How to store outdoor furniture for winter material by material

Talenti, the Italian outdoor furniture house in Amelia, Umbria, publishes care notes for each material it uses, and those notes answer most winter questions. Most terrace sets mix materials. The frame, the top, the weave and the cushion each react to cold and wet in their own way, so you store a set piece by piece.

Start with a wash

Store furniture clean. Dust, pollen and salt sit on a surface all winter and are harder to lift in spring. For aluminum and steel frames, the factory advises a soft cloth with water or a neutral detergent. Stoneware and ceramic tops take the same treatment: a damp cloth, a neutral detergent, a rinse and a dry cloth. Woven fibers want water, a non-abrasive sponge and mild soap, or a soft brush between the strands.

Then let it all dry. Talenti asks for the fiber to dry in the sun before the cushions go back on, and for fabrics to air dry away from direct heat. Put damp cushions in a closet and you come back to mildew.

Frames: the coating is the weak point

Aluminum resists rust. The color on it is a polyester coating, and the factory names two things that change it: long exposure to strong UV and hard frost. Its advice is plain. Clean the pieces and store them in a sheltered place during long breaks and over the winter. Steel gets the same advice.

Sheltered can mean a garage, a shed, a covered porch or a fitted cover in a mild climate. In Los Angeles, a cover over a clean frame handles the cooler months. In Chicago, the garage wins.

Tops and bases: some can stay

Porcelain stoneware is the easy one. The factory calls it unaffected by weather and by UV, so a table with a ceramic or stoneware top can stand through the cold once it is clean.

Concrete and terrazzo need more thought. Talenti describes concrete as porous: water standing on it, or a wet pot or plastic sheet left on top, leaves stains that are hard to remove. If a concrete piece stays out, keep its surface clear and dry.

Wood moves with the weather. The factory warns of color changes and fine cracks when humidity and temperature swing hard, which is winter in most of the country. A cover helps. In spring, give it a light sanding and a polish with a jute cloth if the wood has gone gray and you want the honey tone back.

Two collections, taken apart

Talenti Dolcevita Alu has 16 pieces in aluminum, in warm white or graphite, with hand woven rope and ceramic tops. The frames and rope go under cover. The ceramic tops can ride out the cold. The extending dining tables, 160 to 220 cm and 200 to 265 cm long, close to their short length, which makes them easier to store. See the Dolcevita Alu collection.

Talenti Milo by Marco Acerbis has 18 pieces: aluminum frames, fabric and textilene seats, and extending tables up to 260 cm, some with ceramic tops. Textilene has an open, micro-perforated weave that dries fast, so the textilene seats need a quick rinse and a dry day before storage. The sofa cushions go indoors. See the Milo collection.

Cushions and the parasol canopy

Cushions go inside, dry, on a shelf with air around them. For parasols, the factory is specific: close the canopy only when the fabric is dry, and keep the parasol in a dry place in its cover through the months you do not use it.

Plan storage when you order

The easiest winter starts at the order. If you have no garage, tell us, and we lean toward stoneware tops and fast drying weaves. Send us your city, the space you have for storage and the Talenti pieces you like on the poster form at the foot of this page. The Los Angeles desk answers with a set that fits both your terrace and your winter, and a price that covers freight and customs work.