You sitting pretty?

Garden furniture, whether canvas or cast-iron, should be durable, fashionable and affordable, says Kya de Longchamps

Good as new with a quick power wash, these glass fibre pieces are comfortable, daring in design and remarkably well priced, from €120; fwww.bubblegardenfurniture.com.

IT’S time to shake out the spiders from that dusty, twisted hammock and creak open those neglected garden chairs. If your garden furniture is shabby, there are options on a pinched budget in a competitive, good-value market. Before we explore the fashions, outdoor materials must perform as well as they look.

WOODEN HEART: Wood furnishings demand care; they are lacking in durability. Teak with its tough, oily timber is a favourite, and even untreated will muscle the weather in a grey-faded glory. Some gardeners prefer this honest finish, with cheekily poking knots and tender surface cracks. Receptive to any wood treatment, you can oil, paint or stain wood surfaces to suit any scheme. A water-based product is safe enough for the children to refresh the pieces at the start of the summer. Micro-porous products allow the wood to breathe, preventing water being trapped beneath a skin of paint where it will merrily rot out your furniture.

If your teak is classically bare, give it a good brush-down, check the joints are secure, and seal it with teak soap to moisturise the timber twice a year. Smooth hardwoods, including acacia, shorea and eucalyptus, can be sealed in a colour choice, when they appear to be lightly cracking on their surface, with an oily rich wood defender. Clean bare wood with Liberon wood cleaner before resealing. Look for the forest stewardship council logo (FSC) with any wood furnishings.

POLY-RATTANS: Woven furniture has a relaxed, country-casual feel, and in poly-resin it’s a tough, synthetic contender. At the top end of the market, a steel or aluminium frame carries a woven, resin basket to cup the back and seat and can be taken to the ground in Lloyd Loom-inspired shapes of bold contemporary baskets and slings. The frame and weave is immune to rust, fading and rain; just tap it on the ground to shift embedded moisture and take into the conservatory or over-winter indoors. Prices start from €500 for a couch, coffee table and two-chair lounger set with tie-on cushions.

A softer plastic-style material, Textoline is the cheapest of wovens, at €100 for a dining set (Argos; Atlantic set of four chairs, table and parasol). It’s vulnerable to fading if not covered when off-duty but holds off mildew nicely. Polyethylene stringing provides a nice bounce to the back but can snap with abuse (see IKEA’s Vasman range). You can safely use a power washer to clean poly-rattans and Textoline.

ON ITS METAL: Cast-iron is a traditional inhabitant in gardens. Despite its weight and the need for a shielding cushion, it’s popular. Victorian designs are available in newly cast pieces; sealed under a good metal paint, they will last decades. Heavier, metal-based materials are a good choice for all-round ornamentals and situations with strong prevailing winds.

Cleaning cast-iron, cast aluminium, or any metal protects against invading rust. In iron, look for small flecks of rust; sand-out and spot-treat with an exterior-grade metal paint. Powder-coasted aluminium and steel need only a soapy wash. With soft dressings, they offer ample support at great prices.

CANVAS CHARM: Canvas in the garden, suspended into hammocks and slung seating, dates back a century, and while providing a soft, warm nostalgic hug for bare legs, it’s no more than tough cotton. In strong gusts, soft seating panels, brollies and windbreaks should be anchored by weighty framing, or they can fly. Bring your canvas pieces undercover when the season ends.

If you have fabric pieces in storage that are speckled in algae and other nasties, try a gentle soap wash, but colours will fade with use. Lean your parasol on the ground and use a car brush to massage the dirt from the fibres, rinsing off with clean, cool water. Some canvas has a water-repellent coating, which must be replaced if the material is cleaned. Try a camping shop for a spray-on rain treatment used to proof tents and horse rugs.

COLOURWISE: With your furniture parked in the sun day-long, remember that pale colours reflect heat and light, whereas dark ones will absorb radiant warmth. Silver-and-white pieces can be glaring, where black metallics can rudely BBQ your nether regions without the protection of a cushion. Colour fastness varies from product to product, so look for a UV-stable finish to protect your investment.

OUT OF SEASON: While you use your furniture seasonally, you’ll be storing it year-round. Covers are useful for sloughing off showers, but covering pieces throughout the winter in impermeable materials can result in a mouldy percolator. Folding furniture that can be hung on hooks in a shed, or taken to pieces, is a better prospect where space is tight. The trade-off is that fixed seating is more structurally sound. Look for fold-aways and stackables.