Artificial rattan garden furniture: how not to make the wrong choice

Artificial rattan garden furniture is often used in summer cottages and country houses. It harmoniously fits into the landscape, helps to create coziness and spend time with family or friends outdoors. However, this aesthetic and durable material is not yet familiar to buyers. About its pros and cons, about manufacturers, features of choice and operation, as well as how to make wicker furniture with your own hands, and will be discussed in this article.

Artificial rattan furniture is an excellent solution for decorating a garden area

Pros and cons of artificial rattan furniture

Artificial (or synthetic) rattan (aka polirotang, technoratan) appeared in Southeast Asia almost seventy years ago. During its manufacture, a viscous mass from a mixture of rubber, polyethylene and special additives is pushed through a forming hole.

Artificial rattan is a synthetic tape of various widths and lengths, which is used to make garden furniture and decor

There are several modifications of synthetic rattan - in the form of a crescent moon, twig and stripes of various widths and textures, it can imitate tree bark. The size of the fiber thickness of the material varies from 4 to 12 mm.

Advantages of polymer rattan garden furniture

Thanks to a special technology, it is possible to obtain a tape of almost any length, thickness and texture. This allows not only to improve the appearance of the product, but also to avoid many problematic and unaesthetic joints, seams and protruding twigs, typical of natural vine furniture.

Artificial rattan furniture is characterized by lightness, durability and strength

Lightness, strength and durability. When making a set of artificial rattan garden furniture, a synthetic tape is wound on a wooden or metal frame. Such a product is capable of supporting a very large weight. If the lifespan of natural rattan is on average 10-15 years, then its synthetic analogue will last twice as long.

Wear resistance and UV resistance. Synthetic vines are not afraid of scratches and do not lose brightness when exposed to direct sunlight.This is due to the fact that they owe their color not to the external coating, but to a mixture of dyes added to their composition at the production stage.

Artificial rattan furniture has many advantages over natural vine products

Artificial rattan is not susceptible to mold or mildew, it is hypoallergenic, resistant to moisture and adverse weather conditions. Wicker garden furniture made from it is perfect for verandas, gazebos and open spaces. It does not need to be brought into the house during the cold season. It retains its shape and does not deform due to rain, snow or temperature extremes.

Resistant to chemical and mechanical stress. Caring for polirotang does not take much time. It is enough to periodically wipe it with a sponge dampened with soapy water or ordinary detergent. Even if you have to rub the stain hard, nothing threatens the material. If the contamination is very persistent, it can be easily removed with alcohol. As for the dust, you can easily get rid of it with a vacuum cleaner.

Artificial rattan products can last up to 30 years

Huge variety of colors and textures. Artificial rattan can completely mimic its natural counterpart. Presented by the widest palette of shades and colors. It combines perfectly with a wide variety of materials, be it stone, glass, ceramics, aluminum or steel, thanks to which it fits perfectly into any room design.

The price of artificial rattan furniture is several times lower than the cost of analogues made from natural materials. And the reason is not only the high cost of natural wood or vines. Synthetic tape can be made in any region where there are factories with the required production capacity, while the lion's share of the price of natural creepers for wicker furniture is the cost of shipping it from the Philippines, Malaysia or Indonesia.

Artificial rattan furniture for the garden does not need to be brought indoors for the winter, because such material is not afraid of sudden temperature changes

Environmental friendliness. Polirotanga is absolutely safe for both people and the environment. It is even recyclable.

It is interesting! There are furniture made from recycled plastic bottles on sale. For one medium-sized product (for example, an armchair or sofa), about 300 containers are required. Despite all the exoticism of this kind of artificial rattan, furniture for a summer cottage made from it retains all the advantages of this material.

Garden furniture made of synthetic rattan is not afraid of sun rays

Disadvantages of artificial rattan wicker furniture

The main disadvantage of cheap synthetic rattan is its specific smell. It usually disappears in two weeks. However, exposure to direct sunlight may cause the unpleasant odor to recur. It should be noted that, as a rule, such problems do not arise with high-quality products from well-known manufacturers.

In some cases, when artificial rattan furniture for a summer cottage is exposed to sunlight, the ribbons can deform and stretch. Therefore, to maintain their aesthetic appearance, they will have to be tightened from time to time.

When buying cheaper furniture made of artificial rattan, you should be prepared for the fact that a specific smell will be released under the influence of direct sunlight.

Due to temperature differences, condensation can appear on Paulina wicker furniture, which must be regularly removed with a soft cloth.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, before buying the furniture you like from polirotanga, you should read the reviews on the forums and on the websites of specialized online stores.

Briefly about famous manufacturers of wicker furniture for summer cottages

Garden wicker garden furniture has recently appeared on the domestic market.These are mainly products of foreign (Swedish, Dutch and Chinese) companies. Recently, however, many domestic manufacturers have appeared, successfully competing with them.

One of the important factors when buying artificial rattan furniture is the quality of the weaving: the pattern should be even and dense, also not damaged

Wicker furniture from foreign manufacturers

Furniture made from natural materials by the Swedish manufacturer KWA has been produced since 1946. It is distinguished by its stylish design, high quality and loyalty to tradition, which does not prevent the supplier from closely following new trends. Currently, artificial rattan is used in production as often as raw materials from Swedish pine, while all the company's products are environmentally friendly, safe and durable.

Modern manufacturers offer a wide selection of artificial rattan garden furniture for every taste.

Another well-known Swedish manufacturer is Brafab. Its factories are located in Sweden and China. During its eighty-year history, the company has gained a good reputation in the European and world markets. In addition to natural materials (teak, pine, natural rattan and tropical wood), the company also uses the most modern raw materials.

Related article:

Rattan furniture: braided lace in interior design

What is natural rattan, its pros and cons. What is different from the artificial. Photos of furniture in the interior and examples of use.

Brafab's exclusive development is Brafatex polymer material. Furniture made from it is not afraid of dirt, water, or aggressive exposure to sunlight. It retains its appearance in both summer heat and winter cold.

A large assortment of technorattan furniture is presented by the well-known IKEA company. Wicker furniture is characterized by emphasized Scandinavian minimalism and fairly reasonable prices.

It is interesting! Despite a carefully maintained reputation as a truly Swedish company, IKEA has been a Dutch company for several years now and is headquartered in Delft, South Holland.

When choosing furniture from Chinese manufacturers, you need to pay attention to customer reviews in order to make sure the quality of the products before buying.

The products of the Dutch company AZZURA, which began its activity in 1992 with the supply of furniture from Indonesia and Vietnam to Europe, are characterized by good quality. However, soon the company opened two of its own production facilities, specializing in high quality garden furniture. The original design and environmental friendliness of the products favorably distinguish the Dutch wicker furniture from similar products of competitors.

When it comes to Chinese products, you should pay special attention to reviews from other buyers. It is Chinese wicker furniture that most often emits a characteristic chemical smell, which may indicate extremely harmful additives that make up its composition. For the same reason, you shouldn't buy the cheapest items. Typically, such a low cost is achieved at the expense of a serious loss of quality, which occurs with almost complete lack of government control.

The main domestic manufacturers of furniture from technorattan

The largest supplier of artificial rattan outdoor wicker furniture is RAMMUS. In 1999, the company began importing German polirotang, but for five years RAMMUS has been specializing in the production of furniture from eco-tang, made according to its own formula.

According to the manufacturer's assurances, its products compare favorably with competitors' products with increased wear resistance, environmental friendliness and hypoallergenicity. These qualities make it suitable for use in children's and medical institutions. In addition, the products are characterized by strength and resistance to large temperature changes (from -50 to +80 ° C).

The main domestic manufacturers of artificial rattan garden furniture are MEBIUS and RAMMUS

The color range of the RAMMUS ecotanga is distinguished by restraint and closeness to natural shades and varies from milky to anthracite and brown tones.

This company has established a full cycle of furniture production - from the manufacture of polymer rattan to the assembly of finished products and sewing of soft elements. The manufacturer guarantees high quality products at fairly reasonable prices.

Two years before the opening of the RAMMUS enterprises (in 2011), another Russian company, MEBIUS, established its own production of artificial rattan. Furniture made from it is ergonomic, durable and environmentally friendly. It is represented by the widest assortment of chairs, armchairs, tables and sun loungers, as well as coffee, dining and bar sets. In addition, the manufacturer can customize a set of artificial rattan furniture.

Ekorotang produced by this company is resistant to ultraviolet radiation and has the EAEU quality certificate. The colors presented in the corporate catalog are distinguished by restraint and tend to the natural range. These are various shades of milky, beige, yellow, gray and brown tones (up to rich chocolate).

Furniture from the RAMMUS company is characterized by resistance to temperature extremes

It is interesting! Garden wicker furniture MEBIUS was used in the TV project "Dachny Answer", as you can see by looking at the photos on the company's website.

Artificial rattan garden furniture: what to look for when buying

In order not to be mistaken with the choice, it is necessary to take into account some very important points.

Tension density and number of joints. A quality product has only one joint. If you press on it, you can feel the significant resistance of the material with your palm.

Weaving quality. It is necessary that the pattern is even, without tears or damage. The material itself should not have scratches and cracks, since it is in these places during operation that a breakthrough will occur, as a result of which the integrity of the entire product will be violated.

Frame material. Furniture with a wooden base is not particularly resistant to adverse weather conditions and moisture. It is perfect for a covered gazebo or veranda - it is better to remove it from the street during rain and frost. The metal frame weighs less.

When choosing, it is worth evaluating the density of weaving: the closer the trains are to each other, the more strength and quality the furniture itself has

Furniture made on the basis of this material fully possesses all the above advantages of artificial rattan country furniture. The optimal solution for giving will be interior items on a frame not made of steel, but of aluminum. This metal is particularly resistant to corrosion and rust, it is lightweight and very durable.

Strength and stability of the frame. To make sure of these qualities, in the store you can feel free to sit on a wicker chair, hammock or armchair. The chair should not bend or wobble, unless, of course, we are talking about a rocking chair.

The quality of the pillows. Outdoor upholstered furniture should not be afraid of moisture and dust, and should also be resistant to ultraviolet radiation. For this reason, it is worth making sure that the pillows are made of dense, high quality material. Products with replaceable covers are an excellent solution.

How to make do-it-yourself chairs, tables or chairs from artificial rattan

Despite all the variety of choices, it is not always possible to find a set of furniture that one hundred percent meets the design requirements or the buyer's idea. In the case of technoratan, the solution may be simple, but quite original: you can make the necessary rattan furniture with your own hands.

Garden furniture made of artificial rattan can not only be bought, but also weaved by yourself

Artificial rattan is quite an affordable material, presented in a large assortment in hardware stores. Depending on your desire, you can purchase a synthetic tape of any texture, size, modification and color - both indistinguishable from a natural liana, and an emphasized futuristic design.

Synthetic rattan is not only durable and beautiful, but also very elastic, which distinguishes it favorably from natural raw materials and greatly facilitates working with it.

Useful advice! Artificial rattan is sold by weight, kilograms. Before starting work with the material, it is necessary to calculate how much tape may be needed and purchase it in one batch (with a small margin). This will help to avoid unnecessary expenses and stock up on material of the same color, because even the same manufacturer in different batches may have discrepancies in shades. On average, a chair made of artificial rattan requires about 2 kg of material, and for a large sofa, about 10 kg.

As a base, you can use a plastic, wooden or metal frame. In the first case, you can make it yourself or order it in a carpentry shop, in the second, you can use a base from an old chair without a seat.

The main types of weaving, tools and work progress

When working with rattan, many types of weaving are used:

• simple;
• string;
• three rods;
• four rods;
• openwork.

Detailed diagrams can be found on specialized sites. It is worth noting that it is easiest for beginners to master simple weaving. Even this method is represented by many options (simple straight weaving, checkerboard, inclined), which allows you to create a truly original and unique piece of furniture, especially if you combine different colors.

To prevent simple weaving from looking boring, you can use different colors of artificial rattan

In addition to the frame and polyrotang, you will also need:

• guides (rod or tape), which are attached to the frame (it is on them that the pattern is created);
• fasteners to fix the rails on the frame;
• construction knife, nippers or scissors.

If the finished product has to be assembled piece by piece, then it is also necessary to take care of the bolts or strips of leather to connect it into a single whole. The order of work execution consists of the following stages:

• securely fasten the guides to the frame, and for greater strength, you can connect them into one or more tapes;
• cut off the parts of the guides protruding from the frame;
• start weaving according to the pattern, constantly compacting and leveling the pattern;
• fasten the end of the tape and cut off the excess.

When making furniture from artificial rattan, you should pay attention to the outer corners: the frame should not be visible

In the manufacture of more complex wicker furniture from a vine (chair or sofa), it is worth separately braiding its elements (seat, armrests, back) with a polirotang and only at the end connect the parts into the finished product using fasteners.

Artificial rattan: the best choice for giving

Artificial rattan garden furniture is of good quality, durability, beautiful appearance and a wide variety of shapes and colors. It will become a real decoration of the summer cottage and will harmoniously fit into any design. Furniture looks especially good in various variations of the rustic style, be it Provence or country. However, it will also be appropriate in a luxurious interior decorated in a colonial or classic style.

The cost of the material and the furniture made from it is quite democratic and affordable for a buyer with an average income. An important point is that when buying furniture from the line of one manufacturer, it is not necessary to take a complete set of garden furniture made of artificial rattan.You can choose only a few elements, arbitrarily arranging in the interior or purchasing them in addition as needed.

Such furniture is easy to make with your own hands, while further reducing costs. All the necessary materials can be purchased at an ordinary hardware store, where it is also not difficult to buy rattan for weaving furniture. Nowadays, artificial rattan wicker furniture is gaining great popularity. It captivates with its attractive appearance and original design.