How Snow Damages Patio Furniture and Decor

When you invest your hard-earned money buying patio furniture, you need to make sure you protect that investment. People don’t know how much damage simply leaving that furniture in the cold a time or two can do.

In this article we are going to show you why you want to bring your furniture, or at least cover it in winter, to avoid the damage that snow can do to it.

Plastic Furniture – Many people take the inexpensive route to purchase decorative patio furniture. This is not a bad idea, especially if you are leaving it in the winter. In the case of plastic furniture, winter weather can weaken it and make it brittle. Also, if there are already cracks in the furniture, the falling snow can seep into those cracks, melt, refreeze, and expand. This will make the cracks even bigger and further damage the furniture.

Metal Furniture – If you have metal furniture, leaving it in the snow can shorten its lifespan. Water and metal have never been the best of friends. Water often breaks down metal and oxidizes it. Well, snow is water, so the same will happen here. In some cases, snow can be worse, as it can cause damage to both the exterior and interior of metal furniture. Outside, it can disappear to the surface. But then it will melt and leak out of any opening. Later it will freeze again and expand, possibly damaging the metal by causing it to change its shape.

Wooden furniture: Wooden furniture can be extremely damaged by snow. First, the winter weather that comes with snow is generally dry, leading to cracks in the wood. Then the show falls. It gets into those cracks and melts. Now you have water, inside the wood. As soon as it freezes again, it will push and strain against the crack in the wood. In most cases, it will make the cracks and crevices in the wood larger and more pronounced. These cracks can not only be unsightly, but they can also pinch and snag the skin and completely weaken the composition of the furniture.

Furniture Cushions: The last thing to think about when it comes to patio furniture decorating are those cozy, comfortable cushions that you like on your patio furniture. Do you leave them in the snow? This is as bad as leaving them in the rain. You see, the snow will fall on them and then it will melt. It will seep inside and stay there. Over time, this can lead to mold and mildew on those wet cushions. At the very least, it can make a mess for you to clean it up. At most, it could lead to the complete destruction of your cushions and have to be replaced.

With all these threats facing your patio furniture, it is often best to avoid repairing or replacing parts in the future and instead simply prevent damage from occurring in the first place by protecting the furniture parts from snow.