There is nothing more relaxing than sitting outside on the porch. You can spend quality time with friends and family while enjoying the beautiful outdoors. However, as the season changes and the weather takes a turn for the worse, you may find your time on the porch limited. As these winter storms come in you may find a few problems facing your outdoor furniture. If you are not careful the bad weather, especially wind, can damage your outdoor furniture by tossing it around. Outdoor furniture can be expensive to replace when they break. This article will give you some helpful tips and tricks to stop your outdoor furniture from blowing away in the wind. So that come springtime, you will still have a nice and relaxing place to relax on your porch.
Buy Heavy Outdoor Furniture
This is the easiest solution to keep outdoor furniture from blowing away in the wind. It may initially cost more upfront, but investing in heavy outdoor furniture will save you from replacing broken furniture later. Not to mention that heavier materials are often better quality than cheap plastic. When shopping for outdoor furniture, consider purchasing furniture made of wood, steel, wrought iron, or cast aluminum. Furniture made of these materials will be hard for the wind to move. Unfortunately, it may also mean that it might be difficult for you to move as well. If you plan on rearranging or moving your furniture frequently, you may not want to invest in the heavy metal furniture. Not only are they difficult to move, but they may scratch or damage a porch or deck.
Use a Weighted Base
Maybe the most common piece of outdoor furniture to blow away are sun umbrellas. While you can’t necessarily buy a heavier umbrella, you can purchase a weighted base for the umbrella. These bases are specifically made to anchor umbrellas outdoors from the wind. Typically these bases can be filled with sand or water. These bases will work on both stand alone umbrellas, or umbrellas that are part of an outdoor table. Depending on how the table and umbrella are made, the base may also help anchor a table in place.
Stack Your Chairs
For lightweight chairs the easiest solution is to stack them up. When you are finished with your time outside grab those light plastic chairs and stack them up. There is strength in numbers! For even more wind protection, you should try and stack the chairs against the side of the house, or someplace where they are sheltered from the wind. Then when you are ready to use them again, simply pull them out and set them up. Not only will this keep your lightweight plastic chairs safe from the wind, but it will protect them from other elements like the sun. Your chairs may fade or crack due to exposure to the sun. Stacking your chairs is an easy way to protect your outdoor furniture.
Add a Windbreak
For an aesthetically pleasing solution, you could plant a windbreak into your landscaping. A windbreak is a group or plants, shrubs, or trees that block wind in certain areas. During strong storms the some wind may still come through, but it will lose a lot of the force. This may be enough to keep your outdoor furniture safe. An added bonus is that these plants may also be used for added shade and privacy in your backyard. Depending on what you choose to plant for your windbreak, you may find that it becomes a focal point of your backyard. Consider adding a set of string lights to your windbreak for a nice decorative touch.
Secure Your Outdoor Furniture with Stakes
If your outdoor furniture will be primarily used on the lawn, you can use stakes to secure the furniture. You can either use wooden or plastic stakes to anchor down your outdoor furniture. If the design of your furniture allows it, try and stake them through the legs. The way you would stake down a tent when camping. If the design does not allow you to stake down the furniture directly, you can use bungee cords or wire to loop through the furniture first. Then you can attach the cords to a stake. You could also use bungee cords to secure your furniture to any stable object. Look for trees, fences, or even your house to anchor your furniture to,
Use Sandbags
If your outdoor furniture will be on a hard surface, such as a wooden deck or a concrete patio, then putting stakes in them will not work. Instead of stakes you can use sandbags. Just loop a wire or cord through a hole in the furniture design and tie it onto a sandbag. The sandbag can be small and discreet, so long as it is heavy enough to weigh down the furniture. If you prefer a more discreet solution, you could use home decor fabric to cover the sandbag and use them as accent pillows on your chairs. You don’t have to use sandbags, any weighted item will work as an anchor. You could place a heavy flower pot, or home decor item on top of tables to keep them from tipping over and blowing away.
Use Earthquake Gel
Another solution to anchor down outdoor furniture is to use earthquake gel. Earthquake gel is a clear compound that was designed to keep glass from falling off of furniture during an earthquakes. You can find earthquake gel at any home store. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply. Simply apply the gel to the bottom of your furniture legs. You can use the gel on the bottom of most chairs or tables to keep them in place. Make sure you are happy with your furniture set up before you apply the gel. This gel is semi-permanent. So you should not use it if you plan on moving furniture around.
Store the Furniture Indoors
If none of these solutions seem to be a good fit for your outdoor furniture, your best solution is to remove the furniture from the outdoors. If you purchase outdoor furniture that matches the interior decor, you can easily bring the furniture indoors during the windy months. This will add additional seating and entertaining space to your home. Your outdoor furniture does not need to be part of your main living space, but it can easily be incorporated into a basement or den. If you do not have a need for more furniture, you could simply store your outdoor furniture in a shed or garage until the weather lightens up. Storing your furniture indoors will protect them from the elements and extend their life.
In Conclusion
You shouldn’t have to worry about your outdoor furniture blowing away during a storm. Consider applying one or more of these furniture saving tips to your outdoor furniture. You will be glad that you did!
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