How to Care for Your Adirondack Furniture

There are several things that you can do to not only prolong the life of your lawn furniture, but keep that new looking appearance. Whether your Adirondack chairs are painted or stained, there are a couple things that you can do. There are a couple steps that you can take when you buy your chairs to help keep them in great shape. A little bit of care every week or so can also help their longevity. These simple and cheap tricks and tips can keep you from having to buy new chairs for many years.

The first thing that you will want to do is add little rubber feet onto your chair legs. You can find these "feet" at just about any hardware or hobby store. They are very simple to install and often come with all the hardware you will need. You want the feet to be large enough to cover almost the entire bottom of the leg but not extend past the edges. It will only take one finishing nail to install these. One tack or nail right through the center is all you need. You may want to apply some super glue or "Gorilla Snot" type adhesive to help keep the foot attached to the chair.

Another thing that you will want to do is add some top coat. Most companies will be very conservative with their clear coat or weather proofing. This is for two reasons. One it is cheaper for them and two, you will have to buy new furniture sooner. You should add at least two additional coats of clear coat or weatherproofing to your furniture. Make sure you get all the corners and cracks. To get into the little spots, you can saturate a rag or sponge with the clear coat and squeeze it into the smallest of areas. This will push the weatherproofing over all the wood so that the entire chair is protected.

These two things can help to extend the life of your chairs, but you will still want to do some scheduled maintenance on them. Once a week you should wipe them down to keep the dirt and dust off of the chairs. You can use a furniture polish to do this and it will help to protect your chairs. Once a month you will want to pay close attention as you wipe them down. Look at the rubber feet and make sure they are not worn out. You will also want to feel for any chips or scratches in the top coat. If you find gaps or worn spots in this finish, you will want to fill them in with the same coating. You can apply a very liberal amount to the affected area and then sand it even with fine sandpaper when it is dry.

Some extra steps in the care of your lawn furniture can make it last for years. These simple steps and additions can keep your Adirondack chairs looking like new for a long time and prevent you from having to buy all new ones. By taking these steps and wiping them down after a big rain or snow, they will last much longer. You may also want to put them on the porch or in some other sheltered place when inclement weather comes.