Question about Sunbrella fabric and outdoor furniture

[khalloc]

We are debating purchasing a large teak sectional for our screened in porch. We'd use the porch alot more if we had a place to sit out there! And DH likes to nap and I want a place to lay down too. It would fit nicely in the corner of the porch.

This is a screen porch with a roof over it. Sun, Rain and snow does come in thru the screens. The walls are entirely screen and some 4x4 pillars.

So I know Sunbrella resists fading. But what happens to the cushions if they get some rain on them? This would happen if it was windy. In the winter we would probably cover up the couch with a tarp and then bring the cushions into the house and store them until spring/summer again.

So, do I need to be concerned every time it rains in the summer? We get thunderstorms over the summer alot. I dont want to run out and cover the couch every time I see a dark cloud. I usually see couches like this in pictures when they are right outside though (no roof overhead) so I imagine a little rain isnt going to be a big deal?

[kristenk]

We have a sunbrella umbrella and cushions out in our courtyard. The courtyard is definitely exposed to the elements! We just leave everything outside. The umbrella is generally closed and tied when not in use, but it's outside. We never cover any of it.

[khalloc]

So does moisture get under the fabric and into the cushions? Or it is waterproof? I guess I'm wondering what happens to the actual cushion that is wrapped in the Sunbrella.

[kristenk]

I just unzipped one of our cushions and took a look at it. The cushion inside looks to be in great shape. It's very white and fluffy.

I think that there are a few different types of Sunbrella fabric with different degrees of waterproofing, etc. (maybe?), so you might want to look at that. DH ordered the cushions for outside so I don't know how our fabric was described.

[mackmama]

We bring in our Sunbrella cushions when it rains. It's a pain, and I'm not sure if we really need to do it. We could probably just leave them out.

[kristenk]

I guess I should add that it's not super humid where I live and even if it rains a lot one day, it usually gets hot enough the following day to dry everything off completely. I'd be more concerned about my cushions if things didn't get a chance to dry fairly quickly.

[SummerBaby]

I have sunbrella cushions on my patio furniture. I try to take them in when it rains, but there have been times when I have forgotten. Unless you have a real soaking rain, the rain pretty much just beads up on the fabric and doesn't soak in. When they do get soaked, I just unzip the covers and they dry very quickly. I've had no issues with mold. I think they would be fine on a covered porch. You can also just get waterproof covers for the sofa and they would keep the cushions dry. That's easier than dragging the cushions inside.

[SummerBaby]

Just wanted to add that you should be careful what kind of cushion is under the sunbrella. Better outdoor cushions are made of more porous material that doesn't soak up water like a sponge.