<p>We are in California. Its end of the summer, we thought we should take advantage of the seasonal selling to buy outdoor furnitures for the next summer. We have a hugh patio and can accomodate any size. We would like to buy some thing more elaborate and last longer time.</p>
<p>What and Where to look? We have looked over Craigslist and did not find any thing suitable. We had also elminated Costco high end ones selling for $5$$$.</p>
<p>What are the pros and cons of Wicker vs Wrought Iron Furnitures?</p>
<p>I’m not sure what your climate is, but find out what sort of maintenance you would need to do, and what you’re willing to do. Maybe ask at a hardware store. </p>
<p>If it’s a dry climate, teak may need to be oiled periodically and may need to be brought in in the winter. Wicker may need some sort of treatment to get rid of mold and may need repainting every couple of years. Wrought iron may rust. I’m not sure if wrought aluminum rusts.</p>
<p>wicker shreds and does NOT last. wrought iron never rusts out here, but it is uncomfortable, so youll have to buy cushions as well, which drives up the cost. Head over to Pools Patio and Things [ the old Franciscan Forge on El Camino in RWC near 5th ave] and see what kind of deal you can make.They have a HUGE selection and they have to get rid of their stock soon, as the store is turned into a Xmas Decoration store in Oct. Happens every year.</p>
<p>Thank MPM about RWC, we will be there either today or the next week to take a look. :)</p>
<p>To describe our climate, we are in the SF bay area, from about April to November, its the dry season and we have good climate, the other part of the year it is rainey season, it does not rain all the time but off and on, when it raians, so comes the wind and fog, especially for us who live in the hills. We hardly have spring and fall, but the leaves do turn and fall off.</p>
<p>Traditional wicker is vulnerable to weather. If you like the look, many brands are all weather coated and should have good longevity (ie Lloyd Flanders).They are easily hosed down for cleaning with cushions removed. Some of it depends upon how you want the outdoor living to mesh with the style of your house’s exterior and interior and the atmosphere you want to create. Are you looking for dining sets, lounging/sitting or all of the above? If it’s multiple functions, it tends to look good if somehow the furniture relates to each other (color-wise, material, style, etc.).Have fun!</p>
<p>I found a lovely wrought iron set a few years ago at Target… unfortunately I wound up not getting it as someone gifted me a patio set as a house warming gift… but I think that type of thing would look great for you. Keep in mind, as someone said above, it usually needs some sort of cushion as well…</p>
<p>Just sprayed a piece of wicker today that sat on a Midwest porch for about 5 years…it’s on it’s last leg. We have some teak furniture around the firepit - it gets put away for the winter, but still needs oiling a couple times a year from spring to fall - love it, but that’s a bit of a nuisance. Sitting on the deck we have various pieces of wrought iron - some is 14 years old and sits out all winter - it still looks GREAT and only had needed a spray with Rustoleum every couple of years - I would buy wrought iron again in a heartbeat. </p>
<p>Of course, your weather elements are different than ours!</p>
<p>"Has any one bought them online? Suggestions?’
wrought iron?? online?? wrought iron is HEAVY. do you have any idea how much the shipping costs would be?? I would guess it would be at least $100 per chair ! Yikes !</p>
<p>We looked for new patio furniture in the earlier part of summer after we found our glass table had shattered!!!</p>
<p>We looked everywhere, and we found nice sets to be over priced! We found ours at Costco (same set at other stores were almost triple in price). It is a very good quality one, and we did not find Costco to be overpriced at all! The biggest challenge was getting the table into our SUV, but with the help of Costco employee the job got done. Getting it out of the SUV required additional hands when we got home. It was all worth it!</p>
<p>This is the set we found at Costco. Our cushions are a more neutral color, otherwise it looks identical:</p>
<p>We found a great teak set on Craigslist. I checked Craigslist for weeks before finding it. </p>
<p>Try [Overstock.com:</a> Online Shopping - Bedding, Furniture, Electronics, Jewelry, Clothing & more](<a href=“http://www.overstock.com%5DOverstock.com:”>http://www.overstock.com)
They have some great looking teak sets and lots of other patio sets too.
I have been pleased with things I’ve ordered from overstock.</p>
<p>In the summers I work with my brother building waterfalls and ponds in peoples backyards. One of the things I have noticed is that wicker and teak furniture looks really good the first season… then it quickly disintegrates. If you can keep moisture off of it maybe it will not ruin so fast, but it is humid here.</p>
<p>Iron on the other hand seems to last forever. Some of the most awesome patios that I have seen have an electic mix of Iron (i dont know if they buy it like that, or buy at garage sales, or what) but Im talking the most expensive places we work at often have mismatched iron. </p>
<p>It has made me want to start picking up pieces here and there at yard sales. The mix and match iron look is super awesome, especially if you have two sets of seating covers. One for company, and another weatherproof set for anytime.</p>
<p>I have Lloyd Flanders “all weather wicker”. It is so comfortable I have fallen asleep while reading in the chair, with my feet up on an ottoman, more than once.</p>
<p>I think it wears as well as Brown Jordan, but it’s slightly less expensive. We live in PA and we kept the set outside all year (covered in the winter) and it lasted 20 years. We are now on our second set and it is easily 10 years old. There is one little chip on the paint, but otherwise it looks brand new.</p>
<p>I have some Brown Jordan that is thirty years old, bought during the first year I was married! It has never been restrapped and still looks good.</p>
<p>We have Telescope Casual Furniture. Tubular steel (coated) with that mesh seat…stacks up nicely and can be outdoors without issue. No cushions needed. I have no idea how much it cost as it was a gift. BUT I would buy it again (if I could afford it).</p>
<p>I have several Tropitone pieces (table, sling chaise, side table & one swival sling arm chair) that are 10years old that have held up well. They stay on the deck during the winter with covers - this includes getting piled on with a few feet of snow and are then in direct afternoon sun during the summer. The sling furniture came with replacement sling certificates that we just exercised this year, as the chaise ripped. </p>
<p>It is pricey, but I would buy it again, given how well it has held up. </p>
<p>I would look carefully at ‘all weather’ wicker - we had an expensive planter that ended up falling apart, as the structural supports were rattan and rotted away.</p>