Whenever you want to buy outdoor furniture, the chances are you will come across various material choices. It could be aluminum, wicker, and many others. However, have you ever heard of polywood?
Yes, you read it right, it is “polywood” and not “plywood”. Sometimes people tend to confuse the two. Well, learning about what is polywood should help you know if it will be a good material or not.
What is Polywood?
Polywood is described as a recyclable lumber with low maintenance that can be used to make outdoor furniture.
Polywood is used as an alternative to wood majorly because of its amazing durability. The polywood material would withstand snowy winters, strong winds, and the hot sun which is often hard for normal wood to withstand without proper protection.
Unlike wood, polywood will not require staining, waterproofing, and painting to maintain its look. I bet by now you are already loving what polywood is all about.
What are the Building Blocks of Polywood?
Polywood is made from High Density Polyethylene or HDPE. This is the same durable plastic that is used in making milk jugs that you find at home, bottle caps, and even detergent containers. The applications of HDPE plastic are quite many.
Several companies have come up with production lines to make polywood mainly from recycling plastic waste. Other than giving you the best outdoor and patio furniture, it helps save the environment from pollution.
HDPE is mostly a durable plastic which improves the life of polywood lumber. You can now expect that polywood would be quite durable generally.
Common Polywood Finishes and Colors
When seeking polywood furniture, the chances are you will want outdoor furniture that looks and feels good. That is how the finishes and colors come in handy. Here are some of the options.
- Classic finish
This is what most manufacturers offer as a finish. The finish comes with a timeless look people want in outdoor furniture. Also, you can get a smooth texture combined with a satin wood appearance.
This finish is better than what you get with real wood. You should find it easy to clean and can still endure the harsh weather elements without damage.
Some of the colors you get for polywood include sand, white, mahogany, green, teak, black, aruba, lime, slate grey, pacific blue, red, lemon, and navy. So, you should have several options to consider when picking the next best polywood for your patio furniture.
- Vintage finish
Vintage finish may not be so common, but it is still a good finish to have for your patio furniture. This one has a wire-brushed texture giving off the look of a matte painted wood.
The vintage finish would also endure nature with everything that it has to throw at your outdoor furniture.
The common colors are white, sahara, and coffee. Whichever color you choose, they will always bring a great look to the patio look.
Benefits of Polywood
- Low maintenance
This would be a top reason to buy polywood outdoor furniture. Think of a scenario where you have to waterproof your wood furniture among other types of maintenance. That is not the case here. You can always use soap and water to clean the dirt and grime and that is it.
Even those with a busy schedule now have patio furniture they do not need to attend to all the time.
- Does not fade easily
Some of the biggest challenges with outdoor wood furniture would be fading of their colors. How about a material that does not fade easily? We are talking of polywood. It will have UV inhibitors and stabilizers vital for protecting the outdoor furniture from degradation. Thus, it would maintain its color over time.
- Sustainable
Since polywood is made from recyclable HDPE plastic, it helps in making the environment sustainable. Instead of having the plastic filling up the landfill, it can now be used to make the best outdoor furniture.
- Weather resistance
This is probably something that can encourage more people to consider buying polywood for their outdoor furniture. If you have used furniture made of other materials, sometimes you find that they can break down due to the weather elements.
Well, polywood can withstand the hot sun, heavy winds, winters, salt spray, and so much more to serve you for longer.
- Impressive warranties
Whenever a product has a longer warranty, at least you are sure it will serve you well. Most brands can give you a warranty of 20 years knowing that the outdoor furniture would be resistant to stains or any corrosive substances. The material also does not rot, splinter, or peel like wood.
How To Clean Polywood Outdoor Furniture
Like other materials, your polywood outdoor furniture would also need cleaning. Whether you want to do a quick clean or a deep clean, the methods are quite simple. You will not have to do much.
If you want a quick clean, here is a quick method to try out.
- First, add a bit of dish soap in a bucket containing warm water
- Use a clean cloth for applying the soapy water onto the polywood furniture to remove as much dirt as possible.
- If you need more cleaning power, you can add some bleach to the water. Do not use too much bleach.
- Once you have applied the soapy mixture to the furniture, let it sit for several minutes to soak the dirt. Do not worry as it will not affect the polywood’s color.
- Now use a soft-bristled brush to remove the dirt and grime that may be embedded deep into the grooves of polywood lumber.
- Finally, rinse the polywood furniture thoroughly removing as much soapy residue as possible. Leave the furniture to air dry.
Downsides of Polywood
Despite having multiple benefits, Polywood also has a few downsides you should know about.
Polywood is considered heavy considering it has a high strength to density ratio. It would also be more expensive than other plastics of the same size. For this, you can always get help from friends and family when moving polywood furniture around your patio.
Polywood furniture is not known for being the most comfortable. Some feel like they are being squashed into the furniture. You may want to choose the furniture that conforms to your body to improve comfort.
Depending on who makes the polywood furniture, some may not stand up to the elements very well. Even though they do not fade fast, some will not look so great after a couple of years in the sun.
Conclusion
Polywood furniture definitely stands for its overall durability, quality, weather resistance, and other many attributes. Considering it is recycling of HDPE plastic, there are many other environmental benefits that come with the whole process. As such, you can expect such outdoor furniture to have quite an appeal. If it makes you smile, you might as well as get one for your patio today.