Aluminum is an ideal material for outdoor furniture. It is strong, non-rusting, and retains its good looks through blistering summer suns, drenching thunderstorms, and vigorously romping children. Quality aluminum furniture is durable and can last for a decade or more. It is lightweight, making it easy to move, and requires minimal maintenance.

Characteristics: Doesn't rust, relatively lightweight (cast and wrought aluminum are solid and weigh more), durable, minimum maintenance.

Location: Suitable for use anywhere outside. Wrought and cast aluminum are also used indoors in dining, living, breakfast and sunroom areas. Light tubular aluminum may not be suitable in areas with very high winds.

Recognizing Quality: Screws, bolts and nuts should be stainless steel, anodized or properly plated; welds should be smooth. Inferior quality aluminum weighs less.

Maintenance: Low maintenance. Apply a coat of liquid wax at the start of each season. Wipe down the furniture frame occasionally with water mixed with liquid detergent. Use Soft Scrub to remove stubborn stains and light scratches, or talk to our salespeople about other products available. Touch up nicks and scratches promptly (we can obtain the paint). Spray WD-40 oil on chair swivels or glides twice a season.

There are three basic categories of aluminum furniture - tubular, cast, and wrought. With stunning styles to please every taste, and price points to please every purse, it's no surprise that aluminum is the most popular of outdoor furniture materials.

Tubular Aluminum

Most aluminum furniture is made from hollow tubing, often with internal reinforcing ribs for added strength. The tubing is cut and bent to form the elements of the furniture frame, which are then welded or bolted together by skilled craftsmen. Once assembly is completed, the piece is coated with a baked-on powder finish.

Over the last few years, finish options in metal furniture have become quite exciting. There are finishes which mimic verdigris, pewter and stone. There are smooth, gleaming finishes, textured matte finishes, single tone finishes, and some with a melange of colors. Not just good-lookers, these finishes are tough. They become a plastic skin that virtually bonds to the aluminum. They will not chip, peel or crack, and are six times thicker than paint, making them highly resistant to weather.

Tubular aluminum is frequently the material of choice for contemporary styling. You'll find a dazzling array of handsome color choices for frames and straps, as well as a full selection of vibrant fabrics if you choose furniture with cushions or slings.

Cast Aluminum

Cast aluminum is usually investment furniture. Distinctive and elegant, it features classic designs with roots in the cast-iron stylings of the 18th century.

This furniture is produced by pouring molten aluminum into molds and then allowing it to cool. The prototype for each casting mold is hand carved, permitting elaborate detailing.

Cast aluminum is undeniably handsome and elegant. While its beauty is striking, its demeanor is classic and understated. There are pieces available for seating, dining and lounging. Furniture of cast aluminum is often so exquisitely detailed that it seems to have come from a museum. But, like tubular aluminum, it is also amazingly durable and easy to maintain.

Quality cast-aluminum furniture can be costly and is not for the family that craves a new look every few seasons. But, if you treat this category as a collector might, acquiring pieces over a number of years, you will end up with exactly what you want - an outdoor room that is second to none.

Wrought Aluminum

Wrought aluminum marries the centuries-old craft of hand forging to the high tech performance of aluminum. Though wrought aluminum cannot duplicate the more intricate wrought-iron stylings, some believe that it represents the ideal wedding of art and technology. With wrought aluminum, you can enjoy the traditional elegance of a wrought-iron look in a material that is lightweight, low maintenance and rustproof.

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Casual furniture made from iron has been extraordinarily popular for more than a century. It is versatile, stylish, strong, and often less expensive than furniture made with other materials.

Characteristics: Heavy, durable, with graceful, flowing designs.

Location: Porch lawn, deck, patio; indoors in sunroom, dining and living areas, breakfast nook.

Recognizing Quality: More parts are used to create a better iron chair than lower-priced versions. The back legs of chairs and chaises should be reinforced with braces or double rods (lighter material requires less bracing). Iron mesh should feel sturdy and be unrippled, and in quality tabletops be held in place by a channel, not tack welded. Bolts or rivets should be rust resistant.

Maintenance: Maintain iron furniture as you would your car's finish. Wash it occasionally and apply liquid car wax at least once a year; two or three times is even better. Use Soft Scrub to remove some stains and light scratches, or talk to our salespeople about other products available. If you see any rust, get after it at once with a wire brush and some touch-up paint (we can obtain it). Fast action will keep the rust from spreading. During the winter, cover the furniture well or, if possible, bring it indoors. Spray WD-40 oil on any moving parts twice a year.

Available in handsome designs ranging from contemporary to traditional, iron furniture is so durable that it frequently outlasts its owners. However, if it has not been properly coated by the manufacturer and maintained by the consumer - no ifs, ands or buts - it will rust.

Wrought Iron

Classic wrought-iron styling with its appealing curves and elegant design is hotter than ever. Originally hand-made (wrought) by blacksmiths, wrought-iron furniture is constructed from solid half-inch round bars formed into timeless designs - simple or ornate, the choice is yours.

Wrought iron is particularly versatile, working as effectively indoors as out. Young couples often begin decorating with a good looking wrought-iron dining group for the kitchen, which they later move to the patio or sun porch for years of additional service. In addition, many seating groups are designed for use with cushions or without.

Today's wrought-iron finishes are extraordinary. While the most popular frame colors are still black, forest green, and white, there are wonderful coatings of every variety that look Old World, yet protect your furniture from rust through the miracles of modern science. Beware of cheap imports that coat their furniture with spray paint.

Designs range from simple to ornate. Some pieces are adorned with decorations - flowers, leaves and other designs. Quality manufacturers create these ornaments from thick aluminum castings with exquisite detail, which have been molded from hand-carved or antique dies. On less expensive pieces, the accents are simply stamped out.

The abundant selection of wrought-iron pieces can boggle the mind. In addition to dining and seating groups, handsome console tables, baker's racks, plant stands, shelving, even four-poster beds are frequently used as charming accents throughout the house and outdoors as well.

Cast Iron

Cast iron is the essence of romance and nostalgia. Heavy and ornate, it is often identified with the South. Think of an elegant white bench with an exquisite floral design, gracing a well-manicured garden or curving around an ancient elm. Weighing three times more than an identical piece in cast aluminum, cast iron is popular for public areas because it weighs too much to be easily pilfered.

As with all iron, check out the finish. Although all iron furniture requires occasional touch-up, if yours has a quality coating, you will enjoy low maintenance and decades of use.

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Handcrafted, natural, and always quite special, the distinctive look of wicker furniture adds charm and style to any setting. Once limited to Victorian or tropical looks, this furniture comes in designs to delight every taste - collections with the mood of yesteryear that ooze remarkably contemporary.

Because wicker can be damaged by direct exposure to the elements, it is most often used in sheltered areas - porches, screen rooms, sunrooms - or indoors. (There is also all-weather wicker, which we'll discuss later.)

In appropriate settings, quality wicker is exceedingly durable. With proper care, it will last long enough to become important family heirlooms. Handsome older pieces currently command top dollar among antique collectors.

Furniture crafted of wicker is a decorator's delight. You can customize your selection by choosing from an extensive selection of fabrics and finishes. And there are so many wonderful pieces from which to select - sumptuous sofas, daybeds, dining sets, desks, occasional tables, storage pieces and so much more. Special orders typically take from six to eight weeks.

Contrary to common belief, wicker is not a material, but rather a technique of weaving long pliant strips of plants - most often reed, which comes from the core of the rattan pole - or synthetic material. Natural wicker is hand-woven.

While many wicker pieces are Victorian in mood, you will also see handsome styles with a very contemporary spirit. You can easily customize your selection if you don't find the ideal combination on our showroom floor. A broad range of finishes and fabrics is available.

All-weather wicker is a special category. Most often, the frames of this furniture are made of aluminum. The wicker itself may be any one of a myriad of substances (e.g. - extruded resin, natural reed with heavy duty coatings, synthetic strands of paper twisted around stainless steel wire, vinyl, fiberglass, or others). Manufactured to be tough enough for outdoor use, this furniture can be difficult to distinguish from that made of natural reed. Many consumers buy it for important indoor rooms, simply because they like the look. Check the warranty and use limitations for all-weather wicker you like so that you can make the optimum selection for your setting and needs.

Characteristics: Durable, versatile, classic styling; perfect as accents or in groupings.

Location: Any room indoors, or on porches. Only specially treated or synthetic wicker may be left in unsheltered outdoor locations.

Recognizing Quality: Quality wicker feels smooth and has no splinters or ends sticking out to catch clothing or possibly unweave. The pattern is consistently tight and uniform. The wicker weave should never be clogged with paint. Better wicker is built with thick framing poles of equivalent size. The seat frames are reinforced with hardwood corner blocks and extra bracing for weight-supporting joints and the leg backs.

Maintenance: Natural untreated wicker needs to be inside and under cover once the chill of fall begins. Indoors or out, like any wood, wicker and rattan can dry out. Indoors, keep it out of the direct line of any source of heat. If you have wicker outdoors in a hot, dry climate, spray it lightly with a hose every so often. All-weather wicker, designed to be left outdoors, takes well to being hosed off every few weeks and cleaned periodically with mild detergent and water.

Remember that all wicker and rattan are not created equal. The lower priced pieces featured by mass merchants are usually made from lower grade materials and lack important quality features, essential for durability, comfort and long-lasting good looks. In addition, mass market furniture is available only as shown and special orders are not available.

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Outdoor furniture of wood is all the vogue. Once limited to clunky redwood sets and splintery sawbuck picnic tables, outdoor wood is now fashionable, durable and in demand. There are wonderful front porch rockers, classic garden benches, dining sets galore, homey Adirondack chairs, sinuously curved chaises, as well as tables of every size and shape.

Whether your tastes run to country, traditional, Edwardian, Euro-style, contemporary or anything in between, exciting outdoor wood can make your decorating dreams come true. The types of wood from which to select are almost endless. There is pine, oak, cypress, teak, jarrah, mahogany, cedar, maple, birch and beech, as well as an array of exotic African, South American and Asian hardwoods, with names such as bubinga and shorea. Wood may be stained, oiled or painted. Each type of wood and finish offers a unique look and specific benefits.

Characteristics: Traditional and contemporary designs, versatile, several finish options; durability and longevity vary according to wood type.

Location: Deck, patio, lawn, porch. Indoors in sunrooms or as accent pieces.

Recognizing Quality: Unpainted wood should be smooth to the touch with a tight grain. Knots are week spots and should be absent. Remember that wood is a living substance and some imperfections are part of its charm. Look for mortise and tenon joints, wood dowels and brass or stainless steel hardware - all signs of quality.

Maintenance: Maintaining wood furniture can take almost no effort. Whether your table and chairs are redwood, cedar, teak or bubinga, left to their own devices, they will weather attractively to the silver hues of driftwood. (If the weathered look is not for you, our staff can tell you how to apply the proper oil or stain to your wood to maintain its original appearance.) Painted woods, often seen in Adirondack chairs or old-fashioned porch rockers, will require painting every year or so (if not sheltered from sun and rain) to keep them looking sharp.

The cost of the finished product reflects the type and grade of wood used, the design, the amount and complexity of the labor involved, the joinery, the hardware and the weight. While exotic woods and hand carving can be costly, wood furniture offers outstanding values at every price point. The highest quality products often feature mortise and tenon joints, wood dowels and brass or stainless steel hardware.

Wood furniture can be close to carefree if you allow it to weather to a handsome silver-gray, as most homeowners do. Should you want to preserve the original color, you must be willing to re-oil, re-stain, or repaint your pieces from time to time. Our professional staff can explain what's involved.

Casual furniture made of wood is extremely versatile. It may be used with or without cushions. In addition to marvelous pieces for dining and lounging, there is a terrific array of accent items - porch swings, benches intricately carved or classically styled, occasional tables, tea carts, ottomans, and more. An accent in wood can transform any area of your outdoor room into something special, even if the rest of your outdoor pieces are not wood.

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