By Kate Ellis
kellis@the419.com
LIMA – Patio furniture is practically a staple for summer. Whether is sitting out to get some needed vitamin D, or sitting at dusk around a well tended campfire, even having a gathering in the backyard around a patio island, the furniture you have can make a difference.
When you are looking to update or upgrade there are a couple things to look for: what are you using it for, the upkeep, and will it last?
Eliot Walters, owner of Amish Merchant, has been selling patio furniture for five years now.
“Like any business, we are always trying to stay ahead of the competition, and find new pieces that nobody else has yet, and because we are doing that we are always finding new builders, new styles,” Walters said.
The adirondack style is one of the most popular styles Amish Merchant has been selling this year, and one of the most popular pieces this year is the party bowl set, a high top table and chairs with a built in basin in the center of the table to keep drinks cold.
Gliders and comfortable chairs are often picked up by those who like sitting around and relaxing, perhaps on the patio or around a bonfire. Photo: Kelli Cardinal
Amish Merchant sells mainly composite furniture, which is maintenance free. There is no staining, treating, or painting involved, and there is no worry of rust or rotting. “It gives you, basically, the time to sit down and enjoy the outdoors, what you are supposed to do rather than cleaning up the patio furniture all the time,” Walters said.
When looking for patio and outdoor furniture, Walters said, to look for something to suit your needs and style, as well as desires and uses.
“Outdoor living is all about relaxing,” Walters said. “Everybody has their own idea of what they want to do out there … we have pieces to satisfy everybody’s needs.”
While some people love entertaining and having friends over, others prefer to relax by just hanging outdoors.
Gliders and comfortable chairs are often picked up by those who like sitting around and relaxing, perhaps on the patio or around a bonfire. For those who find entertaining relaxing, there are patio island bars or party bowl tables to make gatherings simple.
“It’s all about comfort and enjoyment,” Walters said.
And because furniture is outdoors, it’s important to find something that will last through the years.
“This stuff you can leave it out all year round, you don’t have to worry about putting it into a shed, into a garage, or barn,” Walter said. All hardware is made of stainless steel, so there is no worry of rust.
Adirondeck chairs are a popular item in patio furniture. Photo: Kelli Cardinal
Walters patio furniture comes with a 20 year color guarantee, to last through winters and storms.
“It’s not like the lesser expensive stuff at the big box stores, where you use it for a year or two, and then it gets chalky and discolors, and fades, all that,” Walters said. Bright red is one of the hardest colors to keep stable, and with that color guarantee, Walters said, 15 years down the road it will still look good as new.
An added bonus, the patio furniture at Amish Merchant doesn’t take much to take care of. It’s easy to clean. All it takes to remove dirt and dust it a hose to spray it down, or use soap and water.
It’s also heavy enough that there is no fear of it blowing around during wind storms. “That’s one thing we have around here, we have a lot of wind,” Walters said. “Customers come in, saying that their stuff is blowing away all the time … this stuff, if it’s blowing away you have bigger problems.”
Everything in the store is trusted by Walters, too.
“Personally, I won’t have anything in the store here that I won’t have in my own house, and I’ve had several pieces at home now, for about five years, since we first started this, and the still look as good as the day I brought them home,” Walters said.
At home Walters has the adirondack chairs around a firepit, and an upholstered living set, with a couch and chairs. He also has a fireplace on his deck, and a dining room table and chairs on the other for sitting, and some pieces at the front of the house, where Walters spends most of his time.
“Outside yardwork, I enjoy doing that, but when I get done with it I want to sit on something comfortable and watch the world go by and relax,” he said.
Amish Merchant has about six different manufacturers that they get their patio products from, and as the name infers, made by hand by amish builders. All of the furniture can be made to order, with custom pieces available and endless color possibilities.
The post Enjoying the backyard: Look for longevity, maintenance free patio furniture appeared first on the419.