Finally installed those perfect pieces for your patio space? Not sure how they’ll withstand the elements? Look no further than this guide!
This TheGrillingDad.com guide will teach you:
- How to secure outdoor furniture and grills
- Equipment you’ll need to make the job easier
- And much more!
Jump to Section
What You Need to Know About Securing Outdoor Furniture
If you’re going into your first winter as a proud outdoor kitchen owner, you’re going to want to know the ins and outs of protecting your precious outdoor equipment. Climate is something many people tend to forget about when making considerations for their backyard, and there is a lot that goes into preserving your outdoor appliances.
Related >> The Best Outdoor Kitchen Kits
There are many different ways to secure outdoor appliances and furniture, some can even be done with household supplies that you may already have. You should take into account the material and weight of the things you need to secure, to ensure that you aren’t under or overprepared for the project you are taking on.
Obviously, every backyard will be different, and will require different things to secure during harsh weather, so make sure to keep that in mind while you read along.
Related >> Can I Leave My Outdoor Furniture Out All Winter?
Why You Should Secure Outdoor Furniture and Grills
There are many reasons that you should do your best to secure outdoor furniture and grills. For one, harsh weather can cause some furniture and appliances to go flying or to become displaced in the midst of intense winds. You’ll want to anchor them down to prevent them damaging other pieces in your backyard or even ending up in a neighbor’s yard.
This process is also necessary simply to protect your investment. Outdoor furniture pieces can cost a pretty penny, so obviously you’ll want them to last year round. These items can also become damaged by rain or snow, so you’ll want to make sure that they are also properly covered from overhead elements as well.
Now that we’ve gone over why it’s important to secure those outdoor pieces, let’s get into what you may need in order to do so.
Equipment Needed to Secure Outdoor Furniture and Grills
There are many different types of outdoor furniture, so naturally there will be many different methods for securing them. These are just a few of the things you may need in order to ensure that your furniture stays secured where you want it.
- Furniture weights
- Stakes
- Deck anchors
- Bungee cords
- Furniture covers
- Bricks
- Power drill
These are some of the most popular ways to secure outdoor furniture. If you come up with a different way that works, go for it! Everyone’s backyard is going to be different and will therefore call for different solutions.
How to Secure Outdoor Furniture with Different Types of Anchors
This section will explain how you can use the different types of equipment listed above to keep your furniture anchored down. This will greatly help for those who have experienced harsh weather conditions moving your outdoor furniture/grills around or even knocking it down. Continue reading for tips on how to protect your furniture from the elements as well.
Attach Furniture Weights to Your Furniture
This is probably one of the easiest ways to secure your outdoor furniture. Furniture weights are widely available online and in hardware stores and are fairly simple to install. Most of them use water or sand to weigh down your furniture. The standard practice for these kinds of weights involves attaching them to your furniture with a carabiner to keep them weighted down.
These work best with lighter pieces of furniture, like small tables or chairs. They may not be the most attractive solution, but they can definitely help in a pinch and will keep your furniture rooted down.
For a grill with a bottom shelf, this is one of the easiest solutions as you can toss a sandbag on there and it will keep your grill rooted to the ground!
Stake Your Furniture into the Ground
Most furniture stakes will be shaped like a cane. Simply take the long end of the stake and plant it in the ground. Use the hooked end of the stake to hold down your furniture, whether it be the leg of a chair or the base of table. These are very discrete and can be a permanent option for furniture that stays on your lawn year round. This will obviously only work for furniture that sits on grass.
Secure Your Deck Furniture with Deck Anchors
For those with furniture that sits on a deck with wooden slats, deck anchors can be an elegant option for securing that furniture set. Again, deck anchors can be found in hardware stores or online and are a relatively inexpensive method for tying furniture down. They are also generally easy to install, as most are designed with a zip tie, that you can simply fit around the wooden slats of your deck and through the legs of your furniture.
These should be able to withstand weather year round, and are normally very small, so they will not affect the aesthetics of your deck setup. Keep in mind that since these will anchor your furniture to your deck, you won’t be able to move your pieces around without removing the anchors or cutting the zip ties. Because of this, we’d recommend using these for pieces of furniture with more permanent placements, like grills or tables.
Use Bungee Cords to Secure Your Furniture
Bungee cords are a very easy way to secure furniture, and you may already have them in your home. While this may not be a permanent or very aesthetically pleasing solution, it will definitely help in a pinch.
With bungee cords, you have a lot more freedom with how you want to go about securing your furniture or grill. One method may be using many different bungee cords to secure each individual piece of furniture to an anchor point like the ground, or other outdoor structures. You can also use bungee cords to secure your pieces of furniture to each other, turning all of your furniture into one large mass, which will make it much harder for harsh winds to affect your set up.
Using a bungee cord is one of the best way to secure smaller grills when they are placed on a porch or balcony as the railing provides a natural anchor.
Place Bricks on Your Furniture to Weigh it Down
This is definitely not the most attractive or permanent solution, but it is by far the easiest, and in most cases will not even require a purchase. Simply place bricks, cinderblocks, or really anything you can find with substantial weight on top of your outdoor furniture or on the bottom shelf of your grill. This will keep it weighed down and in place for the harsh climate.
Keep your furniture’s weight bearing capacity in mind, as you don’t want to wake up to broken patio furniture. We also recommend that you don’t use this method for furniture with glass components, as a prolonged time with heavy weights can be bad for the glass.
Drilling Your Furniture Down
For those who are well versed with power tools, drilling your furniture down can be a very elegant and easy option. Again, this is one of the more permanent options, so we recommend using this one for pieces of furniture that you know you won’t want to move any time soon. Drilling your furniture into the ground will definitely protect it from getting blown away and will also not hurt your backyard’s aesthetic.
How to Protect Your Furniture from Harmful Weather
The last section was all about securing your outdoor furniture to ensure that it doesn’t get displaced from its location in your backyard. Now, lets get into the different ways that you can protect your furniture from things like snow, run, and the sun.
Related >> Best Grill Gazebos
Furniture Covers
If you’ve got a large patio table set, expensive grill, or another piece of furniture that sits in an uncovered part of your yard, a furniture cover can do very well to protect it from the elements. These are widely available at big box retailers and online. Not only will it block rain or snow from damaging your grill, but it will also stop the sun from affecting any paint or causing any discoloration if your grill is outside for a prolonged time.
Using a furniture cover over a large group of items like an outdoor dining set will also consolidate the mass, making it harder for wind to blow away.
Related >> Best Grill Covers
Protective Sprays
For pieces of furniture that will spend the better part of the year uncovered in direct sunlight, there are many protective sprays available that can aid in repelling water and preventing from sun damage. These sprays usually have no odor, and create a protective layer on your furniture, which will block the sun from discoloring material, and will repel water effectively.
These kinds of sprays work best on materials like fabric or wicker, which do not always stand up well to the elements. We do not recommend using these sprays on your grill.
Expert Tips for Weighing Down Outdoor Furniture and Grills
Now that we’ve covered the different methods for protecting your outdoor furniture, here are some tips that can make your life a lot easier when you are trying to preserve your beloved items.
- Buy heavier furniture: items made from wood, steel, or iron will have no problem staying in place during harsh weather conditions. They will also stand up much better to rain, snow, and sun
- Stacking furniture: stacking things like chairs together will consolidate mass which makes it much harder for wind to blow them away
- Windbreaks: for parts of your yard that get considerable amounts of wind, planting hedges or small trees can block the wind to protect lighter furniture
- Keep your furniture in the shade: leaving your furniture underneath cover or out of the sun will greatly prolong its life, as it will be protected from sunlight, which can cause discoloration
- Bring fabric cushions inside: many people recommend bringing any fabric components inside, since they do not do well in harsh climates.
- Off-season storage: for harsher seasons, it may be better to store your furniture inside if you know you won’t be using it for a while anyway
What to Do with Glass Furniture During High Winds
Most outdoor furniture that is made with glass is normally equipped with a more durable glass that can withstand more than your average bad weather. However, it is always safest to keep these items stored inside during harsh conditions, as you never know what could blow into your yard.
If the glass component of your furniture is removable, like a tabletop, we recommend bringing it inside. Unfortunately, if it is not removable, you’re going to want to bring the whole item inside, so keep that in mind when shopping for new furniture.
Of course, it is not guaranteed that glass furniture will break if you leave it outdoors during these conditions, we just recommend that you don’t run the risk. Cleaning up broken glass is a much bigger hassle than bringing your furniture inside, not to mention the cost of replacing your piece.
How to Prepare Patio Furniture for a Hurricane
When news hits of a hurricane or storm, it is best to prep immediately. For anything that you are able to store inside, it is safest to bring these items inside, to ensure their safety. Smaller items will be susceptible to getting knocked over or being carried by wind, so if you have storage space, definitely get them inside.
For the things that you cannot bring inside, there are some things you can do to increase the likelihood that they survive. Heavier items can be place on their side or upside down to prevent them from getting knocked over by heavy winds. Patio umbrellas should be retracted and taken out of their base, as these are one of the easiest things to get swept away by harsh weather.
Furthermore, you can use any of the above methods to keep your items anchored down in the event of a hurricane or storm.
Final Thoughts on Securing Patio Furniture and Grills
Outdoor patio furniture and grills are big investments, so you’ll definitely want to protect them. Good quality items can last many years if treated properly, so follow the tips in this guide in order to get the most out of your outdoor furniture!
