A pair of rocking chairs can elevate the look of your garden many times. They are also good for the outside deck or patio. However, before buying them, consider the climate you live in because climates can affect your outdoor rocking chairs.
It brings in the question, can rocking chairs get wet. Let’s dive deep into the matter and have a look.
Can rocking chairs get wet?
Based on wood or other materials, most rocking chairs can get wet without any problems. However, if you keep your rocking chairs wet for too long, you might face problems like mold, rot, rust, or faded coloring. To preserve them, you can use paints with waterproofing elements.
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Rocking chairs can get wet up to a limit. Keeping them wet for too long can cause you difficulties and even ruin your chair. So, it is best to dry it out when it gets wet.
What happens when the rocking chair gets wet?
Outdoor rocking chairs are very fancy-looking furniture. They can elevate the look of your yard or patio easily. However, getting wet by rainwater or any other sort of water can ruin these chairs.
Although rocking chairs can withstand some water, keeping them wet for a long time can damage them. There are some common issues that you might face when your rocking chair remains wet for too long. Some of these issues are:
Mold:
If your rocking chairs are wet for too long, molds can develop. Molds will breed fast and spread all over your chair. They can ruin the look of your chair completely.
Rusting:
If your rocking chair is from metal, then chances are they will start rusting when wet for a long time. It will damage your chairs permanently.
Faded color:
Water may damage the original finish of your rocking chair as well as fade the colors. As a result, your chairs will look pale and attractive.
Can rocking chairs be left outside?
Modern-day rocking chairs come in various materials including, synthetic fiber and metal. These rocking chairs are perfect for outdoor usage. You can keep them outside without worrying about them getting damaged.
Rocking chairs made of PVC and metals have protective coatings against water. Thus they are very durable. You can also put your wooden rocking chairs outside. Just make sure they have water sealant coating over them.
However, it is best not to put indoor rocking chairs outside. These chairs sometimes do not come with a protective coating of sealant. Thus they are prone to damage by outside conditions.
Can I put a wooden rocking chair outdoors?
A pair of wooden rocking chairs can be a very appealing setting arrangement for your patio or garden. It is, in fact, quite popular. However, using wooden rocking chairs that are specifically not made for outdoors is not preferable.
If you want to put your indoor wooden rocking chair outside, you can put some protective waterproof sealant on them. The best option is to buy wooden rocking chairs that are suitable for the outdoors.
Some wood is more resistant to outdoor weather conditions. Woods like teak, cypress, and hardwood are good for rough weather. Look for rocking chairs that are made out of such woods. Thus, you can easily put your rocking chair outdoors.
So, the bottom line is that you can put your rocking chairs outdoors. However, it is better to put outdoor chairs outside.
How do you protect a rocking chair outside?
A rocking chair, like most other furniture, is prone to wear and tear. This wear and tear can increase up to many folds when you keep your wooden rocking chair outdoors.
However, there are some ways that you can follow to protect your rocking chair. Some of those techniques are listed below:
Using Covers:
It is perhaps the easiest way to protect your rocking chairs outside. Put covers on your chairs when you are not using them. The only downside to this is that it might not look very good on your rocking chairs.
Regular dusting:
Like any other indoor furniture, your outside rocking chair also needs regular dusting. These chairs, in fact, might need more dusting. Regular dusting of your chairs will help to protect them for a long time.
Deep cleaning occasionally:
You can also deep clean your outdoor rocking chairs once every month. It will remove any dirt and molds on them. Use warm water and wood-compatible detergent or soap to clean them. Thus they will last longer.
Repainting:
You can repaint your rocking chair with new color and waterproofing elements once or twice a year.
Repainting your chairs will make them look good and also add a protective layer of water sealant. It will protect the surface layer of your chair and help them last longer.
How to waterproof a rocking chair?
If you want a rocking chair for your patio or garden, be sure it is water-resistant because most furniture is not especially water-resistant unless it is for outdoor use.
Luckily, waterproofing your rocking chair is not a very tough job. You can do it following some simple steps. Here are the steps that you can follow to waterproof your rocking chair:
Remove previous paint:
The first thing to do is to remove any previous treatments. For this, you will need sandpaper.
Start with rough sandpaper. Later shift down to finer sandpaper gradually. After sanding, clean the chair with a piece of dry cloth and remove any sanding dust.
Choose the stain and apply it:
Once finishing the sanding, you are ready to coat your chair with sealant. At this stage, choose the sealant and stain for your chair.
After that, start coating your chair with the first layer of the sealant. You have to coat the chair in multiple layers.
Sand again:
Now, after applying the first layer of coating, rest your chair to dry up. Some sealants need sanding after the first layer. Sand your chair again if you use such sealants.
Apply a second coat:
Now, you are ready to put the second and third layers of sealant on your chair. You will need to take some time between the second and third coat to dry up the previous coat.
Finish it with a third coat:
After you’ve completed the three coats of coating, you may leave your chair to cure. Generally, it requires 3 to days to cure before you can start using the chair.
Can a wooden rocking chair get rained on?
Wooden furniture, for the most part, is not waterproof. These tend to swell up and get damaged when left wet. So, when these remain outside during rain, rocking chairs get damaged badly. It is true for a wooden rocking chair as well.
Wooden rocking chairs are usually a piece of common indoor furniture. And as such, most of the rocking chairs on the market are not outdoor safe when it is raining.
Thus, these rocking chairs cannot withstand the rain. However, if they are for outdoor use, they can withstand rain.
Outdoor furniture is specially made that can withstand rain. These types of furniture also have waterproof paints on them. Thus, they are water-resistant and can withstand rain.
So, the conclusion is that if your rocking chair is a regular indoor rocking chair, it cannot withstand rain. You can, however, leave it outside in the rain if it has a waterproof coating of paint. Or if it is especially for outdoor use.
Final thoughts:
Rocking chairs, like other outdoor furniture, can withstand harsh weather conditions. To some extent, they may get wet without much harm. However, if they remain wet for a long time, their joints may loosen, and their colors may fade. That’s why it is good to dry out wet chairs fast.