Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

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FAQ
What is natural wicker made from?

Answer
Natural wicker is made of natural vegetation products such as reeds, rattan, palm, vines or grasses. Sometimes materials such as rattan, steel or wood are used for wicker furniture frames. The wicker material is grown, harvested, dried and later hand crafted into wicker furniture, baskets, lamps, rugs, trunks, hampers, planters, carpers and other home décor products.

FAQ
How can I tell if my wicker is natrual wicker or all-weather wicker?

Answer
From more than a few feet away, it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between natural wicker and outdoor all-weather resin wicker. Close inspection reveals the answer. Natural wicker can be made from a variety of natural vegetation products such as reed, rattan, palm vine or grasses. The texture is typically somewhat rough unless painted in which case it is smooth. Natural wicker is typically finished with stains, paints and other coloring and sealing materials. Natural wicker is also available in its natural state without any outer paints or stains.

Outdoor all-weather resin wicker is manufactured from a man made material called resin which resembles a plastic. The resin contains color pigments through out and has no paint, stain or outer covering. However, it is a special resin that is designed to inhibit adverse weather and moisture condition. Resin wicker is typically smooth in nature as compared to natural wicker. At close look, it resembles a smooth plastic material rather than that of a natural woody product. But don't jump to conclusions about it not being a high quality product because it is made from resin. It is by far the most desirable elegant outdoor furniture available on the market.

FAQ
How do I clean natural wicker?

Answer
To clean painted or unpainted natural wicker of an unknown variety, you should be very careful. Moisture or chemicals can affect the materials used to make the furniture and make them change color, warp, bow, pucker or loosen. Certain glues can become soft and parts can become unglued. Chemicals can discolor the finish or loosen glue joints. Without knowing the origination of the product, it is nearly impossible to know exactly what materials were used to construct the wicker you have. The cleaning instructions below are generic and will work for a large variety of wicker products providing you are not too aggressive and try to use too much water, scrub too hard or try to do too big of an area at a time without letting the wicker dry before you move on to another small area .

To clean unpainted wicker, begin cleaning by using a soft brush and a vacuum to remove any loose dirt and dust. Then, use a wet cloth with nothing but warm water and a soft cloth or soft bristled brush to clean the wicker. Always work on small areas at a time and let them dry thoroughly before moving on to another spot.

Depending on how rough the wicker is, you may have to try different texture cloths until you find one that does not snag while you wipe it clean. For stubborn spots, you can try using a soft bristled brush (like a tooth brush) and just enough water to make it moist. After brushing, wipe clean with the soft damp cloth.

At any time, if you notice something unusual or damage occurring while you are cleaning, stop immediately let it dry. Don't go any further cleaning it. Then, rethink what you want to do.

Tip for suborn spots - You can use a little more water and scrub a little more if the spots are small. As long as you work in small areas of no more than 5in. by 5in. square, you run less of a risk of warping the wicker due to excessive moisture. Allow the spots to dry thoroughly before you move on to another spot.

To clean natural wicker that is painted, use the same procedure as for unpainted natural wicker as mentioned above. As long as there is a thorough amount of paint, you can use a little more water to help loosen the dirt and wipe it was using a damp cloth. After cleaning, let the wicker dry thoroughly. Painted wicker can take more time to dry if there are bare unpainted or cracks in the paint. Water absorbed in the wicker can become trapped under the paint requiring a much longer drying time.

Most importantly, do not put excessive water on natural wicker whether it is unpainted or painted because you run the risk of warping the product. If your wicker is excessively dirty, you should try several light cleanings while letting the wicker dry thoroughly between cleanings.

FAQ
What causes the paint on my wicker furniture to crack and peal off?

Answer
Some paints applied to wicker furniture from the manufacturer will protect the wicker better than others. As the paint and the natural wicker ages, the paint cracks because the wicker is flexible and moves. As a result, the paint losses its grip on the wicker. If your natural wicker is exposed to high moisture or rain conditions, moisture can become trapped under the paint and cause the paint to crack and fall off even more. Even though you may not see it, microscopic cracks allow the wicker to absorb water and the paint causes the wicker to hold the water making it weak and allowing it to warp or weaken. Follow the cleaning and painting FAQs to ensure you keep your natural wicker in good condition.

FAQ
Will the ultraviolet light from the sun affect my natural wicker furniture?

Answer
The natural wicker material itself will not be harmed by sunlight. Depending on the paint or stain used, there may be some fading or degradation of the paint over a long period of time and can cause minimal fading of the color. White colors fade the least, but you can expect years of use before any potential fading, if any, occurs. If you're worried about the sunlight harming your products, you can keep your wicker products in shaded areas or stored when not being used for long periods of time. Covers can be used to cover and protect the natural wicker, but it is hard to find covers that are economical and fit your products and stay on in high winds. We suggest you spend more time enjoying your wicker furniture than hiding it from the sun.

FAQ
How can I protect my natural wicker furniture to make it last longer and continue to look good?

Answer
Natural wicker needs to be protected from the outdoor elements. It is best to protect natural wicker products as much as possible from adverse weather conditions such as high winds, rain, humidity and snow. Moisture can cause warping and extremely high winds can blow your natural wicker down the street and damage it. There is no way to predict exactly how long a natural wicker product can last exposed to outdoor conditions, it really depends to what extent the product is exposed to inclement conditions rather than dry conditions. So, keeping it protected from rain and moisture by keeping it indoors, on a covered porch or covered during inclement weather conditions if it has to be outside. If the paint on your wicker furniture is warn and cracked, you should repaint the wicker using one of the available spray paints made by Krylon® for painting wicker found at most hardware stores. If your area is susceptible to high winds, either move your natural wicker furniture indoors when not in use or; tie it down to stakes driven firmly into the ground or; tie it down to heavy weights if on a patio, pool area or deck. Wicker Living recommends using Outdoor All-Weather Resin Wicker for use outdoors.

FAQ
What should I do if I want to paint my natrual wicker furniture?

Answer
Some paints are not compatible with each other. Adding a new coat of paint to cover an old paint can change the color or cause the old paint to curdle or crack as a result of the mixing of two different paints. Some paints can even cause glue joints to loosen. Should you want to take on the task of repainting wicker, you can probably use one of the different paint products made by Krylon®. You can check them out at the Krylon.com Website. Krylon offers more than one type of paint that can be used on wicker. Krylon lists wicker on their paint cans as one of the products that can be painted using their paint. Make sure you choose one of their paint products that lists wicker as a product that can be painted with their products. Krylon paints are also available at most local hardware stores. One caution, you should consider using Krylon's primer before you apply their paint. The primer will help the paint stick better, especially in the event the original paint is not compatible. Whether you use primer or not, you should try a test spot in an inconspicuous place, let it dry and see what happens before you proceed. You may be urged to treat the wicker with an outdoor water proofing. We can not recommend any products at this time other than the Krylon paint.