When it comes down to outdoor furniture, cast aluminum is one of the most popular materials. After all, this material boasts many advantages. However, over time, cast aluminum patio furniture may lose its shine. Luckily, you’ll be able to restore your furniture, regardless of its condition.
There are three methods for restoring cast aluminum patio furniture. Using a vinegar and water solution is an easy way to restore your furniture’s shine. It’s also possible to wax cast aluminum to restore it. Repainting is another excellent way to restore your patio furniture.
In this article, we’ll be looking at different methods to restore your cast aluminum patio furniture. Ultimately, the process you choose depends on the condition of your furniture. At the end of this article, we’ll provide you with some tips for maintaining your restored furniture. Let’s get started!
How To Restore Cast Aluminum Patio Furniture
Cast aluminum is one of the most popular material choices for patio furniture. Not only is this material lightweight, but it’s also sturdy and durable. Cast aluminum patio furniture is also available in a wide variety of styles and colors.
Overall, this furniture is low maintenance. That’s because cast aluminum is generally rust-proof and resistant to weather-related damage. However, you might notice that your patio furniture has lost its shine over time. In some cases, the damage may be more severe.
Ultimately, this damage comes down to general wear and tear. While efforts are taken to protect cast aluminum furniture from rust and weather-related damage, it is not entirely immune. That’s why it’s essential to maintain your furniture over time.
At the end of this article, we’ll look at how you can maintain your cast aluminum patio set. Before we do that, however, we’re going to take a look at the different methods of restoring your furniture. Once your patio furniture has been successfully restored, you can maintain it with our tips to make it last even longer.
As mentioned earlier, the method you use depends on the condition of your furniture. Therefore, it’s crucial that you take a good look at your cast aluminum items. This will help you determine which method best suits your restoration needs.
If your furniture is still in good repair but has lost its shine, a simple cleaning using a water and vinegar solution may do the trick! However, if you notice some slight chipping, you may want to use the waxing method. This method also involves sanding any damaged areas before applying the wax.
However, if your furniture has quite a bit of chipping and damage, you might want to paint it. This will give you more freedom in choosing how your patio furniture will look after the restoration. After all, there are countless paint colors for you to choose from when going this route. You might decide to get creative!
Read on as we outline all these restoration methods. We’ll provide you with a list of necessary supplies and relevant links to these items for each different approach. We’ll then guide you through the process so that you can successfully restore your cast aluminum patio furniture!
Waxing To Restore Cast Aluminum Patio Furniture
Waxing and buffing your aluminum patio furniture is a great way to restore them. In fact, this method is considered the easiest way to restore your outdoor furniture. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to refurbish your cast aluminum furniture, this method could be perfect for you!
Step One: Gathering Your Supplies
Firstly, you’ll want to make sure you have all the necessary supplies to wax and buff your furniture. If you’re missing any of these items, you’ll be able to order them online! This is what you’re going to need to restore your patio furniture using this method:
Step Two: Sanding Damaged Areas
Now that you’ve gathered all the required supplies, you’re ready to begin the restoration process. In this step, you’ll want to use your sandpaper to sand down parts of your patio furniture. With this step, you’re mainly going to focus on the damaged and rough areas of your furniture.
When you begin sanding, look for any spots that have started chipping. Doing this will simplify this step for you! You’ll want to keep doing this until the bare metal surface is visible. Once the furniture’s surface is smooth, you can proceed to the following step.
Step Three: Cleaning Your Patio Furniture
Once you’ve sanded your cast aluminum patio set, you’ll want to clean it. There will be a lot of dust and grime left over from the sanding process. To do this, you’ll want to use a hosepipe. Using the hose, thoroughly rinse off your patio furniture. Once it has completely dried, you can proceed to the next step.
Step Four: Waxing Your Cast Aluminum Furniture
The wax you’ll be using in this step is the same type that is used on vehicles to restore shine. To apply the wax to your sanded patio furniture, you’ll want to use a dry rag. First, you’ll want to apply a thin layer of wax to the rag before using the rag to apply it to a small section of the cast aluminum furniture.
You’ll want to wax section by section to ensure an even appearance. Once you’ve applied wax to a section, you can move on to the next section while the previous one dries. When a waxed area has been allowed to dry for a few minutes, you’ll want to use the buffing cloth to wipe away the wax.
Step Five: Repeat Step Four Until Complete
As we mentioned above, you should work section by section to ensure the best results. For this reason, you’ll want to repeat the previous step until your cast aluminum furniture has been completely restored. Ultimately, the more effort you put into waxing and buffing your set, the better it will look once you’re finished!
Repainting To Restore Cast Aluminum Patio Furniture
While waxing cast aluminum patio furniture to restore it can be effective, it will need to be regularly waxed and buffed. Repainting, however, is a restoration method that’s designed to last – especially when you do it right. Let’s take a look at how you can restore your patio furniture using paint!
Step One: Gathering Your Supplies
If you’ve decided to repaint your patio furniture to restore it, these are the supplies you’ll need! If there are any items you’re missing, you’ll be able to get them delivered right to your doorstep.
- Tarp
- Sandpaper (100 – 200 grit)
- Dishwashing liquid
- Scrub brush
- Hosepipe
- Gloves
- Epoxy primer
- Polyurethane paint
Step Two: Preparing Your Workspace
Once you’ve gathered the correct supplies, you can start prepping your workspace. However, before you start doing this, check the weather! When restoring your cast aluminum patio furniture, you’ll want a temperature with low humidity. Generally, spring is the best season to tackle this type of restoration project!
You’ll want to lay down a tarp, which is where you will paint your furniture. After all, you don’t want paint getting into any unwanted places! If you have an open area available to work, that would be ideal. For instance, on your lawn would be ideal, mainly because you’ll want an area that’s well ventilated.
Step Three: Sanding Your Patio Furniture
As with the waxing method discussed earlier, you’ll need to sand down your outdoor furniture before painting it. You’ll want to start with the areas that have begun chipping. You’ll need to keep doing this until you have a smooth metal surface. Ultimately, this step plays a vital role in how your final product turns out.
Step Four: Cleaning Your Outdoor Furniture
Once you’ve finished sanding down your outdoor furniture, it’s time to clean it. As with the restoration method discussed earlier, you can use a hosepipe to wash your cast aluminum furniture. You want to make sure you clean all the dust and dirt from the surface. Once you’ve done this, you need to allow the patio furniture to dry fully before proceeding.
Step Five: Applying The Primer
This step is essential to restoring your outdoor furniture in a lasting manner. While many homeowners take liberties with this step, opting to skip it, this is not advised. After all, this step plays a vital role in restoring your patio furniture in a lasting manner.
When applying the primer, you’ll need to follow the provided instructions carefully. Primer is generally applied in thin coats. This means that it won’t take too long to dry! Once you’ve finished painting your coats as per the manufacturer’s instructions, you need to wait two hours for the primer to dry.
Step Six: Painting Your Cast Aluminum Patio Furniture
Once your primer has dried, you’re ready to start painting your cast aluminum patio furniture. For this step, you’ll be using polyurethane paint. You’ll be spraying this paint onto your outdoor furniture. While doing this, you’ll want to make use of a pair of gloves!
This step should be done carefully. When spray painting your furniture, you’ll want to hold the can at least 15 inches away. With a steady motion, you can spray-paint the furniture in a back and forth rhythm. Once you’ve applied your first coat, you’ll want to give it some time to dry.
Step Seven: Adding More Coats
You’re now ready to apply another coat! The number of additional coatings you’ll need to apply will vary depending on the condition of your furniture. Typically, most people opt for two or three coats of paint. After each additional coating, give the paint time to dry. Once it has dried, you can evaluate the appearance and whether it needs another coat.
Using Vinegar Solution To Restore Cast Aluminum Patio Furniture
With this restoration method, you might find you already have the necessary supplies at home. This makes this method a favorite with homeowners when refurbishing their cast aluminum patio furniture.
This method is best suited to cast aluminum furniture that’s still in good condition but has lost its sheen. For outdoor furniture that desperately needs some TLC, one of the previous methods we discussed may be better suited to your needs.
Step One: Gathering Your Supplies
To create your vinegar solution, you’ll only need a few items!
Step Two: Prepare Your Vinegar Solution
In a bowl, combine one-part white vinegar with one-part water. Mix this thoroughly. Once you’ve prepared this, you can proceed to the following step.
Step Three: Apply Your Solution To Your Patio Furniture
Using your microfiber rag, you’re going to restore the shine of your cast aluminum patio furniture. Dip your rag into your vinegar solution and then apply it to your furniture. You’ll want to do this until the set has been successfully restored. This is a great way to maintain your patio furniture over time simply.
Maintenance Tips For Cast Aluminum Patio Furniture
Once you’ve restored your patio furniture, you’ll want to ensure it is maintained. This will increase the lifespan of your patio set and keep it shining for years to come! To maintain your patio furniture, you can follow these simple tips:
- You should regularly clean your patio furniture. Over time, dirt and grime will collect on the surface of your cast aluminum items. The longer this is allowed to collect, the harder it will be to clean eventually. Soap and water will work perfectly for this!
- A great way to prevent dirt and grime build-up is to use covers for your patio furniture. While covers can be expensive, they will help keep your patio furniture looking new!
- Over time, you’ll want to monitor your patio furniture. Should you notice any chips where the metal has become exposed, you’ll want to touch up the area with paint, as outlined earlier.
- To properly maintain your furniture, you will want to prevent water from accumulating on it. This is where that furniture cover would work perfectly. After all, this is one of the main ways that your cast aluminum furniture gets damaged.
Conclusion
In this article, we outlined three different methods for restoring your cast aluminum patio furniture. Of course, the method you decide to use depends on the condition of your furniture. With the correct method, you can restore the shine of your patio set!
Sources:
https://www.build.com/cast-aluminum-patio-furniture/a22118
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/prevent-mildew-forming-teak-29133.html
https://www.doityourself.com/stry/2-ways-to-revive-aluminum-outdoor-furniture
