furniture
Choosing Perfect Picnic Tables
Every year, as spring comes in and people start thinking of summer, there is suddenly a wide array of patio tables on the market, telling people to get ready for summer sun. So, how do you select the right table for your backyard environment? They key consideration is material. Here is a list of the common materials, and their pros and cons:
Wood Patio Tables
Wood patio tables are a favorite for those who like their backyard to look like a park, or a nature preserve. Wood blends in perfectly and may even take you back to those days of camping. Wood patio tables are sturdy, and can handle even the roughest of kids bounding around on them. On the con side, wood will only look good for so long. After a few years, the outdoor environment will likely start to take it's toll on the wood, and you may start to notice cracks and other effects of weathering.
Plastic Patio Tables
If you are trying to set up your patio on a small budget, you may end up looking towards plastic patio tables to do the trick. Plastic can come in a variety of designs and colors, to match most backyard décor choices. Weather also does it's dirty work on plastic. Over time, plastic that has been left in the sun will start to become more brittle and crack. Eventually the pieces will give way, likely when someone is sitting in them. Another drawback to plastic is they almost never look as attractive as you would like.
Iron Patio Tables
When it comes to patio tables that will put up with a lot of use and abuse, iron is where it's at. Once iron is cast or bent into shape, it's staying that way. You can do almost anything to an iron patio table, short of going after it with a blowtorch, and not worry about the repercussions. The only real downside of iron patio furniture is that if the iron is painted, that paint may peel over time, and need a redo. If you want to avoid that, just purchase plain, unpainted, iron.
Glass-Top Patio Tables
If you want to add a little class to your patio table, you can look into a glass. It always seems nice to have a little bit of a glass touch to a table. A glass table-top is a great way to do this. You can still have a hardy table, made of wood, or iron, but a nice textured glass tabletop softens the entire look. The obvious downside is that glass is glass. It's breakable, and accidents do happen especially if you have a house full of kids in the summer months.
Now it's time to shop, figure out what best suits your family needs, and then hit the stores. One way to get a good idea of what you want is to look around online for the available styles from one location, instead of going from store to store, wasting time.