People with gardens all over the UK choose rattan for their outdoor furniture.
This is because it looks great, is comfortable and affordable. The ability to withstand the rain is another important feature to consider though, given the British climate. So, is rattan garden furniture waterproof?
Well, the first thing to note is that garden furniture consists of two parts: the frame and the covering. We will deal with the latter of these first, and there are a couple of kinds of rattan available for garden furniture – namely natural and synthetic.
The first of these is more expensive, so you would expect it to be able to cope with rain better – but you would be wrong.
Synthetic rattan strands are UV stabilised, which stops the colour fading under the sun, but they are also much more resistant to rainwater damage. Of course, if the rain is really heavy and prolonged, it will still be better to move the furniture inside, or use Lifestyle garden furniture covers to shield it, but synthetic rattan is the more waterproof option.
Now, let us look at the furniture frames. The best metal for the frames to be made from is aluminium, because it is highly rust resistant. The easiest way to tell if the furniture has aluminium frames, or ones made from a metal more prone to rusting, like steel, is to pick it up. If it is very heavy to lift, this indicates that it has a steel frame, because aluminium is also an extremely lightweight metal.
There are pros and cons to all options, so make sure you do a little research before you select the rattan garden furniture that is right for you.
