Patio Furniture Covers

Thanks to the rise in home improvement shows and media information, more and more people are taking advantage of the space outside of their home on their patio and deck and turning it into an outdoor area for sitting, entertaining quests or having parties. Even if you have a protective overhang or some type of covering for the patio area, you are going to want to be sure that your patio furniture stays protected from the elements.

Patio furniture covers are a great way to help you protect the investment you made in the furniture on the patio as well as it saves many hours of cleaning and scrubbing furniture, trying to clean off the dirt and dust that can build up when it is not being used. Furniture covers will keep the furniture remaining durable and nice looking, instead of fading from the sun or weather if they are left unsheltered.  They also make it easier to leave the furniture outdoors throughout the year, instead of paying for storage rental or trying to carve out storage space somewhere in the house or garage to fit all of the outdoor furniture.

When it comes to buying patio furniture covers, there are several things that you want to consider before making a purchase.

1.       Breathability – because the furniture may be covered for long periods of time depending on the season and where you live, it is important to find covers that will allow moisture out so mildew and mold do not develop inside. It can be a big surprise to think you are protecting your patio furniture from the elements only to take the covers off in spring and find out they are actually in worse condition.

2.       Fabric types – there are lots of different factors when determining what type of fabric you want. Do you need a cover that has a liner inside? Is a vinyl cover okay or do you want something sturdier? Other factors to consider are the climate where you live. Most covers for patio furniture should have a cold and hot listing for the type of temperatures the cover will be able to stand up to. If you buy a nicer patterned cover, you also want to make sure it is going to be able to withstand the rays of the sun and not fade.

3.       Security - one feature that you want to look for when buying a patio furniture cover is if the cover features straps on the inside. This will allow the cover to be securely attached to the patio furniture so the cover does not come off and blow away as well as the wind or weather does not blow the cover up allowing for dust and dirt to accumulate inside.

4.       Cover liners – typically the liner of the patio cover is going to be made of fleece of polyester. It the liner happens to get wet, fleece is much harder to dry out. You might also find that certain animals like the fleece and create a home by your furniture as well as trying to eat the inside of the cover, such as mice or rats.

There are many different types of patio furniture covers, from standard to patio furniture to the more luxurious setting you may have in your backyard. In addition to the typical patio chair covers, table covers, umbrella covers and chaise lounge covers, most companies offer additional protection for unique items in the backyard. You should have no trouble finding an item such as hot tub covers, fire pit covers, BBQ and grill covers, fountain covers and ottoman covers.

When it comes time to picking out your patio furniture covers, you want to make sure that the size you buy is big enough to cover all of the furnishings, but not too big that it causes the covers to sage in areas. If that occurs, you are going to end up with water buildup which will weigh down the cover causing it eventually to tear or rip at the seams. Depending on the type of patio furniture that you have, it may not be good if they are exposed to too much moisture for extended periods of time.

If you have a table and chair set on the patio, you are going to measure the whole diameter including the table and chairs for the cover. Take your measurements from the back of one chair at the farthest end of the table to the back of the chair at the other end of the table. The height needed will be whatever the back of the tallest chair is. You may seem some covers offering fittings for “high back chairs”. These are chairs that are taller than three feet, or 36 inches.

So for the diameter, you are fine with buying something right at your measurement or just an inch or two bigger. For the height of the cover, you want to make sure it is several inches shorter than your measurement in order to ensure it does not hit the ground and collect dirt. So if your chair height is 34 inches, going with a cover that is 30 to 32 inches would work well.