Can you put our High End Sunroom Wicker Furniture and Rattan Wicker Furniture Collections on your Patio or Porch? The frames have been weatherized, but are only guaranteed outdoor for areas that are screened in or set on a covered patio/porch area, which should be at least 12 ft. in depth. You don't want to get the furniture wet. Product Care for Sunroom Wicker Furniture and Rattan Wicker Furniture: Do not allow your wicker furniture to be exposed to harsh Ultraviolet sunlight for prolonged periods of time, as this can affect the color. Turn the cushions over periodically. Gently wipe over the frames with a moist, clean cloth to remove dust or spills, and vacuum the woven parts with a soft brush attachment. For major liquid spills, remove all upholstery, hose the water hyacinth furniture and place your wicker outside or in a dry room to dry. Please note that it is important that the wicker furniture is dried and not remain wet or damp for any length of time, as this will result in mold and subsequent deterioration of the water hyacinth furniture. What is Wicker and Rattan? Wicker, although a classic, natural material with centuries of history, works well for the furniture buyer who wants a home reflecting the feel of casual elegance. Wicker furniture offers comfort, versatility and livability. It mixes well with upholstered pieces, providing texture and nature to the home environment, patio, or sunroom. Rattan is a vine that grows in the tropical forests of the Far East. Growing hundreds of feet in length, it is one of nature's strongest materials. It will not splinter or break and is ideal for making furniture. Once molded, solid rattan retains its contours permanently. Peel, is the outer skin of the rattan pole and traditionally is used to wrap joints. Wicker refers to products that are made from reed, cane, rush, willow or other natural materials. When wet, these materials are pliable enough to be woven. Wicker and Rattan are natural products with each piece having its own individual, unique qualities. When stained there will be slight differences in hue and color of the wicker furniture and this is part of the beauty of owning a product made from nature. Most wicker furniture and rattan furniture originate from Southeast Asia (Indonesia, the Philippines and China) and is manufactured by hand. After import the product is carefully inspected before assembly and sometimes finished in the United States. Any product that is made with woven vines or stems is referred to as wicker. The word wicker is believed to be of Scandinavian origin, coming from the words wika, which means "to bend" in Swedish, and vikker, meaning "willow." The rattan vine, the material traditionally used for making wicker products in this country for the past 150 years, is still the most highly sought after material for wicker furniture. Rattan plants are climbing palms found only in the rain forests of Southeast and East Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. The highest quality rattan is the honey rattan of Southeast Asia, which is what we use in making the furniture created by Yesteryear Wicker. When good quality materials are used and the vines are woven properly, rattan woven furniture should last 100 years or more with normal use. Some wicker antiques of the Victorian period are still in use today. The oldest surviving pieces of wicker furniture date from the Egyptian Empire. These pieces include chests made of reed and papyrus, wig boxes made of reed and rush, and wicker hassocks and chairs. Wicker's durability comes from the properties of the material. A rattan vine, which can be cut into various widths and shapes, is filled with fibers running lengthwise through it, giving the vine the strength of multistrand cable. A vine will bend, but unlike wood, it will not splinter or break. Many Americans, who are accustomed to wood furniture, mistake wicker's flexibility for weakness. Converting the fourteen-foot lengths of harvested vines into a piece of finished furniture involves a number of processes, virtually all of them done by hand. The thorny leaves of the vines are removed by pulling each length across a forked stick driven into the ground. Bundles of rattan are floated down the river through the jungle to the sea, where the material is cured in the sun before it is shipped to the factory. At the factory or at the wholesaler's, machines cut the vines into all kinds of shapes. The smooth, strong outer skin, or "cane," is often used to make chair seats, known as "cane seats." Cane is usually woven by a machine. Workers prefer to work with rattan core products that are still a bit green and pliable; but if the material becomes dried out and rigid, they simply soak it for a few minutes until it regains its flexibility. When steamed, rattan vines can be bent and twisted. As the material cools and dries after steaming, it gains rigidity. After drying, wicker will maintain its molded shape permanently. Quoted by Yesteryear Wicker |
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