Rattan Garden Furniture
Rattan Garden Furniture, also known as Wicker garden furniture, has a natural look that fits almost perfectly with any garden or patio outdoor area. The natural materials used are hard wearing and very comfortable. The natural look of the Rattan furniture ensures an almost seamless fit with the natural plants and shrubs in your outdoor space be it a garden, patio, conservatory or yard.
How is Rattan Furniture Made?
Rattan furniture is made from the stems of the Rattan plant. The stems are naturally hard and tough wearing however they become pliable when heated and can be molded into a wide variety of different shapes. As they cool down they become hard and set in the newly molded shape. This makes the plant ideal for chairs and tables and gives a beautiful natural look that many other types of outdoor furniture cannot achieve.
Advantages of Rattan Garden Furniture
Rattan furniture sets are ideal for gardens, patios, yards, and conservatories. What makes the this style of furniture for the garden popular is the natural look and durability of the material. Rattan outdoor furniture is also quite light so can be more easily moved than heavier garden furniture sets such as iron or solid wood. The natural look of rattan wicker furniture is also more pleasing than standard plastic patio furniture.
Disadvantages of Rattan Garden Furniture
Although it has many advantages Rattan outdoor furniture does have some disadvantages. You must remember that it's made from a natural material so can be more prone to environmental damage than other materials like aluminium or plastic. Also excessive exposure to the sun will bleach the natural color of the wicker furniture so you'll need to think about protecting it with outdoor patio furniture covers if you plan on leaving it outside.
Another disadvantage of Wicker outdoor furniture is that it cannot be folded away like a wooden, plastic, or metal item could be. This is due to the nature of the material and how it sets which doesn't make it flexible.
Synthetic Rattan Furniture
Today a popular alternative to natural rattan is synthetic rattan garden furniture. This is essentially made from plastic to resemble natural wicker rattan furniture. It has a number of advantages that may make buying this type of plastic rattan furniture a better alternative than natural wicker furniture.
Firstly the synthetic rattan outdoor furniture is less expensive than the natural alternative. Also because it is made of plastic it's easier to obtain in a variety of different colors.
Rattan Furniture Covers
Like most outdoor furniture you should protect it if you plan on leaving it outside for extended periods. There are a wide variety of garden furniture covers available that are suitable for rattan outdoor furniture. The covers themselves will tend to be larger than similar patio furniture covers for other types of materials due to the inflexibility of the rattan as discussed above.
Rattan Patio Furniture Cushions
If you plan on spending alot of time on your rattan patio furniture, and let's face it with such beautiful furniture why wouldn't you, you may wish to invest in a comfy cushion. Like most solid materials even rattan can become a little uncomfortable after awhile so a nicely padded cushion can ensure you can spend hours sat in your favorite chair on your patio or in your garden.