Cane refers to a traditional material for the purpose of garden furniture. Cane is a softer and warmer material as compared to metal, as it does not conduct the body heat. Cane is a natural material that is great for the natural setting. It has a warm, soft colour that bends easily in the elegant curves. Another great property of the furniture is the, which is a great advantage for those who wish to move the furniture around. Cane is utilised for making table, chairs, and benches.
The material cane comes from two distinct plants:
- Bamboos refer to a woody and tall grass that is durable and light strong. A single clump has the ability to produce 15 kilometres of usable cane in bamboo plant lifetime.
- Rattan refers to a climbing pal that belongs to the genus Calamus. This comprises of many jointed stems that are widely used for making cane furniture.
Here are a few tips for taking care of cane rattan garden furniture:
Keep it away from direct sunlight
When the furniture is exposed to direct sunlight, it tends to get discoloured over tome and dry out. This further leads to breakage and tears in the constructions. Hence, keep it away from direct sunlight, rather keep it moisturized. This is a great method to keep the pieces in a room where there is a humidifier.
Use a cushion in order to protect the seat
A flat pillow or cushion set on the cane chair does its job of dispersing weight on the surface. This eases up the pressure on the centre in order to reduce the breakage. Even if the furniture chair starts to give, then setting a pillow helps to stall the progression.
Additionally, you can also take a step further and upholster the cushion for sitting atop it. Cut a piece of plywood according to the size of the seat while adding some batting over it. Lay down a fabric piece across while stapling the edges to the plywood’s back portion. This will put the entire pressure on the frame, instead of the woven seat.
Distribute body weight properly on the cane seat
Rattan garden furniture seat intends to take distribution of a person’s weight evenly. It is not concentrated weight like that of a foot or knee. Do not kneel towards a cane seat or even use as a step tool or a ladder. This will cause the strands to break while the seat needs to be rewoven prematurely.
Keep cane free of dust
Clean the dirty or grimy cane seats using a wood soap like Murphy’s oil soap or even a mild detergent in warm water. Do this using a soft cloth or a brush. Take proper care so as not to damage the wood surface with water. Rinse properly while then let the seat dry on a warm and windy day in order to eliminate the possibility of mildew and mould settings that will stain the cane. Avoid sitting on the seat for 48 hours as otherwise, the cane will be out of shape.
Usage and storage tips
Do not use or store cane furniture in areas that experience high humidity where mildew and mould can present quite a problem. When you are keeping it outdoors as rattan sofa furniture, keep it preferably under shade to experience minimum humidity level.
Leave one side unpainted while painting it
The cane furniture needs to have space to breathe; otherwise, it can get quite crackly and also dry. While painting it, coat the side that faces outwards while leaves the bottom and the back uncoated.
Remove maximum flaking before painting
Before painting the furniture, remove as much as flaking as possible. While doing this, be extremely careful not to damage the weave of the rattan furniture. On doing this, you can next lightly sand through the rough edges in order to tidy the furniture up. It is also recommended to roughing the surface up for improved paint adhesion. Moreover, if you are altering the paint colour completely, you need to use a primer. Head over to Whitestores.co.uk to get the best rattan furniture at an affordable price.
Cleaning tips
Regular cleaning of cane will ensure that it stays in the best of condition for much longer than it is expected. You need to clean it once every two weeks by wiping with a damp cotton cloth that helps remove dust and then brush using a dry paintbrush for dislodging any debris. Next, you can leave it to air dry.
Conclusion
This furniture thus is a great decoration piece for outdoors that helps enhance the beauty of your garden. However, maintaining it is a tad bit task that can be made easy with these tips.
