How do I protect my patio furniture from damaging weather and thieves? (2024)

Melanie Musson

Making Your Furniture Last

Thieves target easy hauls, and every extra impediment will act as a deterrent.

To protect your patio furniture from thieves, consider installing a locking gate onto your deck, if possible with the way your deck is set up. If your patio furniture is on a deck with a railing, adding a gate will take minimal investment.

Motion-sensitive lights can also keep thieves from targeting your patio furniture. Visible security cameras may also serve as a deterrent, and if thieves persevere and steal your furniture anyway, the cameras can help law enforcement identify the culprits.

While the weather won’t steal your furniture like thieves, it will strip it of its value over time by causing damage and shortened usability.

If you live in a climate with four seasons, you should store your patio furniture indoors during the winter to protect it from the freezing and thawing cycle. Before you store your furniture, clean it with water and mild detergent. Mildew will shorten the lifespan of your furniture. Dirt and dust on your furniture will hold onto moisture and lead to rotting.

Another reason to keep your furniture clean is that dirt and dust particles will get ground into the furniture and make your cushions wear out more quickly.

If your furniture has cushions, you should treat those cushions with a UV protective spray, available at hardware and home improvement stores. Also, you should try to keep your furniture in the shade.

As paint chips off, your furniture loses its protection. When the paint on your patio furniture reaches the end of its lifespan, you can give it new life by chipping and sanding off the paint and repainting with paint formulated for outdoor projects.

Wooden furniture will usually need to be sealed and stained every year to keep it in top condition. A sealant will keep water from settling into the wood fibers and causing them to soften and eventually rot.

Ways to Protect Patio Furniture

Patio furniture can be protected from the weather by using a sealant if it doesn’t have upholstery or by using a tarp to securely cover it up. You can also just bring it inside, which I’ve had to do during particularly aggressive rainfall, but not everyone has room for that, and it’s a hassle.

As for protection from thieves, a security system usually deters them. Have an outdoor camera set up that points toward your patio or wherever you have the furniture? In extreme cases, you can chain the furniture down if you’re having that much of a problem with thieves.

Jeremy Yamaguchi

John Stevenson

Products that Protect

Protect your outdoor patio furniture from theft by installing a chain lock that can be slid underneath. Wood planters can also serve as an effective deterrent if they are oriented toward your home or workplace and placed low enough to be inaccessible. Protect against wind and rain with polyurethane coats on wooden surfaces, UV stabilizer on plastic surfaces, and silicone sealant on metal connections.

Finally, condensation can form on an insulated surface while it is not in use during cold weather. Preserve it by coating vulnerable pieces with boiled linseed oil, which will prevent moisture from accumulating.

Keeping Patio Furniture Clean and Secure

As we head into the autumn months, gusts of winds can often send parts of your patio furniture careening across your lawn. We’d advise tying down your furniture to either your decking or to a part of your home to avoid this.

Second, keep it clean. Take some warm water and mild soap to the furniture and use a sponge to break up dirt and grime that has built up on it over time. This is perfect if you have rattan furniture. However, if you’ve got some iron furniture, you’re going to need to treat it [differently].

Third, you’ll have to protect your furniture from the sun. UV Rays can damage the furniture over time, so be sure to treat your items with an outdoor furniture protector. If you’ve got wooden furniture, the best way to protect it is actually with paint. The pigments found within the paint work as a form of barrier and will shield the wood.

In terms of protecting your patio furniture from theft, there are a number of things you can do. We’d recommend purchasing a steel cable with a lock. Run the cable through the frames of your furniture, weaving it through as many items as you’d like. This cable is extremely durable, and it leaves thieves with 2 options.

1. They’ll either have to cut through it, which is very difficult.
2. They’ll have to take all the furniture in one trip which again, is very unlikely.

Leslie Vincent

Leslie Vincent is the Resident Horticulturalist and Gardening Expert at Atkins.

James Kalim

James Kalim, Founder, and CEO at Only Silent.

A Roof Panel and Secure Lock Will Provide More Security

I suggest installing a roof panel on your patio. It not only protects your furniture from storms, but it can also enhance the beauty of your patio. Plexiglass is a good material to use. Made of polycarbonate, it can serve as a divider [between] your patio from the rest of your house.

When it comes to thieves, locking up your furniture on the patio and installing a security camera is my tip. These techniques will keep your patio safe. Furthermore, it does not affect the beauty of your patio.

Ideas for Securing Your Patio

A home with patio furniture should secure it from thieves and the weather. Protecting it is preferable to regretting it later because a burglar stole it or the weather ruined it.

• Keep Your Patio Furniture Locked Up
You can get a steel cable wire rope with a lock, which is less noticeable than chains.

• Fill the Area with Light
Put motion-sensor floodlights that turn on when someone enters your patio. It can stop would-be burglars who believe the homeowners have only just awoken.

• Apply a Sealer or Paint Resistant to Water
Use a coating that’s appropriate for the wood or metal type as well as the weather conditions.

• Keep it in the Shade
It’s a good idea to have an umbrella on your patio. It protects it from the sun and UV rays.

Jenny Stokes

Stefan Cordova

Stefan Cordova is CEO of peer-to-peer rental marketplace FriendWithA.com, a community where you can earn money renting out your stuff.

3 Tips to Protect Patio Furniture

If you have a shed in your garden, this is the best place for your furniture overnight, providing it is dry and the roof does not leak. Padlock the shed with a good quality lock. You could also keep your furniture and soft furnishings in the garage – no need to cover any of the furniture or soft furnishings if they are going in any of these places. It may trap dampness.

If you don’t have a garage or shed, put your soft furnishings in a weather-proof heavy-duty storage box outside – nothing wood as this can soak up moisture, and you may find rodents make it their new home!

To deter thieves and protect your furniture from the elements outside overnight, place [a tarp] on your garden table. Then, stack the chairs on top of each other. Turn them to lie on the table (backs on the table) and secure them together with heavy-duty bungee cords. Secure the stack of chairs to the table with the same bungees.

Make sure the furniture is dry, then place the tarp over the chairs and table. Secure it horizontally and vertically with several padlocked bike chain locks. Try to make sure the furniture is in an area

from the elements, but if not, the tarp should do its job.

This system may sound like it is time-consuming, but once you have it nailed, it can be 5 minutes you spend making sure you can enjoy your furniture for many years to come. Thieves just need to take a look at how well secured the furniture is to be put off. Then when they notice the bike chain locks, they won’t even consider it!

3 Helpful Ways to Protect Patio Furniture

The one downside of having patio furniture is that you expose them to two potential threats: Mother Nature and envious individuals who want to take them from you. Here are some ways to protect them.

Heavy Duty Furniture Covers
These offer great protection from rain and gusty winds, and since [they keep furniture] out of sight, they could potentially ward off would-be thieves scouring your neighborhood for stuff to pilfer.

Garden Windbreaks
Windbreaks are primarily for protection against nature’s wrath, but they can also help conceal your patio from thieves. They can also add a lot to your garden’s aesthetic value, which is always good.

Security Cameras
A security camera can protect your furniture from thieves and the weather. Having a view of what’s happening [outside] can help you take action quicker, whether it’s someone stealing your lawn chairs or your table getting blown towards one side.

Jack Miller

Leonard Ang

Invest in a Fence

Patio season is all the rage, and depending on where you live, it can be the rage all year round. However, with a beautiful patio comes the potential theft of the adored furniture and seasonal changes in the climate. To navigate these issues, invest in a fence! If possible, provide fencing in the yard where your patio furniture sits and reap the added benefits of privacy.

Fences are also prized in the real estate market. A fenced-in backyard can significantly add to the value of your house! If a fence is [not practical], invest in security cameras. It will be worth it.

As far as the weather goes, it is hard to escape its unpredictability. A covered patio can be a gamechanger, protecting you from heat or rain.