Rejuvenating Plastic Outdoor Chairs

[IanA]

We have a set of dark green plastic outdoor furniture. Over the years in the sun it has developed a white bloom that looks pretty grotty.

In an attempt to spruce things up I tried gum turpentine on a rag, with plenty of elbow grease. This worked fairly well, but I assumed it may have been a short term fix.

To give some form of longer term protection I used some home brew paste-wax. (Gum turpentine and bees wax.) A thin application and then polished off.

One added bonus is that any bird crap washes off easily.

Has anyone else tried this or similar treatment?

[bitingmidge]

Ian,

The best treatment is to saw them into quarters and throw them into your wheelie bin, one chair a week until they are gone.

Unless they are very good (commercial) quality the structure will be almost certainly weakened by the effect of UV.

Check around the tops of the legs at the junction with the seat, for signs of microscopic crazing. If it's there stop using them. Your elderly Aunt Maud will be sitting on one and it will just collapse without warning!

Replacements are $6.00 at K Mart so don't muck around.

If they are good quality chairs and show no signs of crazing or hardening, ignore the above and use Armorall or it's equivalent. (You can buy four litres of a similar product at AutoBarn for about thirty bucks and that will last a lifetime and a half).

Cheers,

P

[IanA]

Midge,

Thanks for the warning.

I agree that catastrophic failure would not be good for aunt Maud. (I must look at my family tree, I don't seem to recall the name.)

I'll have a good look for signs of cracking, but I doubt there is a problem. They are good quality items.

Your suggestion of Armorall sounds good. I think I've got some in the shed, so I'll give it a go.

[barnsey]

Couldn't agree more with the "Midge"

Forget Aunt maud - it happened to me :eek:

[IanA]

I've just had a good look at the chairs. All appears to be ok but I'll add it to my list of things requiring regular checking. Like leaves in the roof gutters of my shed.

I think the designers have used their noggins. There seems to have been considerable thought put into the geometry of the areas I would expect to be most highly stressed.

Barnsey, I hope you sterilised the pliers befor you used them to pull the busted chair out of your bum. :eek:

Thanks for the input guys.

[LineLefty]

We had an old white resin table by the pool which was a bit grotty. One night the easterly winds dumped it in the pool and the next moring........sparkling white. Makes you wonder what the salt water does to your skin.

[himzol]

Ohhh... thank god it's Friday,

I'm picturing crazed chairs running around in my back yard :eek:

Himzo.

[Iain]

Now, if Aunty Maude, God bless her dear old soul, is worth a fortune and you are favoured in her will.....................................
For goodness sake man, this is a WW site not a bloody plastic site, get out there and make some decent garden furniture, and enjoy it

[IanA]

Himzol,

Your post scared me witless!!

I've now fixed that potential problem with a few lengths of hayband.

Hobbled chairs can't run very fast.