Garden and Pool Furniture

For anything to do with the garden and pool
SPJ
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Garden and Pool Furniture

Post by SPJ »

I guess last year I was lucky. First summer with gite guests and all went well. It's true some of our wooden garden furniture is quite elderly (over 10 years old) and a couple of the loungers by the pool are just from Lidl's, but it's a bit depressing to have had three chairs/loungers damaged by over-weight guests this year.

I now don't know what to do for next year. Looks like cheap furniture from places like Lidls and our local Gifi is a no no, since they are not robust enough. But otherwise, garden and pool furniture is incredibly expensive in France.

Anyone any suggestions please? What do you do?

Thanks for any ideas / recommendations. Sue
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Bassman
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Post by Bassman »

It may be a little late now but places like Leroy Merlin sell off their summer stock early September i bought mine there around 5 years ago 2 for the price of 1 roughly 30€ each.
farley
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Post by farley »

Hi
We moved away from 'plastic' sun beds due to their poor quality (in our price range).
Now we have wooden sun beds ( have lasted three seasons so far) which my hubby can mend easily if they break. They only breakage so far was caused by my husband falling over one :)

If you don't have carpentry skills the above obviously wouldn't work.

We've recently bought some cheap mesh style loungers in the autumn sales and will be trying them as 'extras' next year . I'm not convinced about these as kiddies will probably use them as trampolines. We will just have to wait and see.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

We also found buying cheap was a false economy....but we had very little money in the first 2 years.
3rd year we bought wooden loungers. Thought they'd be indestructible but guests drag them sideways (we hear them) and break the wheels. They also jump off them as, I suppose, they look solid enough to do so, and cracked 2.
They were heavy to move and we had to teak oil them every year...plus they need mattress covers to make them comfy which is another expense and cleaning job on changeover.

After a couple breaking completely we moved over to Aluminium mesh. They weren't the cheap ones and the parts are all metal not plastic. So hard to break. They're light, so easy to move, and a doddle to clean. Also easy to stack and store. They were expensive but only a little more than the wooden ones which are no longer being sold here now.
So far, 3 yrs in, and they are perfect (and we have family groups. ..so lots of kids).
I'd say buy the best even if you only get a couple each season as you can afford it.

Mousie
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Dusty
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Post by Dusty »

Our biggest bugbear seems to be the wooden chairs that we have on the terrace. We have got the plastic Grosfillex plastic sun loungers around the pool and they seem to do ok but we get one or two broken chairs each year. I think the problem is that people lean back on them and put a lot of strain on the seat/back rest join resulting in the breakages. I have yet to find a good source of strong chairs I am afraid.
SPJ
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Post by SPJ »

Thanks for your thoughts everyone.

Unfortunately Dusty the reason they've gone is literally the weight of our guests, sitting on the side of the lounger before they turn and stretch out. One lounger, the side just buckled under the weight. With another (the one from Lidls, also metal framed) the mesh across the frame has torn at the two sides and is now bowed and loose in the middle. So I'm nervous of anything that's metal framed.

But also we don't have the skills to repair wood Farley.

May I ask Mouse and Farley, what make are yours?

Bassman, I'll keep an eye on Leroy Merlin.

Thanks again. Any more ideas much appreciated.
Marks
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Post by Marks »

We have these: https://goo.gl/mEGYex

6 years on and no problems. The blue has faded a little. All that's needed is a scrub and power wash every so often. Worth every Euro.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
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Bassman
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Post by Bassman »

These are the loungers we have
http://www.maginea.com/fiche/P201510220 ... 0wodu4wCXg
We bought them 13 years ago then replaced 7 of them 5/6 years back, we still use one from the original chairs and all 4 back positions still work.
I dont think much of the lidl loungers ive seen but their cushions that cover the loungers are very good as are the umbrellas. Though they havent been on sale for the last couple of years.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

SPJ.....I will check the brand when guests check out, but if you take a look at the photo section of our website you'll see them. They are like a dark grey/brown colour.

They're aluminium and the mesh is held in very strongly all the way around. My friend has the same type and after one was burned by guests (yes really) he simply had the mesh replaced by a company here.

Mousie
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RichardHenshall
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Post by RichardHenshall »

Marks wrote:We have these: https://goo.gl/mEGYex

6 years on and no problems. The blue has faded a little. All that's needed is a scrub and power wash every so often. Worth every Euro.
+1 to the Nardi sunloungers. Ours are also 6 years old and looking good so far. Despite the high-ish initial cost they are being used by some of our local beach concessions, which suggests longer term value.
SPJ
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Post by SPJ »

Thanks for the further details everyone, that's great. Bassman you've made me realise something. We've got 3 plastic loungers like yours but in white and they have coped where the metal ones have not. I must say I like the grey. It's quite hard to keep the white ones looking pristine. So two new grey ones for down at the cottage itself and another matching white one by the pool won't break the bank.

The Nardi sunloungers look smart Rochard and Marks and it looks like there are not too many moving bits to go wrong, but are they a bit narrow? We want to make sure this coming year that not only are our loungers robust but that they are also wide.

I like the look of yours as well mouse, not least because there are no arms to squeeze between, but does that mean they are not adjustable?
RichardHenshall
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Post by RichardHenshall »

SPJ wrote:... the reason they've gone is literally the weight of our guests, sitting on the side of the lounger before they turn and stretch out. ...
We deliberately chose the Nardi Alfa because the arms prevent that! The arms also provide a means to lower yourself onto the sunbed and pull yourself up again. I think they're more rigid too. The Nardi Omega is similar but without arms.
SPJ wrote:... but are they a bit narrow? We want to make sure this coming year that not only are our loungers robust but that they are also wide. ...
I don't think they feel narrow (I'm not!) but the wider they are the more the fabric will sag and be stressed.
SPJ
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Post by SPJ »

Sadly Richard, I'm talking about guests who are too wide to fit between narrow arms.

Also, if they are fabric (however well made) I don't think they will take the weight. I'm thinking the solid plastic ones will be the safer bet.
zebedee
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Post by zebedee »

Is this the opportunity for someone to go on to Dragons Den with a design for a Bariatric sun lounger??? :oops: :oops: :oops:

((5%comission please, for the idea :D :D :D )
e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

In 1998 when we bought our Villa, the previous owner left 4 of these. We guess that they were 2-3 years old then.

19(ish) years later and dozens of cheaper cousins and siblings have come and gone, but 2 of these are still going strong. Made by a company called Oasis (or maybe Oases?), They are simply left out ALL year, which means they're a bit dirty and grubby, but with cheap new brightly coloured mattresses every couple of years, they look great, work very well for all sizes of person, and are remarkably comfortable despite what they look like.

Sorry zebedee, I think these are what you were hoping to make your fortune from :D

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