If you’re planning on running a cafe, restaurant, or mobile food business, you can’t go wrong with investing in furniture that can make the customer experience even better. Many cafes and restaurants that a more bohemian and “classical” feel will usually pride themselves on outdoor structures like balconies, porches, and gazebos where most people can hang out and have conversations with others.
Compared to furniture used inside your home, outdoor furniture will need to be versatile in different weather conditions. Whether it’s low temperatures, rain, and sometimes even hail, furniture for your patio, porch, gazebo, or your business’s outdoor seating should last a long time while being sturdy.
Like every other material used for interior design and furniture, each material will have its lifespan and unique characteristics. For instance, high-quality wood will last longer than 40 years in the right conditions but are known for soaking in water faster than other materials like plastic, which has a limited lifespan compared to high-quality wood. When water does soak on unprotected wood, this can often lead to rotting, decreasing the life expectancy for such materials.
Frequent maintenance and repairs are a great way of extending the lifespan of outdoor furniture. However, this is easier said than done when outdoor furniture is more exposed to the elements since it’s outside compared to interior furniture protected by your home’s walls. So what should you be doing? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Factors to Keep in Mind
To ensure that your furniture is in good condition, we’ll need to discuss essential practices that can lengthen its lifespan. We must discuss critical key factors that will affect your furniture’s lifespan and what you can do to effectively extend overall life expectancy. Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Light Intensity and UV Lighting
A little sun won’t hurt, right? Well, not really. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can have drastic effects on your interior furniture and artworks if you’re not too careful. If sunlight can impact furniture inside your establishment, can you imagine the damage it can cause to furniture outside your business? Most experts would suggest using multiple coating of paint that’s designed for exterior furniture. This is great for wooden furniture that might be vulnerable to sunlight and humidity (which can cause rotting). Carpenters would suggest using a high-quality exterior primer that’s topped by an oil-based point or exterior latex.
It’s important to note that constant exposure to heat and UV rays can have a lasting effect on the general appeal of certain furniture types. This can often lead to the natural colour of the material fading, especially when UV rays can be a prime catalyst for chemical reactions. If this is the case, you might want to place a canopy that can protect some of your furniture from UV damage. Fortunately, commercial sun shades can protect you from the elements while regulating the amount of Ultraviolet radiation that will hit your furniture. Not to mention that the classy look would look great in any commercial establishment!
Weather Conditions in the Area
Next, you’ll have to keep in mind the weather conditions in your area. Although your furniture might be outside, that doesn’t mean that they won’t have protection from retractable awnings, overhangs, and sturdy roofs. The type of awning that you will be using will depend on the weather conditions prevalent in certain seasons. For instance, you might want to use metal roofing if there’s a strong wind in your area. If your restaurant or cafe is situated in a hailstorm-prone place, you might need to get impact-resistant roofing that can withstand high-kinetic impact from debris.
When it comes to maintaining furniture that you’re using for your patios, gazebos, and other external structures, you’ll need to use special types of materials and paint to ensure that they’re in good condition. Although you might have to spend more than usual, it’s better than having to spend thousands of dollars on replacing the furniture that you just invested in.