Restore and Repair Your Furniture

Seagrass patio furniture is a bit like wicker furniture, but it's important to note that the two materials are very different. Seagrass is usually a bit softer than wicker, so it needs different maintenance and care over the years. Seagrass may also wear out a bit differently than wicker, cane, rattan and other similar materials, so note a few tips for how to keep it in good shape over time.

Avoid the elements

Despite seagrass being taken from the sea, it doesn't fare well when exposed to high levels of humidity and moisture; the grass has been dried out after harvesting so that it can be woven into furniture. Allowing it to sit outside in the rain and snow softens the material, and it may begin to unravel. Direct sunlight can also fade the colour of seagrass and cause the furniture to become too dry and brittle, so it may be more prone to cracking. For these reasons, you want to invest in very sturdy covers for your furniture or put the pieces away in the house or garage during inclement weather.

Vacuum it

The soft material of seagrass makes it very difficult to wipe clean with a cloth; you may wind up pulling at the threads of the material and also miss dirt that accumulates in its fibres. To get seagrass clean, vacuum it with a brush attachment meant for furniture. This will pull up debris from inside the woven threads and get the pieces thoroughly cleaned, without pulling at the fibres or leaving behind moisture that could cause the seagrass to soften, as mentioned above.

Fix damaged pieces

If you try to weave together worn or loose pieces yourself, ensure that you weave a damaged area with the same tightness as the rest of the furniture piece so it doesn't sag in any one area. If the material has discoloured or faded, this can't always be fixed with cleaning or a coating of seagrass oil, and you may need to simply repaint it. However, you need to use the right type of paint for seagrass. Also, use a sprayer rather than rollers or brushes so the paint seeps into the folds of the woven materials. It's often good to leave these types of repairs to a professional, so he or she can reweave the piece properly or replace damaged areas as needed and can ensure the piece is painted properly.