by: Debbie Rodgers
Mention metal patio furniture and you probably think of the light, fly-away aluminium loungers of your youth or that half-ton cast iron table and chair set on your neighbour's lawn.
But metal outdoor furniture has come a long way. Here's a quick primer on the available types and their care.
Construction Methods
Metal is fashioned into furniture in one of three main ways: extrusion, casting, and welding.
Extrusion forces melted metal through long pipes and forms long narrow tubes of metal, sometimes solid, but often hollow.
Casting metal involves a form, or cast, shaped like the finished product. The molten metal is poured into the form and then the form is removed when the metal has solidified. Cast pieces are almost always solid.
Forging, a process in which metal is heated and hammered into shape produces the type of furniture known as "wrought" metal. It uses pipes and various solid pieces of the metal and joins them together by welding or bolting.
Common Materials
The most common metal outdoor furniture is made from iron or aluminium, although the use of steel, especially stainless steel, is growing.
Iron is a chemical element that is naturally malleable and rusts easily. Vintage pieces, usually in black or dark green, can be found at premium prices and must be carefully maintained to prevent further rusting. Modern reproduction pieces will usually have a rust-resistant finish or coating that protects against chipping, scratching and corrosion. There are a variety of finishes available such as primer and paint, powder coatings and galvanizing. They are available in a range of colors and styles.
Since iron is heavy and solid, it is well-suited for windy spots where light furniture might be blown away. Don't expect it to be highly portable, though. Well-cared for, iron furnishings can last for 100 years.
Much of the iron furniture available today is wrought iron, rather than cast iron. When you're buying wrought iron, look for pieces made with solid metal rather than hollow tubing, and that are welded, rather than bolted, together. Generally, the better furniture is North American made.
Iron furniture requires more maintenance than other types of metal furniture. Clean it regularly with warm soapy water and then dry it thoroughly. Wax the smooth surfaces and apply mineral or baby oil to textured surfaces. Oil springs and moving parts once per year. Immediately touch up any scratches or rust by lightly sanding the spot with a fine steel wool. Then apply several thin coats of metal paint, letting each coat dry well before applying the next. If you're using a spray paint, apply with short light stokes.
Aluminum is a silvery, lightweight and easily worked metallic element that never rusts. Much of the early aluminum furniture from the 1960s was made from hollow-core extrusion tubing. Such furniture was extremely lightweight but not exceedingly wind-stable. Such pieces are still available today and are best used around a pool area. Cast aluminum is better used in outdoor dining or sitting areas.
Whether you're looking for extruded, cast or wrought aluminum items, there are a few items that indicate a quality piece. As with wrought iron, joints should be welded (preferably full-circumference welds) rather than bolted. If bolts are used, for example to connect webbing, they should be made of aluminum or stainless steel. Otherwise they will begin to rust even though the main frame does not.
Best quality aluminum pieces have a powder-coated finish, which determines the final color of the piece and the durability of the metal. Powder coating is a process in which colorful polyester powders are applied and then baked onto the frame.
If you're buying aluminum furniture with vinyl webbing or straps, look for vinyl that has been processed with mildew inhibitors and ultraviolet stabilizers. Any wooden pieces mounted on aluminum frames should be treated with a finish to guarantee durability.
Suntan oils, human perspiration, car exhaust and salt spray can all eat away at the powder coating on aluminum furniture. To ensure long life, clean your aluminum furniture twice a month with a solution of mild dish detergent and warm water. Rinse well. You can then apply paste car wax to any smooth finish frames.
Steel, a hard tough metal, is an alloy of iron and various small percentages of metallic elements. The alloys produce hardness and resistance to rusting. Galvanized steel has been plated with zinc; stainless steel has been alloyed with chromium and is virtually immune to rust and corrosion.
Before the production of aluminum furniture in the mid 20th century, steel furniture was common, dating from popular French-made items manufactured in the later half of the 1800s. American companies used solid steel until the Second World War when the heavy military demand for steel dictated the use of lightweight tubular (hollow) steel in outdoor furniture. Vintage steel sets can still be found at flea markets.
If you're looking at modern steel furniture, be sure the product is either stainless or powder-coated and that any hardware used is also rust-resistant.
Metal outdoor furniture in its many shapes and designs can be a wonderful addition to your outdoor living space. Choose wisely and enjoy!
by: Robin Mastro
The design of your garden has an amazing affect on your family’s health and well-being. Here is how you can create harmony in your garden—which is considered a living entity—and bring peace and happiness within your home.
Vastu Shastra is an environmental science written about some 7,000 – 10,000 years ago in India by rishis, or men of great wisdom. They observed the workings of Nature and recorded how different rays of the sun, the magnetic poles, the makeup of the land, soil, slope, structures, etc. affected all living things. It is the oldest recorded architectural treatise known to man and it is from this science that some of the world’s most enduring structures have been created.
According to the science of Vastu Shastra, all five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) need to be in harmony. When a seed is planted, it requires that all five elements be balanced for a seed to germinate, sprout and become a strong, healthy plant. The disproportion of any one element— whether it is the quality of the earth (soil ph), the amount and quality of water, wind (air), sun (fire), or the amount of space it is planted in—will inhibit its growth. In this way a wise gardener sets up a balanced environment for his plants to grow free from disease and stress.
Briefly, each area of your garden is associated with one of the five elements. The earth element is associated with the southwest area of your garden and creates a sustaining and grounding force. In the northeast, the water element is at home. This element allows plants to flourish. The fire element in the southeast supports disease-free plants. The northwest is related to the air element encouraging cross-pollination. The space element is associated with the central area of your garden, enhancing the flow of beneficial influences that nourishes the other elements. Positive magnetic energies coming from the north and the positive solar energies coming from the east promote harmony and balance.
Here are five great steps you can use to bring the five elements into balance within your garden and make it a sanctuary that is not only beautiful to look and wonderful to spend time in, but will actually have an empowering affect on the health and well-being of you and your family.
1. Build up the southwest area of your garden to produce the stabilizing force of the earth element. You can do this with a rock garden, tall trees and even a statue. This will help to collect and hold the positive solar and magnetic energies coming from the east and north. Since yellow is the color associated with the southwest, choose daffodils, roses or wisteria to accentuate this area. This is also a good place for a storage or tool shed.
2. Represent the water element by using low plantings in the northeast that will allow the flow of positive solar energy. Add a fountain or reflection pool or pond in this area to reflect this beneficial energy throughout the garden. Herbs, white pansies or geraniums can be used as accents.
3. Add a barbeque or a fire pit in the southeast as your fire element. Red symbolizes this direction so plant tulips, geraniums and dahlias here.
4. Use wind chimes to balance the air element in the northwest. Since blue is the color of this area, plant bluebells, forget-me-nots and iris to enhance the influences coming from this direction.
5. Represent the space element by an open area in the middle of you garden. It can either be a patio or grass. Finally, by keeping your garden neat and tidy you will be maintaining balance and attracting the positive influence of each of the directions.
A well-designed and tended garden, using the principles of Vastu Shastra, will benefit you and all the members of your family for years to come. By reconnecting with the natural balance inherent in the environment, you will encourage better personal health, improve the quality of relationships and enhance well-being.
Auction rooms can prove fertile hunting grounds for garden designers
by: Jane Sheard, Country Style Magazine October, 2003
HOUSE SPACE IS OFTEN a limiting factor for collectors, so why not step outside? Everyone needs a garden table and somewhere to sit and older furniture brings an instant charm. Cast-iron garden urns make interesting alternatives to the commonplace glazed pots. A well-placed statue adds more impact than a dozen struggling shrubs. Tracking down genuinely old pieces isn't easy - realistically 'aged' reproductions are all too convincing and readily available. So be prepared to do some background research and ask question after question, because you need to trust the dealer if you are spending a lot of money. And can you justify parting with the money? Quite apart from the pleasure it will give you, consider the effect of a well-presented garden on the value of your property. If you decide to sell, make sure you exclude those lovely pieces from the price - you'll want to take them with you or sell them for their appropriate value.
CLASSIC TALE
What a sad story this discus thrower tells. It was sculpted in 1884 by Charles Francis Summers (1858-1945) after the original antique Discobolos, and was one of a series of classically-based statues on display at Melbourne's International Centennial Exhibition of 1888. Summers was never paid for these statues and, in 1901, they were claimed by someone to whom he owed money. Questions were asked in the Victorian Parliament - the statues had, after all, become a familiar feature of the city - and they remained in place until the 1950's, but then they were removed by the council. Poor Summers gave up sculpting in 1933, disillusioned by the lack of interest in his craft. The marble statue of the classical athlete was sold by Melbourne City Council for 5 Pounds nd then sold again in the 1960's for $200. At least there is a happy ending for that owner, who offered the statue for sale through Christie's. After a strong performance, the bidding reached a final price of $99,875. 175cm high. Pre-sale estimate: $30,000-$50,000.
INSIDE JOB
you might think that something called a garden seat would be able to cope witht the great outdoors, but that's not necessarily so. This Wedgwood majolica seat, designed by George Jones, was meant to encounter nature from the safety of an orangery or a conservatory. Majolica, produced in a nineteenth-century Britain and America, was a lead-glazed earthenware that took its inspiration from the tin-glazed earthenware, known as maiolica, that originated in thirteenth-century Italy. Like maiolica, majolica boasts strong colours, heavy relief designs and thick glazes. Among individual designers, George Jones probably takes the crown and this is a fine example of his work, with a realistic-looking buttoned seat, trimmed with rope braid and tassels, and cute flapping birds on blossom-studded branches. Okay, so it's not very robust and decidedly not frost-proof - but is that why no-one took the seat a Shapiro Auctioneers Sale? 41cm High. Pre-sale estimate: $8,000-$12,000.
IRON RATIONS
The major difference between cast iron and wrought iron is that wrought iron is fashioned by hand. There are no moulds, just the skill of the worker, who bends the hot metal into the desired shape. This elegant wrought iron base supports a white marble top which gives plenty of room for a generous spread of food, and it has two matching smaller tables. Marde Circa 1940, the tables have a classic appeal which certainly found favour with buyers at Christie's - the final price for the trio was $4,465. 148cm x 91.5cm x 79cm high and 71cm x 36cm x 36cm high. Pre-sale estimate: $1,000-$1,500.
NON-URNERS
The Victorian era was known as the 'new Iron Age', the happy combination of mass production and improved technology. All kins of household wares, from pots and pans to plant stands, were affordable and readily available, and improved technology enabled the Victorians to indulge their love of ornamentation. Just look at the detail, albeit rather obscured by paint, on these cast iron garden urns, Handsome as they are, they failed to find buyers at the Christie's sale, The largest urn, one of a pair, is 66cm high; the medium-sized urn with moulded vine leaves, also one of a pair, is 34cm high; and the smaller urns are 36cm high. Pre-sale estimates: $4,000-$6,000; $4,000-$6,000; and $1,000-$1,500.
STYLISH DRESSER
One of the most applauded producers of decorative cast iron wares in nineteenth-century England was the Shropshire company of Coalbrookdale, established in 1708. It wasn't until the 1830s that it started producing top-quality garden furniture featuring wonderful naturalistic designs of foliage and flowers. Designs by Dr Christopher Dresser were the most popular. Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) had an amazingly versatile talent, working in glass, pottery, wallpaper, textiles, silver and, of course, cast iron. These two garden seats, featuring Dresser's 'Water Plant' pattern, were made in 1875. With their bronzed finish, as opposed to a painted finish, the detail is as crisp as on the day they were made. Shapiro Auctioneers sold each chair for $3,525. 92.5cm high. Pre-sale estimate: $4,000-$6,000.