Garden Furniture

hiphopopotamus

Hi all,

Any tips for comfortable outdoor seating with good old British weather?

I've got an Ikea sofa set and left the cushions over the winter in a plastic storage box, but they've come out covered in mould stains. I don't think it lets water in, probably just due to general damp in the air getting in and staying there.

I can't store them inside as there's so many and they're huge. Would leaving them on the sofas and just putting a waterproof cover over the whole thing be better or worse?

Failing that, I'm open to suggestions on any decent furniture that doesn't require cushions?

Cheers!

twopenny

For the cushions, no, leaving them in plastic will trap moisture in them and you'll get mould.
If you can clean them then dry a lot, got to be right through the cushion.
Give them a scrub with a dish brush and carpet cleaner. Run a carpet cleaner furniture  attachment over them to suck out as much moisture and dirt out as possible and dry in hot sun so it's quick.

Otherwise make some more loose covers to go over then. Take the covers off in winter and store where you did before.

As for comfy furniture that's very personal. You need to try stuff out to fit you.

-taff

I've got a range of all sorts but none of it requires cushions. I've got two wood benches, a metal one and some metal chairs with that fine plastic mesh stuff, not the woven stuff. All of that needs no cushions.

That woven stuff needs it because it's just woven flat, so not made for bums. Get something that doesn't need them. Or build something that covers what you need cushions for

You could try removing the covers and using those vacuum bags, that might work.

ButterCheese

If there is no ventilation then they will gather mould.  You either have to ventilate your outdoor storage box, whilst keeping the rain out (not easy) or bung a few of those dehumidifier boxes in with them, ensuring you change them when they're full of water.  You will have to weigh up the cost of spending money to keep them dry and mould free, versus cleaning them off as best you can each year and putting up with them. 

We keep ours in our understairs cupboard and they seem to be fine, probably because they are inside the house and the cupboard is not air tight so allows some ventilation

sheramber

Could you vacuum pack them , making sure they are completely dry beforehand, and store indoors. Any room under your bed?

wort

I have sofa and chairs from Asda, possibly 10 years old at least, the cushions I only put out if I’m sitting out, they do have a weather proof coating of some kind as the rain bobbles on it if caught in a shower, or if I’ve left one out for the cat and forgot to bring in.I would make sure it fully dries then. I keep them in the garage and after summer wrap each individual in a bin bag which is not fully closing and put them on the rafters in the garage. The garage is definitively not water tight near the doors but dry under the roof so air is circulating.

Brie

We were able to store our cushions in our (overstuffed) garage, on a table and loosely covered with an old tablecloth.  I think that even though it's a bit damp in there and there are mice that having the air freely moving about helped keep them in good shape.  We had discussed bagging them up but as you've seen that generally means letting moisture stay in the bag with them.  And a loose cover outside won't stop things like slugs/snails finding them a good place to hang out.  

Have you considered storing cushions in your loft (assuming you have one)?  Or just going for wooden furniture that doesn't need cushions?

GrubbyGirl_2

I successfully keep mine outside in those plastic storage boxes but I do shrink wrap them all first so no moisture can actually get to them in the first place