What is a sunroom? Think of a warm. comforting room saturated with sunlight during most of the day. Sunrooms are placed facing the south in the northern hemisphere. and facing the north in southern hemisphere to take the most advantage of the natural light. If you are in an area where sunlight is not available all year long. you will appreciate the value of a sunroom. Very hot. tropical areas. near the equator. for example. would not need sunrooms since the temperatures there never get very low.

If you are lucky enough to have a house that sprawls across a space. such as a ranch house. you can place a sunroom at each end and take advantage of both the morning and the afternoon sunlight. A sunroom is a unique kind of space in your home and as such. requires its own special kind of furniture. Since it is a semi-outdoor room. it is exposed to sunlight (of course!). rain if the wind is blowing. and during the winter it can be exposed to snow and cold air. Because of this direct contact with the elements. sunroom furniture must be able to withstand harsh conditions. This makes it necessary for sunroom furniture to be very durable and long lasting. as well as easy to take care of. Furniture that would need to be covered when it rains. or polished frequently would require too much work.

Two types of furniture work well in this environment: furniture of natural materials that are used to being exposed to the elements. and synthetic furniture that has had durability manufactured into it. A sunroom is easy enough to achieve. especially if you are a handy do-it-yourselfer. A kit can be purchased that makes it easy to erect. You can make a sunroom of glass to maximize the amount of light that you get. and there are packages that include heating for those periods when there is no sunlight coming in. A low wall can be built to add to the feeling of making it a real room. The most common materials that sunrooms are constructed from are: PV. aluminum. wood and metals coated with PVC. The choice of furniture for a sunroom will depend on how the room is constructed. If the room is fairly well protected. you can use almost any type of furniture. just as you would inside the house. Otherwise. you may want to have furniture made of teak or bamboo. that can withstand the elements. These materials are long lasting and easy to care for. In a sunroom that is completely open. or with only a kneewall. the furniture has to be portable. since you are probably going to stop using the room in the harsh weather. PVC furniture. especially if it can be stacked. or metal furniture coated with PVC will serve this purpose. Both of these are available in many. many colors. so you can match any decorating scheme. Bamboo furniture is a popular choice for sunroom furniture since it is an outdoor material. It has the advantage over teak in that it is much lighter weight and easier to move.

If you have a sunroom where the sun moves around the room and you want to move the furniture to be able to sit in the sun. bamboo is the wiser choice. Since a sunroom is designed to be bright and “sunny”. the best choice for fabrics in the room is cheery designs that go with the light hearted atmosphere of such a room. Bright colors are typically used. but coordinating them carefully is important. since overwhelming brightness combined with the light of the sun may be overpowering.

Choosing Cushions for Your Wicker Furniture

Many do not realize that the beautiful layout they see in the ads for wicker furniture often does not include the padding or cushions. Careful examination of the small print usually reveals that cushions must be purchased separately or will only be included for an extra fee. On average. cushions for wicker furniture can be found at any department store with a home decorating section. Should the furniture require a certain size or type of cushion. there are always many options available online. Sturdy fabrics are the best choice for sunroom furniture that will see a lot of use. However. regardless of the amount of use the furniture will see. it is always a good idea to treat the cushions with a stain repellant. Not only will this help the fabric retain its composition. it will make cleaning easier in the off chance that something is spilled on the fabric!

Maintaining Your Wicker Furniture

Be sure to keep your wicker furniture away from sources of dry heat as this will make it brittle. This type of furniture will do best in environments with a certain amount of humidity in the air. The manufacturer’s instructions are the best source for information on how to restore the moisture content of the furniture. In general. the moisture content of wicker can be as easy as a quick rinsing with a garden hose.

To maintain wicker furniture and keep it in the best possible condition. a regular light dusting with the brush attachment that comes with a vacuum cleaner is recommended. Gently following the weave of the wicker will help to remove dust and debris that may have become trapped in the wicker. For heavy build up on arm rests or tabletops. wipe the wicker with a damp cloth that has been soaked in a mild soapy solution; then follow with a clean damp rag to remove any soap residue.