When I was choosing new patio furniture covers I felt a bit lost. I was really tired of having to wash my patio table each time my family wanted to eat in the backyard, which in the summer is almost every other day. I live in an area that has a lot of squirrels and birds and raccoons and I just wasn’t comfortable with my children eating off the table before I had a chance to wash in it good warm soapy water.

The other reason I wanted patio furniture covers is that the sun and the rain and the snow can really damaged the finish on my wooden furniture. I have some lovely furniture that looks teak but isn’t teak. I got a great deal on it at Canadian Tire a few years ago. It has really held up well and I’m pleased with it. However, it can show some age.

Almost every autumn I rough sand the table and chairs, re-apply a teak or walnut stain and then rub some tung oil into the wood. The whole procedure generally takes 2 half days and the furniture really looks brand new when I’m finished. I have no doubt that this little effort has added years to the life of my furniture. I don’t really mind the job but having some outdoor patio furniture covers might make it less necessary?like maybe every three years.

The other day I called a few patio furniture shops and remarkably few of them sell covers for the furniture. The covers that were available were either far too expensive for my needs or the wrong size. I didn’t even both to go to the shops. Most of the staff at the patio furniture shop only thought about covering the furniture for the winter. Furthermore, I have spoken to a lot of my friends about buying covers and it would appear they aren’t a must-have item.

Given that I have thought of new patio furniture covers for almost a year now, I have been able to pin point what I need to get out of the covers. I’m ok with covering the furniture with a tarp during the harsh winter so the patio furniture covers don’t need to stand up to snow. The covers need to be water resistant and washable. They need to be a neutral but pretty colour. I have my heart set on sage but I’m fairly flexible in the regard. They need to be inexpensive. In my mind, I should be able to cover 4 chairs and a five foot circular patio table for under $85US.

Buying outdoor patio furniture covers is not as simple as I first expected it to be. The covers themselves are fairly hard to come by. Finding something in your price range and colour and that fits your furniture can be daunting. On the advice of a friend, I’m going to continue to write articles and post on my blog on outdoor patio furniture covers until I finally find a set to call my own.

Go to outdoor furniture covers to find out more about patio set covers.