Buy New or Redo? Patio Furniture Refurbishing Analysis
At CFR Patio, Many of our customers are constantly weighing their options when it comes to trying to decide which option is better worth their money.
This article is for those trying to decide which route is better for them, Hopefully those trying to decide will be better able to reach a decision. When determining the cost to benefit ratio for buying new furniture, There is a few metrics to take into consideration. For this analysis, I will be using a standard 5-Piece dining set of 4 chairs and 1 table to measure pricing of new vs refurbishing.
1. Original Price Paid
The price for a simple outdoor dining set ranges quite drastically ($300 – $5,000). At the lowest end of the price range, You will find cheap sets sold in big box stores that are most often imported from Asian countries and are almost always constructed from cheap materials that don’t typically stand the test of time. If you’re looking to avoid replacing your patio furniture every couple of years, Make sure you pay close attention the the materials used in the furniture and the overall sturdiness of the furniture. Cheap patio furniture sets in 2017 are usually constructed from Woven Wicker/Rattan and Cast Aluminum. One thing to take into consideration when buying cheap patio furniture is that Rattan / Wicker weave furniture is extremely difficult to repair. The price to repair a wicker piece will often be more than the piece was originally bought for thanks to cheap labor markets in Asia.
2. Brand Name
Many companies have built their company name from making quality outdoor furniture. This category will separate the brands who take a deep dedication to their craft from those large manufacturing power houses pumping out patio furniture sets to big box stores at a %10 markup.
Quality Brands – O.W. Lee, Brown Jordan, Tropitone, Mallin, Homecrest, and Woodard.
Mid-Tier – Agio, Hanamint, Alumont, and Telescope Casual.
Low-End – Hampton Bay, Hanover, Martha Steward, Home Depot & Target Brands.
3. Materials Used
The materials used on your furniture is a large contributing factor to the longevity of the pieces. This section will list the most common red flags to look out for when buying certain types of patio furniture.
Metal: When buying metal patio furniture, The number one thing to look out for is the quality of the finish of the paint – The finish on metal furniture acts as a ‘sealant’ to the metal protecting it from exposure the elements. Often times we’ve seen finishes on metal furniture that have failed in just 1 year! When looking for a quality finish, It is important to make the finish is a “powder coat” finish. Powder Coat metal refinishing is a different process from liquid paint because it is a hard enamel paint that is ‘baked’ onto the metal surface. View our powder coating section for more info on our process: //cfr.docker:3000/services/powdercoating/
Sling Furniture: When buying furniture with “sling” fabric material, It is important to be sure that the fabric is not blended with extra materials. A common material blended into sling fabrics is called ‘olefin’. From our experience at CFR, We’ve seen that this blended fabric often withers away a lot quicker than sling fabrics made with “%100 PVC”.
Vinyl Furniture: From our experience, We’ve seen patio furniture with vinyl straps last up to 30 years. Vinyl will eventually start to wither away due to the nature of plastics but It is important that the vinyl used on your furniture is manufactured with UV Inhibitors into the vinyl. Be sure to check for this before buying vinyl strap furniture.
Conclusion: When making a final decision to buy new vs refurbishing, Know that CFR uses only top-tier materials that will often outlast the materials that were from the original manufacturer. It is certainly possible that the price for contracting CFR Patio to recondition your patio furniture might be more money than the original price paid for the set but when you take into consideration the quality materials we use and 3 year warranty on all work, You’re often left with a product that is higher quality than the day you bought it.
Before Restoration
After Restoration
