Our patio furniture was starting to peel so whenever you would sit in one of the chairs you would feel the need to help the peeling paint along.  Kind of like having peeling skin after that dreaded sunburn that you just can’t help but peel away.

The patio furniture was purchased five years ago and was cast aluminum with a faux patina finish so we figured it would last forever.  Well that may be true from some however we live in Florida about 4 miles from the ocean so we receive the salt air and in turn this is very corrosive on everything.  If I only knew then what I know now, it would have lasted even longer.  So I’m sharing this information to save many of you the time and effort when purchasing new patio furniture.

I began my venture of getting a quote for what’s called, Restoration of Patio Furniture being one to use what I already have to benefit the environment by not throwing it out.  Well needless to say I had sticker shock when I received the quote, as it was triple the cost of what we originally paid for the furniture.  Granted we did save quite a bit for the initial cost as it was during the end of summer patio sales plus we had the main ingredient, which was the cast aluminum furniture.

See the process we were getting a quote for was what is called, Powdered Coating which is a much more durable product and lasts longer.  This sounded pretty good but when I asked what type of guarantee they gave it was only a year.  Now keep in mind that they quoted us a price of $2100 with a one-year guarantee.  Hum, we spent $800 and it lasted 5 years does this really sound like such a great deal?

Then I started researching the Powered Coating process and it seems I was really on to something that does benefit the environment.  Did you know that there is a powder coating movement?  Read on to find out more……

Powdered Advantages Why all the hubbub about powder coating? There are many advantages to the powder coating process versus traditional paint. The industry claims that powder is more durable than paint, cost less than paint and lasts at least as long as paint.

“Powder coated surfaces are more resistant to chipping, scratching, fading, and wearing than other finishes,” says Jeff Palmer, spokesperson for the Powder Coating Institute. “Color selection is virtually unlimited with high and low gloss, metallic, and clear finishes available. And colors stay bright and vibrant longer. Texture selections range from smooth surfaces to a wrinkled or matte finish, and rough textures designed for hiding surface imperfections.”

Powder coating is also environmentally friendly. While liquid finishes contain solvents that have pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), powder coating contains no solvents and releases negligible amounts, if any, of VOCs into the atmosphere. That eliminates the need for costly pollution control equipment.

In fact, one of the major catalysts for growth in the powder coating industry has been the implementation of stringent air pollution control legislation over the past three decades. Finishers who use powder coating can comply more easily with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

“Powder coating is a lot easier to clean up than paint. With paint you have liquid paint sludge to dispose of,” Palmer says. “Much of the over spray powder that doesn’t stick to the part can be recycled and reused. It’s those factors that have really helped the powder coating industry take off.”

With no VOCs, the air used to exhaust the powder spray booth can be re-circulated directly into the plant, eliminating the cost of heating or cooling the make-up air. Palmer says energy is also saved with the curing ovens. Solvent-based coatings must heat and exhaust huge volumes of air to ensure that the solvent fumes do not reach a potentially explosive level, but the exhaust requirements in powder coating ovens are lower. “Powder coating is more efficient because it requires no drying and more parts can be coated automatically,” Palmer says. “Powder coating does not run, drip, or sag, and this results in significantly lower reject rates.”

So with this newly found research in hand, off I went to look for patio furniture at our local retailers and oh what did I find.  That many manufacturers are moving to this process, which is making it more available for us budget conscious individuals.  I did however find that Lowes and Home Depot carried the biggest selection of Powered Coated patio furniture.  Even the sales people did not realize the difference between painted versus powered coating so we had some great conversations with them.  I bet they will be blowing out their selection of powered coated selections just with their newfound knowledge.

So did we get new powder coated patio furniture, you bet plus we took advantage of the 50% off Labor Day sale.  Now what about that older set, well my father being retired wants to put a little more life into the old patio set.  When I asked what he was going to do, he just said wait and see.  Oh have I heard these words from him before but loves refurbishing items plus it gives him time outside, which he truly loves at heart.

Almost forgot, here's a tip for your outdoor furniture. Wash frame with a mild solution of soap and water, rinse with clean water and dry throughly.  Treat your frames with a liquid wax for maximum protection against UV light and salty damp air.  If your set includes cusions they may be cleaned by hand with a mild solution of soap and water. Rinse cushion thoroughly and allow to drip dry.  Apply a Scotchgard product on the fabric for protection of spills and added life.

Kandi Phillips
Awaken Your Space, LLC
Awaken Your Space