Metal can be shaped into just about any style and is very durable. The important thing to be aware of is the effect it has on you.

Is it too cold for your experience of an ideal personal style?

Or..

Does it remind you of sitting in a New Orleans courtyard café with someone you love listening to the best jazz band you’ve ever heard?

See our section: Find a Path to Your Unigue Garden Style, if you want more information on this concept.

Outdoor metal furniture for residential use generally comes in two varieties:

• Wrought Iron
• Aluminum

Metal Outdoor Furniture Advantages

Wrought Iron – These heavy pieces won’t blow away on a windy day. Some lounge chairs will have wheels on them so you can move them around to catch the best rays. They can be shaped into some lovely fluid lines to get interesting and unique shapes – from elaborate Victorian detailing to rustic branch and leaf designs to sleek contemporary forms.

Aluminum – You get the sleekness of metal without heat or cold to the touch. Warranties can go up to 15 years.


Metal Outdoor Furniture Disadvantages

Wrought Iron – Watch out if you sit on it when it’s hot or cold because it heats up in the sun and gets cold as ice in freezing temperatures. And it can rust.

Aluminum – The tubular pieces can have a flimsy look. Our dining chairs scoot across our deck on windy days like windsurfers on San Francisco Bay.


Metal Outdoor Furniture Care

Wrought Iron – Cracks in the finish should be touched up with paint. You can clean your pieces with mild soap and rinse with a soft spray from the garden hose.

Aluminum – If unpainted, protect it with car wax or mineral oil, depending on what the manufacturer’s tag recommends. We clean our furniture pieces with soapy water and hose them down to rinse it off. That is, when we clean them, which I must admit doesn’t happen very often – we’ve gotten used to just wiping them off with a towel when we want to sit down!


Metal Outdoor Furniture Costs

That same five piece dining set will run:

• Wrought Iron – from about $700 to $1,800
• Aluminum – from $700 to $3,000

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