If you are looking to bring your old garden furniture into the modern world, look no further than Rattan Garden Furniture.
With the recent influx of Rattan Garden Furniture into the UK, it has proven itself to be a worthy contender into the British Outdoor Garden Furniture market.
With the Rattan Garden Furniture's all weather resistance features, it makes it the perfect choice for a garden owner within the UK too have Rattan Garden Furniture over the more traditional Wooden Garden Furniture or even the classic Aluminium Garden Furniture due to our erratic British weather conditions.
There are many Outdoor Garden Furniture companies popping up all over the UK advertising all kinds of Outdoor Garden Furniture with promises of "long lasting furniture" but to really understand what this means, you need to understand the different types of rattan that are in use.
Here are the main types of Rattan being used within the UK Market:
PE (Polyethylene) Rattan
One of the main benefits for PE Rattan is that it is a recyclable material, so it is ECO-Friendly and can be reused for other applications over and over again.
PE Rattan is also the strongest type of rattan in use due to its hard wearing and rigid nature.
This is the more expensive luxurious rattan and it generally the better quality to be looking for.
PU (Polyurethane) Rattan
PU Rattan is also a popular alternative for manufacturers however, whereas PE and PVC can be recycled, PU Rattan is not a recyclable material.
PU Rattan has a degree of flexibility to it but it is still a hard wearing material which has similar properties to PE Rattan.
This is your mid range rattan that offers certain price points for people who want the long lasting qualities as PE Rattan but cannot justify the price tag.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) Rattan
PVC Rattan is the cheapest type of rattan available to manufacturers. Again it has similar properties as the above types of rattan but it isn't as hard wearing.
PVC is also an ECO-Friendly Material and can be reused over and over again for other applications.
The PVC Outdoor Garden Furniture is also often found in the large super markets/department stores at a fraction of the cost of PE/PU Rattan which makes this a popular choice as "throw away furniture".
Life expectancy of PE and PU Rattan is generally between 5-10 years whereas PVC Rattan is generally between 3-7 years depending on weather conditions and how well it is maintained throughout the year.
Furniture Frame work
Another thing to look for is the type of material that the underlying framework is made from. After all you don't want to buy something that has the best rattan only to be let down by a weak frame.
Steel
Steel framework is by far a cheaper option to make but if does come with some downsides to it.
Primarily, steel rusts over time without proper care.
Usually, the manufacturers coat the steel with a powder coat which will significantly increase the lifespan of the steel so it is a good idea to keep on top of this and give it an extra coat of paint every so often to ensure that it stays in tip top shape for many years to come.
The other "issue" with steel is that it is much heavier as well.
Aluminium
Aluminium is the opposite to that of steel. It is lightweight and rust resistant as well.
However, this can increase the price of the furniture as well but it is worth it as it will last longer and it is 1 less thing that you need to maintain as well.
Conclusion
So when you are looking for Garden Furniture, look for something with an Aluminium frame and ideally PE Rattan.
This will give you a very long lasting furniture set that will be maintenance free for the majority of it.