Monthly Archives: August 2014

Why not consider how your outdoor area is going to look before Summer even arrives?

Why not consider how your outdoor area is going to look before Summer even arrives?

Considering we’re in the midst of a very cold Winter, the past week here in Melbourne has been quite pleasant to say the least. The birds have been chirping, the sun’s been shining…and there’s a real buzz in the air that you don’t often associate with Winter.

Yarra 1

And not just Melbourne has been spoilt with the warmer weather Sydney is reaching a sunny top of 20 degrees today whilst Thursday in Queensland is set to top a beautiful 23 degrees and sunny.

So why the weather report you may ask, well here at Outdoor Living Direct we live, love and breathe outdoor furniture all year long – rain, hail or shine our doors are open every day of the year except for Christmas Day, New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Anzac Day. For a lot of people outdoor furniture is something they start to think about once the weather gets warmer or if they’re planning a party or are entertaining a group of family and friends. This makes a lot of sense, however we believe outdoor furniture can be bought all year long and for any occasion!

stunning-outdoor-living-spaces-entertaining

Winter is also a great time to start thinking about updating your outdoor area, as you can snuggle up in the warmth of your home and peruse our online store which is full of all our wonderful products. Everything you need to know is on our website – from product descriptions, to clear photos, to specifications to warranty. We list it all and make it very clear for our customers to see what we have on offer. So even if it’s too cold for you to escape the warmth why not shop with us online and you could be the brand new owner of some beautiful factory direct outdoor furniture – it’s as easy as that!

Another plus to buying with us this Winter are our amazingly low prices. Shop now while the prices (and temperature) are low and grab yourself a bargain. With the summer season soon approaching there’s no better time to shop at Outdoor Living Direct than now. Organise yourself early and update your furniture now so you can enjoy long summer days with your family and friends.

outdoor-entertaining-at-its-finest

So whether you’re after a modular lounge for relaxing and enjoying a good book, a dining setting to help entertain your tribe or a hanging chair to enjoy long lazy days by the pool you can shop with confidence at Outdoor Living Direct, knowing our products have been built to last and will provide you and your loved ones hours of enjoyment for many years to come.

Winterise your outdoor furniture

Today, Melbourne has set a new record – it’s after 2pm and the temperature is a brutal 7 degrees. And raining. Horrible. Outdoor furniture is the last thing on anyone’s mind. But, just like we’re expecting the sun to come up tomorrow, we’re expecting Spring in a few weeks. So you want your outdoor furniture to be nice and clean, ready to go, right?

There’s a few simple things you can do to make sure your furniture is going to be worth sitting on.

Mould & Mildew

The big enemy of all outdoor fabrics is mould or mildew. These are organisms that grow on any surfaces and produce an evil smelling, ugly, slippery slime. They need three things to thrive – moisture, food and an absence of light. The moisture – outdoor furniture in Melbourne during winter will have that, for sure! Second – food – this can be the dust spores that settle on your furniture. Finally – an absence of light – mould hates the sun. If you find your furniture has been affected by mould or mildew, firstly wash it with a chlorine-based product (not the fabrics) – test an area first. Then, expose the product to light, and let dry. If possible, try and move the furniture to an area where it will be exposed to daylight. The sun kills mould spores.

With the fabrics, there are commercial products available that can treat this. If possible, remove cushion covers and dry clean, or carefully wash them. If your covers are too far gone, Outdoor Living Direct can replace them.

Timber

All timber will fade, and ultimately split when exposed to weather constantly. The simplest way to deal with this issue is to invest in a waterproof cover – Outdoor Living Direct can supply custom made covers for any product, using UV stable, fully waterproof fabrics.

In addition, the regular application of a commercial timber oil will significantly improve timber life.