furniture covers are made of several materials which can either be stain-resistant or water-resistant.

The major materials used in making covers are vinyl and polyester.

Vinyl covers are probably the best as they are completely waterproof and don’t get soaked up.

Polyesters on the other hand are also very good provided that the best quality is obtained.

Note: Low quality polyesters are known to easily get soaked and can break in a longer run. This creates room for moisture to get into your furniture.

Whatever the material you want to buy, ensure to get the best quality as it will save you the cost of buying a new one every few years.

Why You Should Use a Furniture Covering

A very common question people ask is do I need to cover my patio furniture?

Furniture coverings are very important tools in terms of our furniture care. They are probably the most versatile solution as they can be used on all types of patio furniture.

Although not all furniture requires a covering, some can withstand certain weather conditions better than others.

We have different types of patio furniture based on materials and each of these materials have either one or two weather conditions that are damaging to them.

Effects of Moisture

Steel and iron get damaged by moisture. So it is a good idea to cover such furniture types at all times when they are not in use.

Covering them is ideal during winter, fall and spring, as moisture causes them to rust.

Wood gets damaged by moisture and dry air. So wooden furniture needs to be covered in winter, spring and fall.

Tip: Moisture causes the wood to lose form and quality. Dry air causes wood to split and crack.

Wickers

Natural wickers are also materials that get damaged by water. Water dampens the wickets and makes them lose shape.

But synthetic wickers are one of the most weather-resistant materials as they can withstand any conditions. Aluminum, plastic, and synthetic wicker are more resistant to moisture.

But because they are lightweight, they could easily get blown away during heavy wind storms. A heavy cover is best for such materials.

All these don’t quite answer the question if we should cover our furniture in summer.

Note: Generally it is a good idea to cover your patio furniture when not in use. 

Covering them helps preserve our furniture from external factors that may damage the furniture, and also help keep our furniture neat and continually clean.

Should I Cover My Patio Furniture in Summers?

Summer is the hottest of all four seasons. The sun is always at its peak and there is longer daylight than in other seasons. The weather is known to be very hot and humid.

And while this isn’t such a bad weather condition it can pose certain damages to materials that can’t withstand the heat of the sun.

Below are the two major ways the sun can affect furniture

1. Ultraviolet Ray (UV)

The sun emits ultraviolet rays which pose a certain threat to our furniture. Overexposure of patio furniture to the sun allows them to be affected by the sun’s UV rays.

The most common effect of UV rays on our furniture is discoloration. So many of our patio furniture comes in quite some colorful designs.

And are under the threat of losing their color under the sun when they are overexposed.

The UV rays emitted from the sun are known to break down the chemicals that exist on the body of our furniture and cause them to gradually lose color.

The discoloration might not happen immediately but a continual exposure would also do the damage.

Although not all furniture material types are affected by the sun such as artificial wicker, it is usually coated in UV-protected coatings.

Wood and plastic are most affected by the UV rays of the sun. This means that such patio furniture should be covered at all times during summer when not in use.

Note: Steel and iron too can also be affected by UV rays, although not so much as wood or plastic.

2. Humidity

Another reason to cover your furniture during summer is humidity. The summer air can be very humid as the heat retains more water vapor.

This water vapor in turn causes moisture in the air which is bad for iron and steel furniture as it causes them to leak rust.

High humidity also affects wood furniture. Wood is susceptible to absorbing moisture in the air which causes it to swell and expand. This way, the wood loses form which isn’t a good look for our furniture.

This expansion could also make the wood become weak and lose the strength to stand upright.

Tip: It is important that we cover our iron, steel and wooden patio furniture during summer to avoid rust and expansion.

Tips For Selecting a Suitable Patio Furniture Cover

• Ensure to get the right fitted cover, try to measure your furniture before purchasing a cover.
• Get water and stain-resistant covers.
• Get a breathable cover that will allow the evaporation of any moisture that slips in.
• Select furniture with tie-downs in order to protect furniture from being blown away during stormy weather.

Tip: Ensure that your furniture is clean and dry at all times before covering it.

Conclusion

So you are still wondering, should I really cover my patio furniture in Summer? Well with this article I believe I have the right answer to the question.

From this article, we can see that it is necessary that we cover our furniture not only during winter and other rainy seasons but also during summer. At best, one should cover the furniture at all times when not in use.

It should be noted that there are other ways to protect our furniture aside from furniture covers but this is still one of the best ways. 

I hope this article has been helpful and that you will certainly put good use to it.