There’s a lot to like about wicker furniture - it’s sturdy, durable, looks natural, and brings a wonderful aesthetic to your outdoor space. But, when it comes to selecting your outdoor furniture, there’s more to consider outside of its appearance. There’s a lot that goes into creating different types of wicker furniture, that most buyers don’t know before making their purchase. That’s why we’ve done some research, to bring you surprising but essential facts to know about wicker furniture.
For those of you googling ‘wicker furniture near me,’ to start narrowing down your design ideas, you might not find the desired search results the first time. Wicker can be used for indoor and outdoor purposes. and comes in all styles from traditional to contemporary. That means if you happen to stumble across wicker furniture when browsing online, it’s important to see if it’s labeled accordingly. Sometimes, instead of getting lost in the world of online shopping, it’s better to see things for yourself.
At Casual Furniture World, our lines of outdoor wicker furniture work come in a variety of materials, styles, and designs. Whatever your entertaining needs, one of our associates or designers will be glad to work with you to create your dream outdoor space, unique to your lifestyle.
If you are shopping for an enclosed space, such as a glass sun room, you may want to consider rattan furniture. Rattan furniture, made from natural jungle vine, often features the look of and feel of wicker, comes in a variety of colors and stains, but is typically quite less expensive.
While we might refer to it as wicker furniture, wicker is not the actual material used to create wicker furniture. Wicker furniture was given its name because of the famously woven pattern used to build the furniture itself using small strands, and has been used for centuries. Wicker furniture is actually made from multiple materials, which can be used within and outside of your home.
The materials used to create this woven pattern include multiple natural and synthetic materials. High quality outdoor wicker furnishings are built with fully welded aluminum frames, and HDPE synthetic materials or properly treated natural fibers. This is what gives outdoor wicker its durable reputation. While synthetic wicker provides the utmost durability, natural wicker offers a wider variety or styles of colors. Depending on your unique situation, one may be better suited than the other.
Keep in mind that most wicker is woven over some kind of frame or structure. Knowing what “is under the hood” of wicker furniture is key to its quality and longevity. Be weary of wicker furniture that is bolted together (sometimes known as KD) which creates weak, wobbly furniture or wicker furniture that features a steel frame. While it’s less expensive to manufacture, steel frames can rust over time causing rust spots on your patio or worse, rusting through completely and falling apart. High quality wicker will be woven using HDPE wicker strands over a fully welded aluminum frame structure.
High quality outdoor furniture can look brand new for many, many years if it’s well cared for - and wicker is no exception. Outdoor synthetic wicker comes in a variety of styles and materials. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) synthetic wicker is highly durable and requires less care and maintenance than natural wicker, which makes it an appealing choice for patio furniture.
The secret to maintaining natural wicker (most notably Lloyd Flanders furniture) is making sure excess water or natural debris (leaves and dirt) do not build up over time. Too much water can eventually lead to molding and rotting, even with the most resilient types of natural materials. It’s important to take a few minutes to clean your furniture every now and then, and make sure it’s located in an environment with plenty of air flow or sunlight, so that it can dry quickly.
You can clean natural and synthetic wicker with an all-purpose natural cleaner, that comes in an easy to use spray bottle. Just take a cloth, apply your cleaner, and wipe or spray down your furniture. Most wicker furniture is made very intricately, so if you have a type of chair or table that has more elaborate patterns, take extra time to clean these. Sometimes dirt or moisture can hide in these areas. It is a good idea to remove your patio cushions during and after cleaning - this gives the base of your furniture time to breathe, and it’s good to rotate your cushions every so often. Take a look at our cleaning and care instructions for more tips.