Patio Furniture, Cushions, Personalized Doormats

This article by expert Thomas Easterday has great tips about the different kinds of wood patio furniture you can buy.

Choosing and Caring for Outdoor Wood Furniture
By Thomas Easterday

Why should you use wood furniture outdoors? To some people this is not even a question! The right question would be, “Why wouldn’t you use wood furniture outdoors?” There is a wide variety of materials that are made to be used outdoors, including plastic, metal, wicker and other synthetic materials. With all of the other options for outdoor furniture, the reasons of why one should use wood should be carefully examined before you buy furniture for your outdoor oasis.

Wood is meant to be outdoors. Trees grow in the great outdoors, so it makes sense that furniture made from trees should be kept outdoors. It is no wonder that wood furniture, when treated and cared for properly, can last outdoors for years. The type of wood you pick of will determine just how well the wood weathers over time.

Although wood does weather over time, you can protect your outdoor wood furniture by carefully taking care of it every season. Paint and stain are good ways of protecting your wood furniture from the sun because they add an additional layer of defense to the wood. Water-repellent stains are also important to add to your outdoor furniture to protect it from water damage, which causes the wood to rot and crack. When using either paint or stain, you want to have a durable blend so that it dries fast and completely, and does not rub off on people sitting down on the furniture.

Another way to protect your wood and make it last for years to come is to buy special kinds of wood. Treated wood is one such option, as it is resistant to rotting from the elements. But one of the issues with treated wood is that it often comes green, and can more easily warp than regular wood.

Teak furniture is a popular choice for outdoor furniture. Teak wood is an extremely dense hardwood is often praised for its durability. It also has natural oils that protect it from the elements, even when left untreated. Often grown in Indonesia, Teak is very resistant to attacks by termites and other insects because the high oil content makes it water repellent.

Chinese Oak is a dense hardwood with a very fine grain. It is a naturally light wood and sometimes has a pinkish tint. The tannic acid in Chinese Oak makes it ideal for use in outdoor furniture because it is naturally resistant to attacks by fungi and insects.

Cedar, especially Western Red Cedar is a very popular choice for outdoor furniture because of its beautiful color and finish. Often grown in Canada, Western Red Cedar is also naturally resistant to decay and insect damage when exposed to rain, sun, heat, or cold all year. When properly treated, Red Cedar furniture may last for decades in the harshest of environments.

A final way to protect your outdoor wood furniture and maintain it for the long haul is to simply put a roof over it. Whether it is an awning on your deck, a covered roof for your sunroom or your garage during the winter, a roof can go a long way to help you keep the sun, rain and wind off of your wood furniture and protect it for years to come.

Thomas Easterday is the Director of Marketing for The Cedar Station. The Cedar Station carries a complete line of Outdoor Furniture for your enjoyment. For more information about The Cedar Station please visit http://www.thecedarstation.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Easterday
http://EzineArticles.com/?Choosing-and-Caring-for-Outdoor-Wood-Furniture&id=425362

 

Check out our teak patio furniture selection

High Quality Colored Icicles: Great Holiday Decor For Your Home
By Anne Clarke

Originally, clear Icicle lights were developed to simulate the heartwarming scene of a white Christmas, for those areas in which snow is rare. Today, you can find colored icicle lights in many colors, including blue, green, and red. You can see them hung from eaves, fences, railings, gutters, or the decks of homes and businesses. Colored icicle lights are considered by some to be more versatile than the clear type, since they aren’t specifically meant to look like real icicles and are sold in any climate, for both indoor and outdoor decorating. It doesn’t matter if snow isn’t in the forecast; the breathtaking beauty of colored icicle lights will always provide an added glow and festive spirit to your home or office building.

You should keep a few things in mind while setting up your colored icicle lights:

If outlining the edges of your house, remember to attach colored icicle lights not only from the roof, but also from windows and valences to balance the appearance. Another tip from experienced colored icicle light users and observers is to keep the string closer together than the advertised length. Spreading out the set of colored icicles to its max will look strange, so for the best lighting effect, use a few feet less.

It’s extremely important to only use the colored icicle lights specifically manufactured for outside use while you decorate outside. Outdoor colored Icicle lights are more durable and designed for wet weather than are indoor Christmas lights.

Hang your colored icicle lights outside where they are not hanging near any overhead power lines leading to your house.

Both for the sake of your electric bill, and for the conservation of energy, buy a timed photoelectric switch system. Whether mechanical or digital, these are invaluable during the Christmas season. It’s simple, just set the system to turn on the lights at dusk and off at a pre-selected time. There’s no need for electricity to be wasted during daylight hours! These timers are great both for outdoor colored icicle lights and indoor lights, including those on the Christmas tree!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, recreation, education and décor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles about holiday design, please visit Colored Icicle Lights.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke

Porch Swings come in a variety of sizes and materials. Which one would you choose?

Wood porch swings are durable and attractive. I think I’d put a cushion on a wood swing anyway. Wood could get kind of hard to sit on after awhile without a cushion, and I’d be worried about splinters you-know-where.

Metal frame porch swings with cushions are comfy, but I have heavy winds in my back yard at times. The extra weight of the wood is helpful in windy areas. However, sitting on Sunbrella cushions on the metal frame could be a lot more comfortable. Sunbrella is also UV resistant, giving you long lasting cushions and upholstery.

The wicker porch swing is “sweet” and romantic. Put a nice cushion on and curl up with a Victorian romance and a mint julip! How well does whicker last, anyway?

Check out the Porch Swings and enjoy a lazy summer afternoon.

Updated the teak patio furniture page. Still need to find a source for a teak care kit, or at least tung oil.

Tung oil is the oil that you use to polish up your teak furniture if it gets scratched. Very convenient care, really. Plastic patio furniture just cracks in a year or two, and you really can’t do much about renewing it. Teak is a heavy wood that is very resistant to decay and insects. The teak furniture carried by Home Decorators Collection is plantation grown, so you needn’t worry that your patio furniture is deforesting the world.

Check out the teak patio furniture page.

Just updated the porch swings page, and I really want one.

On the one hand, a really cozy porch swing made of sturdy but comfy Sunbrella material seems great. Cuddle up in comfort, with durability from the Sunbrella material.

On the other hand, a wicker all weather porch swing seems great. The other thing about the wicker porch swing that I like is that you can buy a new swing cushion for it every year, like an annual renewal.

Okay, a laptop, iced tea, and a porch swing. Now that’s my vision for this summer!

Our doormats page has been updated. Found some funny doormats (“Nice Underwear” is good for a giggle), some pretty doormats (direct printing does wonders with flowers galor), and some unique doormats (a NYC manhole cover looking doormat anyone?).

April showers bring mud in the house. It’s a great thing to teach your kids to wipe their feet on the doormat before entering a home. First, though, you need a doormat!

I like the Santa on the motorcycle the best. If I were Santa, I’d want a Harley.

These drums really caught my eye:

Lighted Drum Set

They have bright lights coupled with an acetate gel coating that glows to distribute more light for increased visibility day or night. Looks pretty neat that way.

Still, Santa on a Harley beats ‘em all!

Hey, the narcissus and freesia are up already! Check out the pics at the bottom of our page on Fall Bulbs.

Also, the online store we recommend, GoodBulbs.com, is having a blow out sale until November 30th. It’s almost the end of fall bulb season, so they want to clear out the stock.

If you live in a region not yet hit by snow, but which will get cold enough for bulbs (into low 30′s and 40′s) this winter, get some bulbs now on sale. The discount is 20% off of everything in the store.

Or if you prefer indoor gardening, get some of the paper white narcissus kits and plant indoors for winter bloom and fragrance. You can’t beat 20% off your bulb kit!

For spring blooms for years, plant fall bulbs. Our article on planting bulbs includes pictures of the bulbs, tips for planting, and what bulbs we decided to plant this fall.

Whether it’s tulips, daffodils, narcissus, or a coordinated color blooming kit, you’ll find it online. Use our tips to make sure your bulbs bloom in the spring.

Replacing the cushions on your outdoor porch swing can truly revive your porch or backyard decor. It’s a lot cheaper than buying a whole new swing. Besides, if your swing is still good and just looks old, it would be a waste to toss it for a new one. Get new cushions, and it’ll look as good as new.

Take the measurements of your current cushion and keep them noted by you as you shop. If your swing cushions are long gone, then measure the inside area of your swing seat. You’ll need to know the lenght and width.

Our page about outdoor swing cushions has links to a couple of the more common types of porch swing cushions from reputable online stores.

If you need a new porch swing, please visit our page featuring porch swing for a great selection. Here’s one of our favorites:

Get ‘em while they’re got: Red White and Blue wind toys!

Buy any patriotic item and your entire purchase will be 15% off.
At checkout Enter Promo Code
RWB
Write down the promo code to use later!
May not be applied to prior purchases
Offer good Today through May 31, 2005

Our favorite:

Patriotic Triple Spinner29.99

Have you seen a triple spinner in action? They dance in the wind, hypnotize with their motion. Delightful to watch for hours!

You’ll find all sorts of lovely wind toys on line. Save on all of them with any purchase of a RWB product. Spruce up your garden decor with some wind chimes, spinners, streamers, spinsocks, and flags. Let the wind be your garden friend.

ices on Kites, Wind Chimes, Garden Wind Wheels, Flags and more!

No set of trees or solid beams just the right distance apart? Try a hammock stand for your hammock!

This great hammock stand allows you to swing your hammock wherever you like. The Tri-Beam-Hammock Stand is crafted of portable steel construction and will accommodate large and deluxe hammocks. On the lawn, Deck, or poolside, this large hammock stand creates an air of luxury and style while offering versatility of locations. This unit is easy assembly and comes complete with instructions. The delightful green color adds to your garden or patio decor.

Get one today and hang a hammock anywhere you like!

Click here for full ordering instructions of a hammock holder!

Sounds too good be true! A grill that you can use with either gas or charcoal!

It’s a grill. Grill it with either charcoal or gas. Your choice!

It’s a smoker. Smoke it with either charcoal or gas. Your choice!

It’s a fryer/cooker. Fry it with gas!

This super duper grill holds a massive 50 lbs of food. It’s versatile. It’s easy to use. It’s just awaiting your creativity!

As the ground unfreezes and is still moist, it’s the time to consider putting in garden stepping stones. If you’ve got a flower garden that you want to guide visitors and children through visually, garden stepping stones are just right.

Decide where you want your garden path, and decide how many stones you’ll want to put in. An easy way to figure the amount of stones is just to walk the path, counting your footsteps as you go.

Decide on which Garden Stepping Stones will suit your style.

Looking to make your own garden stones or path? They add so much to your garden decor, but having them installed can be pricey. Buy a Walkway Mold and save yourself money. You’ll get exactly the job you want done when you do it yourself!

There are a number of attractive walkway molds available, for just the kind of stone look you desire. There’s Belgian stone, Slate, Random Stone, round stepping stone, or Venetian Stone available. Each walkway mold comes with instructions of how much mortar or cement you will need, and can be reused limitless times. Ingenious, easy, and inexpensive, these may be the answer to your garden stepping stone design at a fraction of the price.

Click Here for Stepping Stone Molds

Each mold comes with instructions. Only about one minute is needed for setting, so you can finish your walkway in a small amount of time.

You can also purchase a kit for a mosaic stepping stone:

Save time, save money, get your own garden walkway! Buy a Garden Stepping Stone Walkway Mold now for your spring garden projects!

As the grey still hangs on, and some folks even battle shoveling snow, the gardener begins to dream of spring. The seed catalogs have already arrived, been thumbed through, lists of seeds made, the vegetable garden for Spring/Summer 2005 all mapped out. A list of any tools that need replacing is already clipped to the garden plan. What else can we do on these long winter nights that are already getting shorter?

Dream of how to enjoy the garden greenery once it arrives! Dream of lazy afternoons in the garden with the laptop connected via wireless to the blog, ahhhhh. Add a mint julip sitting icily nearby… sitting where?

Sitting on your gorgeus all-in-one garden arbor with swing!

Garden Arbor Swing Set

Quality Western Red Cedar kiln dried, then oil stain treated for lasting charm and endurance, this piece is a real dream come true.

Plan around a garden arbor!

• For lazy afternoons, place your garden arbor in a spot that will be shady. Buy and plant flowers that will do well in semi-shade so that your arbor is well decorated with nature’s gift of abundance. Scented geraniums are fantastic for such a spot. You’ll have delicious scents wafting on the breeze, delicate blooms to contemplate, and they’re easy to care for, too!
• Plan to face your garden arbor in the direction of a well orchestrated show of flowers in your yard. While you will want your seat in the shade, you can view the glory of your jasmine vine climbing the garden wall, your sunflower patch nodding gracefully in the breeze, or put in your direct line of site some garden fountains and ponds. A simple fountain in the sun will relax you and add the cooling sound of running water.
• Get a Brinkman Gas Grill or Smoker and cook out from the comfort of your arbor swing! Take full advantage of your summer evenings and cook outdoors, making your garden arbor the center of attraction.

This and other garden arbor swings can be compared on our Garden Arbors page.

And while the rain, snow, and grey still persists, get a personalized doormat to keep the mud where it belongs: waiting for spring in the garden!

Winter weather means mud on shoes. A proper doormat helps keep the mud out, the warmth in, and makes a statement.

Personalized coir doormats allow you to express yourself while wiping your boots. Made of natural fibers, from the coconut tree, these doormats are ecological, economical, and good looking, too.

Doormats greet your family and friends before you even open the door.

Keep it cheery in the dreary weather, keep your home cleaner with someplace to wipe shoes and boots, and add some new character with a personalized doormat.

There are several main materials for doormats: rubber, cast aluminum (or iron, but iron is more prone to rust), wood, sisal, and coir (coconut fibers). Each one has advantages for different doormat needs. Many of the decorative styles of doormats are really miniature carpets with a rubber backing.

There are some sites on the internet that discuss making your own personalized doormat:

• Do it yourself Spray-Painting a Sisal Doormat — This article is well set out and tells you how to make a lattice pattern on a simple sisal doormat. This looks like it could be done on a coir mat as well. The stencil method is used.
• DIY craft welcome mat — This article takes a sisal mat and shows you how to decorate it with felt strips for a welcome message.
• DIY Floor Mats — This article also stresses stencil methods on natural fiber mats of jute or sisal or grass.
• So you say you want a revolution doormat? — More stencil doormat ideas for a coconut doormat. Not as thorough pictorial coverage, but some more specifics on paints to try.
• Painted Welcome Mat — Acrylic paints, spray varnish, and optional rubber stamps are used in this welcome mat construction. The rubber stamp idea is a great help for those of us who can’t draw or cut out stencils with any skill whatsoever.

After reading up on doormats, making your own doormats, and what’s available commercially online, it became interesting to look for ink sublimation personalized doormats. After all, you can upload images to places like cafepress.com and have a mug or a t-shirt printed, why not a doormat?

Most of the custom personalized doormats available are customizable with your name or a text message, not your own image. There are lovely models available, like this cool pineapple personalized arch doormat:

The cool thing about the pineapple motif is that you can get all sorts of other outdoor decor in pineapple motif, also. Like pineapple welcome plaque:



and pineapple weathervane:


and a bunch more stuff.

But nobody seems to be offering an “upload your image and print your own doormat” service yet.
The closest thing seems to be Empirescreen.com which offers dye sublimation printing on doormats. You can email in your graphic file or even send it in on disk. While not quite as immediately gratifying as uploading your image and ordering already, it just might do.

So don’t have a boring doormat this winter, buy or make something exciting, personal, custom, and cool! Think of someone whose face you’d like to wipe mud on every day! Your mother-in-law, your boss, your ex-husband? They’ll think you’re flattering them with a personalized doormat, while you walk all over them every day. The possibilities are endless.

It’s dark, cold, and the holidays are approaching. Whether you’re naughty or nice, it’s so much fun to have a fully lit Santa or a herd of reindeer on your lawn!

My personal favorite is the motorcycle Santa:

It just makes me chuckle as Santa lights up the night on a motorbike!

Then there’s the gift train, chhooooo-choooo! Over 1,000 lights on this 15 foot display:

A fantasy come true!

The best times are when a whole block of homes gets together and everyone decorates with lights and animated lawn decor. Gotta love light this time of year!

Looking outside at the rain, glad that patio furniture is covered.

Memories of barbeques, grilled burgers, picnics on the patio. The grill safely covered and protected now, it will probably be late spring before the next barbeque day.