Can You Leave Patio Furniture Outside In The Rain?

There will be some patio furniture that will be fine to leave outside in the rain but there are also some that are not.

If you live somewhere that is experiencing a lot of heavy rainfall then you should avoid getting wood furniture or try to keep your wood furniture covered up when it’s expected to rain, otherwise you could risk the materials warping. 

Even if your hardwood ‘all-weather’ outside furniture says it can withstand the elements you should try to keep it covered during the rainier months to maintain the quality and durability of the materials.

You should always treat the wood to protect it from cracking from the sun and also from warping from rain and the heat. 

Wicker patio furniture should not be left outside in the rain and it is only intended to be used under a cover outside.

Rain can easily damage or even destroy wood wicker patio furniture and in particular wet climates, mold and mildew can grow on the furniture causing bad odors and deterioration to the materials. 

Synthetic wicker furniture is a better option if you don’t have an outside cover to protect the furniture from the elements, it will be able to withstand harsher weather better but you should still try to keep it as dry as possible to prevent mold growth. 

Plastic patio furniture is fine to leave outside all year round, but the only problem is that it can be made out of very light materials which makes it more prone to easily blowing away in strong winds. 

Some metal patio furniture like aluminum ones are ok to be left outside in the rain as it’s pretty resistant to wet weather.

However, you may still want to spray your aluminum patio furniture with a corrosion inhibitor every year to keep it protected from damp weather. 

Steel on the other hand, whilst it is durable it can easily rust and leave orange scuffs on your patio when left outside in the rain, so it’s best to bring it indoors or keep it covered well during rainy weather.

Can I use a tarp to cover patio furniture?

Yes, you can use tarp to cover your patio furniture during bad weather, however, you’ll want to make sure that the tarp is big enough to cover all of your furniture so that there are no gaps where the furniture is exposed to rainfall.

One of the other issues with using tarp to cover patio furniture is that if you only use one large sheet to cover everything, a pool of water can gather on top and the pressure can cause the furniture to come uncovered. 

Tarp is relatively inexpensive and can easily be found online and in various stores in your area, it also comes in various sizes so you can buy one big sheet or numerous little sheets to cover things in your yard.

Tarp is not only used for protecting patio furniture from rain but can also be used to protect outside furniture from the harsh UV rays which can cause fading, darkening or even some permanent discoloration to your patio furniture. 

If you want to ensure your patio furniture is thoroughly protected, then you’re probably best using proper patio furniture covers as they’re designed with an angle that will keep the furniture entirely covered from wind and rain.

They often come with ties that can tighten the cover to the piece of furniture so it doesn’t blow around and come loose in windy conditions.

When you buy a new patio furniture set, there may be specialized covers that come with that set that are designed to protect each piece. 

However, patio furniture covers are typically more expensive and you may have to buy an individual cover for each piece of furniture to cover everything. 

Does wicker patio furniture need to be covered?

If you have wooden wicker patio furniture then you should ensure it is covered as much as possible in poor weather conditions, otherwise, you could risk the quality of the materials decreasing and also the construction deteriorating. 

Synthetic wicker furniture is more resistant to rain and bad weather can be left uncovered without encountering any serious issues.

However, if you do want to keep your patio furniture in the best condition possible then it’s probably best to put it into storage or cover it up during the winter months, especially if you don’t plan to use them.

Some synthetic wicker furniture is not made from high-grade materials as the protective dye is only painted on the outside of the weave instead of being incorporated throughout the weave throughout the entire design. 

If you are going to leave your patio furniture outside all year round, then you should clean the furniture regularly to make sure there is not a build-up of dirt or even animal droppings on there.

Not only will this maintain the good condition of the furniture, but will prevent odors or unsightly stains from appearing on the furniture which will prevent you from relaxing on it. 

How do you protect outdoor furniture from rain?

The best way to protect your outdoor furniture from rain is to put it in storage during the rainier months of the year or keep it properly covered when you’re expecting to experience heavy rainfall in your area.

Ideally, you should use furniture covers to protect each piece of furniture or a large piece of tarp that thoroughly covers the entire set.

Ideally, you should make sure any cover or tarp is brought under the legs of any outside tables or chairs to prevent it from blowing up in windy conditions and being exposed to the rain. 

Some specialized patio furniture covers will be covered with ties or toggles that you pull at the bottom to tighten the cover so it stays put throughout more adverse weather. 

If you want to ensure that an extra-large piece of tarp won’t blow away or come uncovered from your outdoor furniture, then you should put bricks or something similar in weight at the bottom of the furniture on top of the tarp to keep it weighted down. 

If you don’t want to buy protective covering or you want to protect your outdoor furniture even further then you could always try to paint or varnish them with a treatment to keep the materials in good condition.

Some of these treatments will repel rain or snow, or at least slow down the damaging process. However, we do recommend that this shouldn’t be the only step you take in trying to protect your outdoor furniture from the rain.

If you have natural wicker outdoor furniture then we’d recommend bringing it indoors during winter or even keep it under a fully protected cover during rainfall.

If you live in a particularly wet climate then we wouldn’t advise getting wicker outdoor furniture as it won’t fare well in the weather and you’ll need a good place to keep it stored.

Is it OK to leave patio cushions outside?

Some patio cushions can be left outside all year round due to their weather-resistant materials, however, some are shower-resistant but not completely waterproof so will need to be brought indoors during heavy rain.

Shower-proof outdoor cushioning will soak up heavy rainfall and they will be ruined so it’s best to bring them indoors whenever you’re expecting bad weather.

Outdoor cushions can take a long time to dry after rainfall and can sometimes go moldy which is why most people either bring their cushions indoors when the furniture is not in use or keep covers over the chairs. 

Always check what material your outside cushions on the label and see what is recommended when it comes to rain or snow.

Should I cover my patio furniture every night?

If you live in parts of the country that experiences rain on very rare occasions, then you should be ok to leave your patio furniture uncovered every night.

However, if you live somewhere that has unpredictable weather or wet weather conditions, then you should try to keep your patio furniture covered up when not in use as much as possible.