Wicker furniture- All-weather furniture

Synthetic wicker furniture can also be called as the all-weather furniture. Though it is mostly called rattan, unlike normal rattan furniture, wicker garden furniture is made with the process called ‘wicker’, but using a weatherproof fibre, which makes the furniture to withstand normal outdoor weather conditions. As they are made from rattan and because of their simple and natural looks that go well with the surroundings, they are mostly preferred for outdoor uses. If one wants the rattan-based furniture to last longer with all the outdoor usage, he/she has to specifically make sure that they are wicker processed.

The wicker process

After harvesting, the rattan is cleaned and dried. The outer skin is peeled in a special way so as to make roles of weaving material, which is also used in the manufacturing of the furniture. The rattan core is then cut to suitable lengths and sizes, and placed in a steam box. This is for heating the cores and keeping them there for a specified amount of time and temperature. At this temperature rattan is easy to bend and will not disintegrate in any way.

The molding into shapes

As they become flexible for bending and molding, they are put into molds. These are simple jigs made from heavy wood or sometimes metal.  After the specified time, the whole set-up is cooled by oil or water, and sun-dried. This is how the basic shape for the wicker furniture is achieved, and while attaining the contours, the core is basically treated for weatherproofing.

Available colors

Green, Beige, and Yellow are the colors in which natural wicker furniture are widely available. But, since almost all the base materials that are used in the manufacturing of wicker furniture are quite receptive to colors, much like seasoned wood, there are options for a multitude of colors as well. Where the customer prefers a particular color, which under normal circumstances may not really ‘stick’, a special base coating is given similar to weathered wooden planks before the favored color is applied.

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