You may have already bought some furniture for your backyard or deck; but are you sure they have the ability to stand the rough use that such furniture is generally subjected to? Is such furniture made for outdoor use only and can take rain and shine equally well without showing any sign of wear and tear? Ideal patio furniture must be:
1. Elegant to look at
2. Comfortable for prolong use
3. Sturdy enough to bear rough handling
4. Not easily breakable
5. Must be light enough to be portable
6. Weather proof
7. Pest resistant
8. UV resistant

Though plastic furniture is made for outdoor use, they generally lose their glaze and color after some time. Wicker furniture may look nice in your patio; but unless it is made from synthetic resin, it does not last long. Most of the wood furniture is not suitable for outdoor use because wood, like wicker, is an organic matter and therefore it easily succumbs to weather and pest. However, a few types of wood contain natural protective oil that acts as an antidote against these and wood patio furniture is generally made out of them.

Wood like teak, shorea, eucalyptus, cedar etc. are suitable for making patio furniture. Among them, teak wood furniture is the costliest. Such furniture requires minimum care and yet it remains as beautiful for years to come. Do not put any varnish on it. Just clean it occasionally using a mixture made out of four parts laundry detergent and one part bleach. You can also buy teak cleaner from furniture shop. Whatever it is, just apply the solution with a soft brush and then rinse thoroughly.

Teak wood patio furniture can last lifetime even if you leave it out of doors through out the year. instead of losing in sheen looks far better after it matures, but during the process it can cause a few goose bumps; just ignore them. Shorea too is as good as teak for making wood patio furniture. However, such furniture is cheaper because the wood is more abundantly cultivated than teak is. Eucalyptus and cedar too are extensively used for manufacture of such furniture. They too make durable and beautiful furniture.

At the same time, you can also look for wood-finish resin patio furniture. Such furniture looks like wood patio furniture from a distance, but obviously, the feel is different. Metals like aluminium and rot iron are also used extensively for making patio furniture. Just go through the catalogue of a good patio shop and then decide. Patio cushions too are an important part of the patio décor. Moreover, most of the chairs, sofas and loungers need them to make the outdoor session more comfortable. Therefore, let us have a look at them too.

Make sure that the patio cushions you buy are actually manufactured for outdoor use. Ideally, they should be made from water repellent materials and the inside fillings should be so structured that whatever moisture enters the cushion does not take time to dry. Moreover, since these patio cushions have a decorative value, they should be made of fade as well as dirt and stain resistant material. If you have a patio umbrella, make sure that the color scheme goes with it too.

However, one must buy a patio umbrella; there is no scope for ‘if’ here. Today with holes in protective ozone layer, harmful rays of the sun can easily penetrate the atmosphere and reach the earth to cause deadly diseases like skin cancer. Therefore, do not sit in the sun for long without the protection of the umbrella. Choose the umbrella fabric with care keeping in mind the climatic condition of your place. You have a choice as far as umbrella frames are concerned also. If you live in a windy area, you will advice you to choose a fiberglass-ribbed umbrella at least. Also, do not forget to get one patio heater too.

Of all the patio heaters, the gas outdoor heater is the cleanest and cheapest. They run on liquid petroleum gas, which is the least carbon-effusive fuel. Moreover, they cost very little and can provide adequate warmth at a very low rate. However, there are two main problems here. Firstly, you need to have the gas line plumbed into your patio and secondly, since such a heater as live flame, a fire hazard is always there. Therefore, be a little cautious about where you position your gas outdoor heater. If you have all these accessories in place, nothing can stop you from enjoying your patio round the year.