What Weather Can Do to Your Outdoor Cushions

Most people who purchase outdoor furnitureThere are a couple of ways to battle this when
make a big mistake in assuming what types ofyou're purchasing cushions. The first way is to
things that furniture can stand up to. A majoroffer some shade for your cushions. If they are
example of this is in the area of outdoor cushions.not forced to sit in direct sunlight all day they will
As soon as someone hears their cushions havestand up better to the sun's harmful rays. The
been created for outdoor use, they think thatsecond way is to purchase cushions that were
means they'll be able to stand up to anything.made for an area that sees a lot of sunlight.
Well, some cushions can handle more than others.Some cushions these days are created specifically
Also some are meant for particular climates andwith UV protection. This extra coat of protection
built with certain climate expectations in mind.will help the cushions retain their color.
Before you buy a set of cushions for your lawnMildew
furniture, you need to make sure you understandAnother thing to think about when it comes to
what weather conditions you will be putting thatpurchasing outdoor cushions is what type of
furniture through and whether or not it has beenmildew threat they are facing. If you are in an
built to handle that.area that has a lot of humidity, there is also a high
Sun Damagethreat for mold and mildew. As precipitation falls,
Sun damage is something you definitely need toand doesn't evaporate quickly, it will sink into the
consider when it comes to purchasing cushions.cushions of your furniture. The longer it sits there
The sun can have an extremely damaging effectthe more mold and mildew has a chance to form.
on outdoor furniture. When it comes to cushions itOften, you won't notice until this problem starts
can affect both the color and the compositionto get out of hand. Unfortunately at this point
First, let's look at the color impact. Cushions thatthere won't be much left that you can do other
are left sitting in the sun are going to experiencethan replace the affected areas.
the powerful bleaching effect of the sun. The sunWhen you're first considering a purchase it's very
is essentially nature's bleach. If your cushions arewise to look for mold and mildew resistant
in direct sunlight, within a few months you maymaterials in your lawn furniture if you live in a high
start noticing changes in color. It may not behumidity area. Many fabrics are more resistant to
obvious when you're looking at the top of themold and mildew than others. For areas with high
cushion but if you pick one up and flip it over youhumidity, these types of fabric can be used in
may be surprised to see how different thelawn furniture and may be able to prevent that
current color is from the color that they startedmold or mildew from ever starting.
as.