Garden furniture
Encyclopedia
Garden furniture, also called patio furniture and outdoor furniture, is a type of furniture
specifically designed for outdoor use. It is typically made of weather
resistant materials. The oldest surviving examples of garden furniture were found in the gardens of Pompeii
.
, four or six chair
s, and a (parasol)
. A picnic table
is used for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors. Long chairs, referred to as chaise lounges, are also common items.
designed to provide shade from the sun. Parasols are secured in a weighted base or a built in mount in the paving. Some are movable around outdoor tables and seating, others centered through a hole mid-table.
Patio heater
s are used to enable people to sit outside at night or in cold weather. They can be permanently mounted on eaves and patio roofs, or portable and self supporting. They can operate on electricity, propane
, bottled butane
(small units), or natural gas. The latter can be plumbed into permanent locations or attach to 'quick-connect' outlets.
Modular outdoor fire pits and portable fire bowls have become widely available in many materials to extend outdoor living. The tall clay Chimenea
s of Mexico
and the Southwestern United States
are an example.
The most commonly sold types of patio sets are made of plastic
, wood
, teak
, aluminium
, wicker
, and wrought iron
.
Wooden garden furniture can suffer through exposure to the elements and therefore needs to be periodically treated
. Teak
is a commonly used material for outdoor furniture. It naturally contains silica, which makes it resistant to fungal decay, many of the effects of water (such as rot, swelling and warping), as well as chemicals. It is also resistant to fire, acid and alkalis, and there are certain oils specifically for the treatment of teak to help it resist weather and the adverse effects of being outside.
Aluminium
garden furniture is robust and long-lasting. However, if the protective coating is compromised it will corrode. Plastic garden furniture is naturally waterproof, so it can be left out year-round.
Wicker
outdoor living furniture is made from two types of material. They were originally made from the stems of any one of 600 species of palms found in tropical regions all over the world. The palm stems were tightly woven into interlocking panels, and formed into the desired structure. Now, most modern wicker furniture is made from synthetic resin
, increasing the life expectancy and reducing manufacturing costs.
Resin
outdoor furniture is a surprising environmental choice. Today's resin furniture is often made of recycled plastic and incredibly durable, usually carrying warranties of 20 years or longer. It can be molded to resemble real wood or wicker.
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
specifically designed for outdoor use. It is typically made of weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
resistant materials. The oldest surviving examples of garden furniture were found in the gardens of Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
.
Types of furniture
Seating
Garden furniture is often sold as a patio set consisting of a tableTable (furniture)
A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
, four or six chair
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
s, and a (parasol)
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
. A picnic table
Picnic table
A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...
is used for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors. Long chairs, referred to as chaise lounges, are also common items.
Temperature control
The British 'Garden parasols' or American 'Garden umbrella' is the term for a specialised type of umbrellaUmbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
designed to provide shade from the sun. Parasols are secured in a weighted base or a built in mount in the paving. Some are movable around outdoor tables and seating, others centered through a hole mid-table.
Patio heater
Patio heater
A patio heater is an appliance for generating radiant heat for outdoor use.A burner on top of a post, burns LPG or propane, and directs the flames against a perforated metal screen. Heat is radiated from the surface of the screen in a circular pattern around the appliance...
s are used to enable people to sit outside at night or in cold weather. They can be permanently mounted on eaves and patio roofs, or portable and self supporting. They can operate on electricity, propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
, bottled butane
Butane
Butane is a gas with the formula C4H10 that is an alkane with four carbon atoms. The term may refer to any of two structural isomers, or to a mixture of them: in the IUPAC nomenclature, however, butane refers only to the unbranched n-butane isomer; the other one being called "methylpropane" or...
(small units), or natural gas. The latter can be plumbed into permanent locations or attach to 'quick-connect' outlets.
Modular outdoor fire pits and portable fire bowls have become widely available in many materials to extend outdoor living. The tall clay Chimenea
Chimenea
A chimenea is a freestanding front-loading fireplace or oven with a bulbous body and usually a vertical smoke vent or chimney.-History:Originally, all clay open fire garden heaters imported to the U.S. from Mexico were known as chimeneas...
s of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
are an example.
Materials
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
, aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, wicker
Wicker
Wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
, and wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
.
Wooden garden furniture can suffer through exposure to the elements and therefore needs to be periodically treated
Wood preservation
All measures that are taken to ensure a long life of wood fall under the definition wood preservation . Apart from structural wood preservation measures, there are a number of different preservatives and processes that can extend the life of wood, timber, wood structures or engineered wood...
. Teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
is a commonly used material for outdoor furniture. It naturally contains silica, which makes it resistant to fungal decay, many of the effects of water (such as rot, swelling and warping), as well as chemicals. It is also resistant to fire, acid and alkalis, and there are certain oils specifically for the treatment of teak to help it resist weather and the adverse effects of being outside.
Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
garden furniture is robust and long-lasting. However, if the protective coating is compromised it will corrode. Plastic garden furniture is naturally waterproof, so it can be left out year-round.
Wicker
Wicker
Wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
outdoor living furniture is made from two types of material. They were originally made from the stems of any one of 600 species of palms found in tropical regions all over the world. The palm stems were tightly woven into interlocking panels, and formed into the desired structure. Now, most modern wicker furniture is made from synthetic resin
Synthetic resin
Synthetic resins are materials with a property of interest that is similar to natural plant resins: they are viscous liquids that are capable of hardening permanently. Otherwise, chemically they are very different from the various resinous compounds secreted by plants .The synthetics are of several...
, increasing the life expectancy and reducing manufacturing costs.
Resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
outdoor furniture is a surprising environmental choice. Today's resin furniture is often made of recycled plastic and incredibly durable, usually carrying warranties of 20 years or longer. It can be molded to resemble real wood or wicker.
See also
- CourtyardCourtyardA court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
- DeckDeck (building)In architecture, a deck is a flat surface capable of supporting weight, similar to a floor, but typically constructed outdoors, often elevated from the ground, and usually connected to a building...
- GardenGardenA garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
- PatioPatioA patio is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a residence and is typically paved. It may refer to a roofless inner courtyard of the sort found in Spanish-style dwellings or a paved area between a residence and a garden....