Materials_for_Outdoor_Furniture

Materials for Garden Furniture and Their Properties Metal is another popular material for garden furniture because it blends well with the natural surroundings and because it is very durable if cared for properly. But metal garden furniture has one disadvantage – it poses a risk of rusting unless it is made from stainless steel. The latter cannot be affected by rain and moisture but it is not as heavy and sturdy as cast iron for instance. Garden furniture made from cast iron always comes with protective paint which, however, does not last indefinitely. But besides periodic re-paint and yearly inspection for signs of damage to the paint, it does not require any special care. Although relatively heavy weight makes it ideal for outdoor use, it is very inconvenient for moving and carrying around. Stone is not particularly a common choice for garden furniture which is primarily related to its relatively high costs. Stone garden furniture is indeed relatively expensive, however, it is also true that the cost varies greatly from one type of stone to another. In addition, stone virtually lasts forever and can easily be passed to the next generations. It is also resistant to the outdoor elements and does not need any special care to keep it beautiful. Plastic garden furniture is appealing due to its relatively low cost. Its aesthetic appeal cannot compare to the materials mentioned above although there are many kinds of plastic some of which can look strikingly similar to natural materials such as rattan for instance. Plastic garden furniture needs only regular cleaning but it is not as durable as outdoor furniture made from natural materials and needs to be replaced earlier. As a result, plastic garden furniture is not any less expensive in the long term than garden furniture made from top quality materials. Physical and Chemical Properties Wood Physical - A chemical property is a characteristic that can only be seen when the material changes and a new material is formed. Examples of chemical properties are ability to burn, ability to rust and ability to sour. So a chemical property of wood is its ability to burn. When it burns, it gets hot and changes to ash. A physical property is a characteristic that can be seen or measured without changing the material. Examples are odor, color, shape and texture.The principle physical properties of wood are strength, hardness, stiffness and density. Metal Physical properties of metals are that they are hard, dense, shiny, malleable, ductile a good conductor of heat and have high melting points meaning that they are solid at room temperature. Their chemical properties include being good electrical conductors, they make metallic bonds and their atoms are arranged in a lattice. They release hydrogen when reacted with acids and are usually cations (positive ions). Plastic Some physical properties of plastic include transparency, flexibility, elasticity, permeability, water resistant, electrical resistance and Specific Gravity. Chemical properties include solubility, chemical resistance, thermal stability, reactivity with water, flammability, heat of combustion. Range of Metals used in Outdoor Furniture Since iron is heavy and solid, it is well-suited for windy spots where light furniture might be blown away. Don't expect it to be highly portable, though. Well-cared for, iron furnishings can last for 100 years. Much of the iron furniture available today is wrought iron, rather than cast iron. When you're buying wrought iron, look for pieces made with solid metal rather than hollow tubing, and that are welded, rather than bolted, together. Generally, the better furniture is North American made. Iron furniture requires more maintenance than other types of metal furniture. Clean it regularly with warm soapy water and then dry it thoroughly. Wax the smooth surfaces and apply mineral or baby oil to textured surfaces. Oil springs and moving parts once per year. Immediately touch up any scratches or rust by lightly sanding the spot with a fine steel wool. Then apply several thin coats of metal paint, letting each coat dry well before applying the next. If you're using a spray paint, apply with short light stokes. Steel, a hard tough metal, is an alloy of iron and various small percentages of metallic elements. The alloys produce hardness and resistance to rusting. Galvanized steel has been plated with zinc; stainless steel has been alloyed with chromium and is virtually immune to rust and corrosion. Metal outdoor furniture Having metal furniture, instead of other materials such as wood and plastic, offers a lot of great benefits that are unique to metal material. Its use has become known and preferred by most people, as it is made to be durable so that it can last for longer years as compared to the other materials. Other than its durability, it suits nearly every environment where it is placed. It makes it look elegant and attractive and it can make a good impression on the people around, especially when placed outside. It serves as a great attraction because, aside from durability, it comes with various styles that are unique. Stainless Steel is used very extensively for most modern interior furnishings involving metal. Many hinges, slides, supports and body pieces are composed of Stainless. It has a high tensile strength, allowing it to be applied using hollow tubes, reducing weight and increasing user accessibility. It also doesn’t require frequent cleaning like other metals and also isn’t as heavy as other metals such as iron, making it much of a less danger for your kids. When polished, stainless steel looks just as if its new. As its name suggests, stainless steel is stain proof and contains alloys which produce hardness and resistance to rusting, making it one of the most suitable metals for outdoor furniture. Future of outdoor furniture construction The future of outdoor furniture construction will most likely explicitly include materials such as metal (specifically stainless steel) and wood. This is because stainless steel is Super-tough and durable making steel for very substantial furniture. Also, Dense types of wood are usually hard and strong. The term strength covers a number of different properties. Strength varies greatly with seasoning and with the direction of the grain; wood is much stronger when cut along the grain than when cut across it. Costs of materials for outdoor furniture Wood is very useful because it's cheap, very abundant, and we can make almost anything out of it including houses , furniture and tools. This inexpensive price is due to the copious supply of wood in forests/bushes in Australia. Aluminium chairs are more expensive. This is because it needs a lot of power and electricity to produce. With the demand of the product a whole power station is needed. This costs a lot of money and they have to charge the buyer more to pay for the production process. Stainless steel recently isn’t as expensive as Aluminium. The cost of a material is a supply and demand dynamic. It is noticeable that the cost of stainless steel has dropped significantly in recent years as more suppliers have moved into this field. Plastic chairs are definitely the cheapest materials; however it is gradually becoming more expensive. This is because plastics are made mostly from petroleum, and petroleum is getting more expensive. It is a non renewable resource, in the sense that there is only so much oil in the oil wells, and when it is pumped out, it does not get replaced. Wood is available in abundant amounts in Australian regions, hence its relatively cheap price (This is mainly in the bushes). This makes it more available for outdoor furniture use. Aluminium isn’t as available as it requires at lot of money and energy to separate it from its ore. These days, using the Hall-Héroult process, it is cheaper, quicker and has a higher yield. Since Australia has the highest amount of bauxite ores in the world, the production of aluminium also has fairly good availability. Since plastic is made from oil, the production of oil in Australia determines the availability of plastic in it (unless its imported). Innovations influenced the availability of materials Aluminium is the most abundant metallic element on Earth but it is rarely found in its elemental state. That is why, The Hall–Héroult process (a major industrial process for the production of aluminium), is one of the main innovations that influence the availability of aluminium, a common type of metal. It was invented independently and almost simultaneously in 1886 by the American chemist Charles Martin Hall and the Frenchman Paul Héroult.