Hardly anything can compare to the relaxed atmosphere created by a patio. I love to relax on a lounger sipping on a cocktail at the end of the day. What happens to patio furniture when a strong wind comes along and tries to blow the furniture away? On one such occasion last week, I got to thinking: are there ways to keep my patio furniture from blowing away?
Windy conditions are dangerous to expensive patio furniture. The possible ways of preventing patio furniture from blowing away range in simplicity and cost. However, there are a few clever ways to keep patio furniture from blowing away, thus preventing damage or costly replacements.
It seems that windy conditions have become increasingly difficult to predict, forcing us to develop better ways of managing our day-to-day lives. I recently bought new patio furniture because mine had blown away. The salesman offered some good advice that I will share with you and a few of my own remedies to keep your patio furniture from blowing away.
3 Ways To Keep Patio Furniture From Blowing Away
After a lengthy discussion with the salesman from the furniture store, I went home and did some additional research on the topic of preventing patio furniture from blowing away because of strong winds. My intention for creating this article is to help others. Here are my top three options:
- Simple changes to layout or design near the patio furniture
- Tie-down or weigh down options for patio furniture
- Use of adhesive to prevent patio furniture from blowing away
We will be discussing these options in detail in this article, and I know they will help prevent your patio furniture from blowing away the next time you are attacked by strong winds!
Simple Changes To Layout Or Design Close To Patio Furniture
In this segment of the article, we will discuss the first way to keep patio furniture from blowing away. It includes changes to the layout or design of areas near your patio furniture. Changes to the furniture can also be made.
Some of these options might be high on a cost scale, and some might take some time to complete, but in the end, it sure beats having to replace patio furniture because of it blowing away thanks to the wind!
Wind Barriers Close To Patio Furniture
Breaking the velocity of the wind will definitely stop patio furniture from blowing away, but how practical is this option? Here are a few ideas :
- Planting shrubs or bushes close to patio furniture – if you love gardens as I do, this would sound like a perfect option to act as a windbreak. Still, things to consider would be the extra time it takes to grow and maintain the plants, spiders and insects they might attract, and worse, the hiding space they give to possible intruders.
- Using enclosures around your patio – use of physical barriers or even building small walls around your patio may be an excellent option to break the velocity of the wind. Still, things to consider would be the cost of the barriers or construction and then the painting and maintenance of that enclosures.
Modifying Your Patio Furniture
In some cases, it may be a good idea to modify your patio furniture to incorporate heavier materials. Moving your furniture to other locations is another option of preventing wind from blowing it away. Have a look at these options in more detail:
- Modifying patio furniture – many people like the idea of making their patio furniture heavier by incorporating different materials together. It is an option that works very well because then the patio furniture becomes too heavy for winds to blow away.
- Ideas to modify patio furniture – one of the simplest but genius ways I have seen is to use wrought iron side tables instead of the standard lightweight materials. Attach your other furniture to these tables with easily removable brackets.
- Moving your patio furniture – moving your furniture into corners or close to existing walls will also act as a windbreak, but frequently moving patio furniture could create unusual wear and tear or even damage flooring from dragging the furniture.
These options will make a difference to prevent patio furniture from blowing away but might not be the most practical solution. Have a look at the next point for more.
Tie Down Or Weigh Down Options
Using tie-down or weigh-down techniques is the second way of keeping your patio furniture from blowing away. The options I will discuss in this section seem to work well to prevent furniture from blowing away in wind conditions. There are quite a lot of different ways of doing it, so here are a few ways:
Tie-Down Patio Furniture Using Storm Lines
Using storm lines to tie down patio furniture sounds simple enough, but a common question remains; what do I tie my patio furniture to?
Finding answers to this specific question had my head spinning in different directions. The only logical solution would be to look at your surroundings. Perhaps the patio furniture could be tied down to walls, floors, and other structures.
This option will require some drilling and the use of fasteners. I saw one person using lanyards for tools and equipment and anchor points meant for heights, but hey, it works. His furniture won’t be blowing away any time soon.
So my suggestion in this sense is to use what is around your patio furniture and find ways of fitting storm lines to prevent the occurrence of wind blowing away your patio furniture.
Using L- Type Brackets To Secure Patio Furniture
The use of brackets is another excellent option to secure your patio furniture to the ground, wall, or nearby structures. A few extra small holes in your furniture are indeed better than the wind blowing away your patio furniture.
To make this solution effective, you need to secure your patio furniture to an L-type bracket, in a way where the other end of the 90-degree bracket will make contact with the floor, wall, or different solid structure or item. This option will require some drilling and the use of fasteners.
Use fasteners to secure the brackets to your patio furniture and the other structure. It is very effective to prevent patio furniture from blowing away, but this method makes it difficult to move furniture later.
So if you choose this option, you can not move your patio furniture, and it’s also going to leave holes where the fasteners go into your furniture.
Using Weights To Weigh Down Patio Furniture
Using various materials to add extra weight can prevent patio furniture from blowing away; here, it’s all about presentation.
The choice is entirely yours to decide how and which type of weights will be used on your patio furniture. One way of weighing down a couch on the patio is to use sandbags inside the scatter cushion pillowcases. This way, it is the sandbags that add weight to the furniture.
Some people put heavy covers over their patio furniture; these covers are lined with all types of materials to add weight to the covers. I saw a brilliant way of using weights the other day while visiting relatives. I was astonished by one of the ways they used to weigh down their patio furniture.
My aunt made covers out of material, and she pulled them over plastic bottles filled with concrete. These covered bottles are next to the legs of the patio furniture. The legs of the patio furniture are then tied to these weights. The color of the material even matched the decor.
Adding steel to unseen and hidden parts of the patio furniture is also an excellent way of adding more weight to your patio furniture. It would help if you were to add it so that it is not visible when looking at the piece of furniture.
Wrought iron patio furniture has become very popular in certain parts of the world because they are already too heavy to be blown away by the wind, and they look good. Sometimes it’s better to pay slightly more for something that will help you save money in the long run.
Weights are a sure way to stop the wind from blowing your patio furniture away. You need to take special care not to put excessive weight on the furniture; otherwise, it may still cause irreparable damage to your patio furniture.
Use Of Adhesive To Prevent Patio Furniture Blowing Away
The third way to keep patio furniture from blowing away is to use an adhesive gel to stick the patio furniture to the desired surface.
Adhesives like clear Quakehold gel can help by securing your patio furniture to the desired surface. Even though this gel was not initially formulated for securing patio furniture, it has become a popular option for homeowners looking for an efficient but cost-effective way of keeping the wind from blowing away their patio furniture.
Clear Quakehold gel is efficient but requires more than one application per year. As with most adhesives, it is affected by dust and water, so you need to ensure that your surfaces are clear of water and dust before using them. This gel is removable with a bit of effort, but remember, it must not often be disturbed; otherwise, it will come loose.
Because you basically stick the legs of your patio furniture to the surface with balls of adhesive gel, you would not be able to move your patio furniture as often. But it is still an excellent way to keep your patio furniture in its desired place.
I suspect that more adhesives similar to this gel might make it into the stores, and it might be marketed to secure items like patio furniture, but for now, this product proves to be effective.
Using A Combination Of The 3 Ways To Secure Patio Furniture
The use of nature to break the speed of the wind is a great option to look at for helping break the speed of the wind. We are fortunate that the designers of patio furniture have also started to look at different ways to make furniture a bit heavier. There are also many kinds of anchors and bungee cords, or storm chords, so we are spoilt for choice.
I like the idea of certain people using recyclable materials and filling them with cement to create their weights. It is exciting to see the different ways that people use materials to hide their homemade solutions, and it does prove that there might be similar ideas in the future.
I have tried many of these options on my own patio furniture; my preferred choice is to tie my patio furniture down in times of use but store it away in seasons where it is not practical to be out on the patio. I do have a lot of storage space indoors, though. If you don’t have storage space, use adhesive or weighted covers with a tie-down system.
Using a combination of the suggested ways is also an option you can look into, such as using the gel adhesive and weighted covers to keep dust off our patio furniture or keeping your patio furniture dry. Or using natural windbreaks but still using anchor points and storm lines just in case.
I am excited that there are so many options available. I hope you find this information helpful in developing your own plan to keep the wind from blowing away your patio furniture.
Conclusion
We looked at three ways to keep patio furniture from blowing away: to make changes to the layout or the design, using weights to make it heavier, and then, lastly, using an adhesive. With the first two ways, there was more than one option listed. It may prove difficult at first, but it is possible to secure your patio furniture by thinking out of the box. In the end, keep it from being blown away by the wind.
The options mentioned in this post surely beat moving patio furniture in and out of the home whenever you want to relax on the patio. Wishing you good luck in choosing the most suitable solution to fit your unique situation, may the wind force be with you.
Resources
https://www.build.com/securing-outdoor-furniture/a22108