Wood can rot, split and crack in excessive sun, and be attractive to bugs. Yet proper maintenance of your wood furniture will ensure that it lasts for a very long time. In some cases, the furniture may be made out of treated wood, in which case the wood has a chemical in it that resists rot and bugs. While treated wood in the past has been a problem because it used to contain arsenic, today’s treated wood furniture is much safer.
If you have older furniture made of treated wood you may want to consider replacing it. If your furniture is not made out of treated wood, you can put it under a roof to keep it dry and out of the sun or you can put some kind of liquid sealant or paint on it. If you put unfinished wood furniture outside but in a protected area, over a few years it will turn gray; some people really like this look. Unfinished furniture left in the weather will also gray but it may also begin to rot, split, and stop being sturdy prematurely.
As far as sealing your furniture, there are a number of products that are clear or lightly stained, meant for sealing decks. These are a good option because they keep the look of the natural wood or they enhance that look with stain. Be sure to read the instructions about how often the wood needs to be sealed—it might be every two or three years. You can also paint your furniture; you can choose your favorite color.
But you can also paint your furniture to look old (and still be protected). The way to do this is to use black paint on your table or chair. After the black paint is dried, you can use white paint, hitting and missing the furniture so that some of the black paint shows through. If you practice a bit with this technique, you can make your furniture look like you have had it in the family for a long time!
Finally, placement is important. Be sure you place your furniture on a surface where water doesn’t pool up. The feet are the most likely to be scuffed up in every day use, so that is where water can soak into the wood if you are not careful about making sure your furniture dries out thoroughly when it is exposed to rain. Shade helps to keep the sun from damaging the wood.
Wood patio furniture can be of a classic design, like the Adirondack chair and related furniture, or it might be modern in some way. Whatever style of wood furniture that appeals to you, if you take good care of it, you will enjoy it for many years.