Yes, you can leave your patio furniture outside during rainy weather provided that people do not intend on sitting or standing on it when it’s wet. However, it’s best to cover them if you want to extend your furniture’s lifespan.
Many people like to leave their patio furniture outside throughout the year (weather permitting).
After an extended period of time, especially if it rains, your outdoor furniture will likely become wet and moldy. This article takes a look at whether you should leave patio furniture outside in the rain or simply bring it back inside.
Can You Leave Patio Furniture Outside?
First and foremost, many manufacturers (including Woodard) recommend taking your outdoor furniture inside during harsh weather conditions.
The benefit of doing so is that it prevents potential warping and other forms of deterioration caused by moisture and humidity.
However, some homeowners choose to leave their outdoor furniture outside even in adverse weather conditions such as rain or snow because they fear that bringing their patio set indoors will cause their pieces to become worn and damaged.
Also, they believe that the furniture will be less useful and attractive if it is not exposed to natural elements such as wind and rain.
Can You Leave Patio Furniture Outside In The Rain?
Outdoor furniture should always be left in a dry place out of the way from puddles, standing water, excessive heat from umbrellas, or any other form of precipitation.
While leaving outdoor furniture outside certainly reduces storage space inside homes, some people prefer this approach because their garden remains more organized while still providing ample opportunities for relaxation even in inclement weather.
We found that you can leave your patio furniture outside in the rain provided that people do not intend on sitting or standing on it when it is wet.
In addition, outdoor furniture should always be left in a dry place out of the way from puddles, standing water, excessive heat from umbrellas, or any other form of precipitation.
While leaving outdoor furniture outside certainly reduces storage space inside homes. Some people prefer this approach because their garden remains more organized while still providing ample opportunities for relaxation even in inclement weather.
How to protect expensive outdoor furniture from being ruined by the rain?
So, you may be thinking why would I keep my furniture outside in the rain. The best reason is that it looks really nice when it’s wet. You can also place your furniture near or under a tree and get some of the benefits of outdoor furniture without having to worry about them rusting or rotting of wood.
If you are not entirely comfortable with letting your furniture rain-soaked, there are plenty of things you can do to protect your patio set while still enjoying everything this wonderful weather has to offer.
One way people have been protecting their expensive outdoor furniture from being ruined by the rain is by simply spraying it down with a waterproof spray before placing it out in the elements.
This waterproofer will give a bit more life to your furniture by protecting it from everything the elements have to throw at it. This is most recommended for people who live in extreme conditions where rain can be pouring down nearly every day.
However, if you are someone with a strong sense of adventure and really does not care about their furniture being rained on or simply cannot afford waterproofing sprays, this guide may help protect your patio set from the rain.
In order to get started, you will need some supplies before bringing them outside:
- A waterproof cover that matches the size of your furniture i.e. large couch covers or small table covers etc.
- Bungee cords
Now that you have gotten all the supplies needed, here is how you protect your patio furniture from the rain:
- Lay down your waterproof cover near your patio furniture.
- First, take one corner of the cover and pull it over the top of the furniture piece.
- Next, bring one side of the cover underneath all four legs on that specific side. Make sure to have enough length so that when you are pulling up, there is some tension between all four legs and then lift up just a little bit as shown in picture 7.
- Capture each leg with bungee cords (not too tight) while bringing them back towards the underside of the chair where they meet at the center bottom of the chair. Once all 4 bungee cords are captured under the chair, tie them off together so they are all four in one bungee cord bundle.
- Now for the last leg, you may have to play around with the spacing between bungee cords until it looks even on both sides. Once you get this set, tighten up each bungee cord and leave some slack within your cords if time allows.
- Do the same steps above with the other pieces of furniture that you own or will be using (i.e. end tables)
Now, after these steps, you can leave the patio furniture outside in the rain! Rain is not going to hurt your furniture unless you start messing around with it while it is raining. This is because your backyard becomes a large mud pit while your patio furniture sits below its waterproof cover.
How patio furniture holds up when left out in the rain?
There is no need to run around like crazy trying to gather up every last umbrella when at most you’ll just get wet and the furniture will just have to dry off. It’s actually better for your patio furniture to get rained on than for it to be covered while it is raining outside.
Patio sets are meant for outdoor use over extended periods of time, which means that you are going to have to put up with some wear and tear no matter how careful you are with them. When you take your furniture inside or cover it in an attempt to keep it safe from wear and tear you might be doing more damage than good.
Most of the time when people cover their patio sets they slide tables in first, most likely because they do not want water spots on them if it rains before they can bring them all in.
This usually causes the umbrella and chairs to get wet because there was water on them when they were moved, and can cause damage to the frames of the furniture.
Most patio sets are made out of metals like aluminum or steel with wicker or plastic for the seats and backrests. These materials won’t deteriorate as easily if you leave them outside in the rain.
Some people say that leaving your patio set out in the rain will cause rusting to occur, which is another risk. It might be better for you to take than to risk having your furniture damaged by sliding things into it or covering it up while it’s raining outside.
Your best bet is just to let it dry off before bringing any of your furniture inside afterward, don’t even bother with a towel.
Now, if the weather is severe and you know that there will be a huge storm then you might want to bring some of your furniture inside. It’s better to be safe than sorry after all.
There was even a study done comparing how patio furniture holds up when left out in the rain versus taking it in and trying to protect it from getting wet.
Everyone was afraid of rusting with the tables and chairs not being covered but they actually found that both options fared about the same (including rust), even with dew and general exposure lasting longer with outdoor use rather than indoor storage.
Saturated weight measurements were taken before and after the main event. From each pair, one was left out in the rain overnight and one was covered with an oversized tarp for protection from the rain.
Relative length change measurements were taken before and after the main event. From each pair, one was left out in the rain overnight and one was covered with an oversized tarp for protection from the rain.
So next time you’re thinking about bringing your patio set out for an evening with friends, remember this article before deciding whether or not to cover it up or let it ride out the storm. You might just want to go ahead and get wet with it this time around.
To summarize this article:
1). You cannot leave your patio furniture outside if you want to sit or stand on it when it’s wet since that equipment will most likely get damaged.
2). You can leave your patio furniture outside if you want to store it for a short period of time such as during harsh weather conditions like rain or snow.
3). Your patio furniture should always be left in a dry place out of the way from puddles, standing water, excessive heat from umbrellas, or any other form of precipitation.
4). Finally, while leaving outdoor furniture outside certainly reduces storage space inside homes, some people prefer this approach because their garden remains more organized while still providing ample opportunities for relaxation even in inclement weather.
Conclusion
It’s recommended that you cover the outdoor furniture while it rains. If you cannot do this, at least make sure not to over-saturate the furniture.
Patio chairs with removable seat cushions are recommended for easy cleaning after exposure to rain.
Outdoor umbrellas are very convenient when caught unexpectedly in the rain due to their removal and protection of surrounding furniture. In conclusion, one should take extra care when leaving outdoor furniture exposed to rain.
One must determine how important the condition of the furniture is and the amount of time it may remain exposed to rain. These factors will help in deciding whether or not to cover up patio furniture during a rainstorm.
