SummerHome

Sustainable, RecyclableWhy your next lawn chair may bemade from a milk jug

5 Fiery backyard focal points

Eat up!Great garden-to-table plants

Take itOutsidePlan an awesome outdoor room

June 26, 2014

How ToLight the Yard

New GrillsFor Backyard Chefs

Outdoor Rugs:What’s the Story?+

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Everyone loves the sight of a lush, well-kept garden outside a picturesque house. The sight of an out-door kitchen might be a little more surprising. Yet

such additions are predicted to rise in popularity among homeowners this year, according to the 2014 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey, conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Based on responses from 179 residential landscape pro-fessionals on trends homeowners would be incorporating into their outdoor projects, some of the most intriguing developments include outdoor stoves, vegetable gardens and greater seating.

According to the survey, outdoor living spaces – ex-amples of which include outdoor kitchens and seating – have a 92-percent popularity rate. Seating and dining areas rank even higher at 97 percent, and if that popular-ity holds, eating outside may become the new dining out.

From the 89.6-percent popularity of installed seating and the 84.1-percent popularity of outdoor furniture, it’s safe to say that comfort is becoming top priority even in the great outdoors. The New American Home 2014, built by the National Association of Home Builders for the In-ternational Builders Show, featured luxurious armchairs on an outdoor balcony. While outdoor Internet connectiv-ity and access isn’t a juggernaut demand, more than half the survey respondents expected to be popular.

Don’t expect the grill to be the only outdoor culinary device this year. Homeowners are expected to bring the amenities of home beyond its walls through both furniture and outdoor kitchens and ovens – the latter was ranked at 71.4-percent popularity, a sign that people are thinking past the grill and fire pit.

While grills and fire pits are still backyard staples, the most popular outdoor supplement by far was lighting, with a 98.3-percent popularity ranking among residen-tial landscape professionals. With the help of illumina-tion, there’s no need to confine socializing behind walls or under a roof.

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Outdoor l i v i n g spaces

require light-ing for func-tionality and safety. Most homeowners, though, arrive at a lighting s h o w r o o m with a longer shopping list and bigger dreams: Warm eve-nings spent relaxing in a magic, glowing backyard.

Where to begin? Focus on how you intend to use the space, experts say, and don’t overdo it.

“Clearly define your objectives,” says Joe Rey-Bar-reau, associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design and education consultant for the American Lighting Association. “It’s not necessary to illuminate everything in your yard, so decide which areas are the highest priorities,” he advises.

Start with areas close to the house, where most activi-ties take place. Expand the plan to highlight backyard ele-ments – plants, sculpture, a water feature – as time and budget allow.

Installing too many lights, and lights poorly chosen for a location, are common hazards. Lighting experts and lo-cal showrooms can help you sort through new energy-ef-ficient technologies that can work best for you.

Some bright ideas from the American Lighting Asso-ciation:

Back DoorWall lanterns on each side of the door lead-

ing to the patio or outdoor space will provide a warm, welcoming look.

Use recessed, chain-hung or close-to-ceiling fixtures under a porch or overhang.

Light a secondary side entrance with a single wall

lantern installed on the keyhole side of the door.

Steps and PathwaysIlluminate walkways so family members and

guests are able to move about easily and safely af-ter dark. Attach lights to the side of the house or install path lights or lanterns.

Low-level path lights, which spread circular patterns of light, will brighten a walkway and highlight nearby flowerbeds, shrubs and ground cover. Bollards, which stand 30 to 36 inches off the ground, also work well. Use shielded fixtures to avoid glare.

Decks, porches, and patiosConceal LED or low-voltage mini-lights under steps,

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Warmer weather is here, and with it comes the aroma of sausages, burgers and steaks – and yes,

vegetables and tofu – sizzling on barbecue grills.

Is your backyard ready for the grilling season?

Modern backyard chefs are seeking out more options than ever to create the perfect summer barbecue. And grill manu-facturers have obliged. Popular today are products that allow adventurous backyard chefs to multitask, giving them the chance to, say, grill and smoke meats at the same time. Also hot: Portable grills and smokers, and grills fueled by wood pellets, which purists say results in tastier fare.

Then there’s the high-end side of the market, with manufacturers continuing to offer grills that appeal to those with plenty of discretionary income and a desire to du-plicate the gourmet fare they see on cable cooking shows.

“In the culinary world in general we are seeing people taking cooking more seri-ously,” says Russ Faulk, vice president of design for Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Ka-lamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. “Chefs are the new celebrities. Home cooks are more adventurous, and that is extending to the outdoors. Our world isn’t just brats, burg-ers and chicken breasts.”

Eco-Friendly with BenefitsEnvironmentally conscious wood pel-

lets — made from compressed sawdust —provide backyard grillers and smokers

with a natural product that produces a slow-burning source of heat. The slower burning results in a smokier flavor, grill makers say. The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association says wood pellet smokers and grills are on the rise. You can spend a little or a lot on smokers that burn wood pel-lets. The Rec Tec Wood Pellet Grill, for in-stance, retails for $998. The Cold Smoker from Traeger Wood Pellet Grills retails for an affordable $199.

Grills Go MultitaskWood pellets play an important role in

the multitasking trend that the association says is coming on strong. Many backyard chefs look for machines that can be used as a grill, smoker or traditional barbecue all at once.

Traeger’s popular Texas Grill ($399 to $999) is a wood smoker that can smoke and grill meats, vegetables and seafood. For those on a budget, the Brinkman All-in-One ($89) can multitask, too. The gas grill can serve as a smoker, grill or fryer.

The discriminating griller can cook on charcoal, wood or gas, as fancy strikes, with Kalamazoo’s Hybrid Fire Grill ($17,595 and up). Open a drawer, insert some logs and chef can choose the fuel that suits the preparation.

Portability a PlusPeople like grilling in their backyards.

But they also like grilling on the beach, while tailgating, or while camping. Because of this, portable grills are popular choices.

Weber added a portable smoker to its popular Smokey Mountain Cooker series. The 14.5-inch model ($219) has two plated steel cooking grates. Smoking fans “have been asking for a compact smoker for mul-tiple reasons,” says Kim Lefko, Weber’s chief marketing officer, such as smoking for smaller gatherings. The Weber Q series in-cludes a wide range of portable grills. The Weber Q 1000 ($169) includes one stain-less-steel burner and 189-square-inches of

It’s Summer,and the Backyard Chef Is Gearing Up

The good news about outdoor rugs? They’re pretty much fool-proof. Thanks to synthetic fibers,

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Outdoor living spaces are nothing new. According to Casual Living and Apartment Therapy’s 2013 Outdoor

Decorating Survey, 55 percent of respon-dents have an outdoor room and 43 percent either want one or were in the process of creating one.

But the idea of families or a solitary fig-ure kicking back on a tufted sofa in the great outdoors, propped up against implausibly weatherproof bouclé throw pillows in the glow of a lamp with a fabric shade — that’s fairly new.

The emergence of highly sophisticated accent pieces has evolved the outdoor-living concept. “We’ve been talking about outdoor rooms for 10 years, but I think consumers

are finally grasping that they can really do a living room outside, with all the comfort and functionality they enjoy indoors. Ac-cessories are a big part of that,” says Laurie Jenkins, principal at Laurie Bell, a Saraso-ta, Fla.-based outdoor décor vendor. “They bring warmth to the whole look and indi-vidualize the space.”

To complete the look of a newly created outdoor space or update an existing space on a budget, look to this season’s delicate-looking yet durable accessories.

PillowsThanks to improved textile chemistry,

decorative pillows for outdoor use are as comfy as indoor pillows. At higher price points, “The fabrics are just getting more and more sophisticated, and the weaves are so much softer,” Jenkins says.

Richly textured fabrics like jacquard, vel-vet and chenille are growing in popularity. Decorative elements such as metallic fibers, embroidery and trim make for a luxurious look and feel not previously seen on outdoor pillows. Trendy colors and patterns include aqua, teal, salmon, coral, geometrics, chev-rons, exotic prints and custom monograms. In certain high-end collections, pale shades predominate seemingly as a dare, as today’s high-performance fabrics repel stains and can be safely washed with bleach according

to the manufacturer’s directions.Look for fade-resistant, solution-dyed

fabrics and fast-drying filling material. Sunbrella and Outdura are two of the most recognized and reliable outdoor-fabric manufacturers, but be advised that “the fabric has become associated with the fin-ished product, which it is not,” says Jason Siesel, a vice president at Casual Cushion Corp. in Rock Hill, S.C. “You can have a pil-low or cushion of lesser quality covered in Sunbrella.”

RugsOutdoor rugs have been sold for years to

define dining and seating areas and soften the appearance of hardscapes, but today’s pricier options also are soft underfoot. “They look and feel just like interior rugs except they’re not going to mildew or break down,” says Elaine Williamson, principal of

Elaine Williamson Designs in Dallas.Surya, Jaipur, Loloi and other makers of

indoor rugs are bringing that level of quali-ty to the outdoors. Oriental Weavers for the first time this spring offers licensed Tommy Bahama outdoor rugs in botanical and “coastal-inspired” designs that look right at home in the backyard. Other manufac-turers, like Mad Mats, offer styles and pat-terns typically associated with the indoors including traditional Moroccan, Oriental and Turkish designs.

Some rugs come with a backing for durability and skid-resistance. Reversible rugs offer design flexibility and widely are available at every price point. Prices range from less than $100 on up to several thou-sand dollars for a rug that is soft even under bare feet yet can be cleaned with a brush and hose.

Poufs and OttomansWhen the outdoor-living craze intensi-

fied 10 years ago, Laurie Bell began offering all-weather ottomans for increased comfort and additional seating. “The whole idea is to provide flexibility,” Jenkins says, so make sure the ottoman is sturdy enough to stay put when in use yet lightweight enough to move around as needed.

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Back in the day – a Memorial Day, most likely – an ambitious home-owner might set out a sturdy row of

marigolds, add a mound of petunias, toss in a few gaudy gladiola bulbs and call it a garden.

That was then. Today’s weekend warriors have grand-

er plans. They start gardens in order to grow food and eat the harvest, sharing with friends and family.

Backyard vegetable gardens are thriv-ing “because people want good food, nu-tritious food, and they want to know what their children are eating,” says Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden, a seed company based in Felton, Calif.

The biggest trend? Younger people are rolling up their sleeves to plant and till. Says Shepherd: “Twenty years ago, gar-dening was something you do when you retired.”

Chelsey Fields, a product manager at W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the Warminster,

Pa., seed company, believes home garden-ers are motivated by the desire to create something that’s beautiful and useful. “People want their land to double-duty – be pretty and produce food,” she says.

The rewards accrue well before harvest time.

“It’s really fun to be self-reliant and watch your food grow,” Shepherd says. “It pleases human beings. To have a garden is something that will give you a lot of joy.”

Here, six fun plants and tips for how to serve them, chez you.

Spring MixA combination of lettuces and greens,

spring mix or mesclun thrives in cooler weather. An 18- to 20-inch container that’s at least a foot deep can provide enough for a baby leaf salad for four people, Shep-herd says. Start early and sow sequentially throughout spring and early summer, then later in the fall to keep the harvest going.

Serving tips: These delicate, sweet greens are especially delicious as a simple salad with a light dressing; Shepherd’s

To Heck with Petunias

With some protection from the ele-ments and a little TLC from you, an outdoor rug can last from 1 to 5 years, according to rug maker Surya.

Choosing one that best complements your style and sets the stage for a great conversational grouping of furniture could be the biggest challenge. Keep in mind these tips:

• Choose a rug that’s big enough to accommodate all the pieces of furniture in a conversational group, either on the rug or close to it, according to your pref-erence.

• With a large rug, you can “float” all the furniture in the center. Leave 12 to 18 inches of exposed floor to create a bor-der around the rug, equal on all sides if possible.

• Show off a rug that has a border by leaving some space between the rug and any furniture.

• Place the front legs of the sofa or largest seat on the rug; the back legs can be on or off the rug as you choose. Leave 18 to 24 inches between the wall and rug, creating a border of exposed floor that frames the arrangement – equal on all

four sides, if possible• Covering an entire outdoor seat-

ing area? Allow 18 to 24 inches of floor around the rug.

• Under a round dining table, round rugs look best. Under a rectangular ta-ble, go with a rectangle. The rug should be sized about 2 feet wider than the table, so that the chair legs remain on the rug when pulling out a chair to sit down.

• Outdoor rugs are available in all colors, styles and patterns. Take a cue from the style of your home or patio to narrow your search, and find the most complementary rug.

• If you’re working with solid color outdoor furniture, go for a bold rug de-sign. With patterned furnishings, look for a quieter rug.

• In cold climates, store your rug dur-ing winter.

• Roll it up; never fold an outdoor rug.

Sources: Surya Carpets; wayfair.com; The Carpet and Rug Institute

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favorite: a quart of mesclun combined with 1 cup grapes and 1⁄3 cup chopped toasted walnuts, dressed in a homemade olive oil-balsamic dressing spiked with some or-ange juice, orange zest and fresh tarragon.

HopsHops are a basic ingredient of beer.

What better ingredient for a homebrew than homegrown hops? Homebrewers can grow and dry their own hops by planting hop vines, also called bines. You’ll need well-worked soil in a large area that gets six to eight hours of sun a day, and a trellis structure or poles to hold the bines. The bines “take off when the soil and air tem-peratures warm up,” says Burpee’s Fields,

growing more than 15 feet in the first year and as much as 25 feet once they’re estab-lished. The plants can produce up to two pounds of cones.

Usage tips: After hop cones ripen and are harvested and dried, store them in air-tight plastic bags and freeze until brewing time.

RosemaryRosemary thrives in sunny, dry condi-

tions, so find a well-drained spot for it. In mild climates this perennial returns each year and can grow to shrub size.

Serving tips: Use rosemary to season roasted meats and vegetables. Flavor a roast chicken by placing branches of rose-

mary inside the cavity, with lemon halves, salt and pepper. Use branches of fresh rosemary as skewers to hold vegetables or small pieces of meat for grilling. Use a fresh stalk as a garnish to perk up a cock-tail. Use fresh rosemary flowers on salads. Cut a bunch and place it in the center of the dining table for a fragrant centerpiece.

Goji BerriesBe the first on your block to grow these

raisin-sized, antioxidant-rich berries na-tive to Asia. The deciduous shrub can grow to 12 feet. Purple summer blossoms turn to bright red berries in the fall. To en-

courage more fruit, train the berries onto a trellis or fence. They also can flourish in large flowerpots.

Serving tips: Eat them fresh, on cere-al and in salads, blend them into healthy drinks and use them as a dessert topping. Use fresh or dried goji berries instead of raisins in muffins and cookies.

Green BeansGreen Beans are virtually unstoppable

in the garden. Keep them watered, pick the beans regularly, and you’re in business.

Serving tips: Season with olive oil and roast for about seven minutes, serve with chopped nuts. Or, steam and serve at room temperature, drizzled with butter and lemon.

GourdsGive a gourd plant some elbowroom

and watch it grow. The vines can stretch 10 to 12 feet. Start planting the seeds when night temperatures are consistently in the 50s. When the shells harden so that you can’t pinch them with your fingers, har-vest them and let them cure for a couple of weeks.

Usage tips: Use gourds to decorate your fall home. The crafty among us dry and clean gourds and turn them into serv-ing bowls and vases for the harvest table.

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Extend the entertaining season into a chillier month or simply enjoy the outdoors a little later into the night.

An outside fire fixture will set the scene. Here are five smart ways to light up the night.

Outdoor fireplacesAn outdoor fireplace is one of the sim-

plest ways mimic the warmth of an indoor setting.

“It provides a very realistic aesthetic, almost like it’s a real wood fire,” says Becky Scribner of Hearth & Home Technolo-gies, a Lakeville, Minn., producer of hearth products.

Fireplaces also allow for a variety of

personalization. “Consumers can choose whatever finish they want around the fire-place,” Scribner says. “Any sort of mate-rial, as long as it’s not combustible. River rock, stone, cement – the possibilities are really endless.”

Consumers might opt for the tradition-al brick style, but Scribner recommends a high-grade stainless steel model for hom-eowners whose homes are near salt water and other damaging natural forces.

Pizza ovensPizza made in a traditional oven can

never quite match the chewy pies and thin crispy crust that the heat from a pizza oven creates.

A simple pizza-oven kit delivers pizza-making fun to the backyard. These kits

typically include everything you need to assemble

your own custom pizza oven, including oven chamber and vent, dome and floor insulation, mor-

tar, chimney, door and thermometer. Stand and

enclosures must be built on the site.

Freestanding pizza ovens designed for outdoor use are another option. The gas- or propane-fueled Artisan Fire Pizza Oven from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet turns out a Neapolitan-style pie in less than three minutes. The unit is designed to sit on an outdoor countertop.

The type of oven contributes to the taste. In a direct fire oven, the flames and ash adjacent to the pizza creates a distinc-tive smoked wood taste. An indirect fire oven has a fire chamber separate from the food chamber, so pizza emerges with no scorched edges.

Fire tablesFire tables are the perfect combina-

tion of function and aesthetics. “You can treat them like a regular table, but they’re focal points, and they provide warmth,” says John Xo’chihua of Aztec Artistic

Productions in Portland, Ore.There’s a primal attraction to a fire

table that tends to bring people together. “It’s something that people want to gather around,” Xo’chihua says. “You have a sur-face you can set things on when it’s not be-ing used as a fire table. A lot have a cover and can be used as regular tables.”

On tables topped with a long, linear

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oday’s stylish outdoor furniture de-signs may require a double-take to recognize that they are not meant

for indoor-living luxury.Furniture designers have worked hard

to satisfy consumers’ appetites for elegant outdoor pieces that go beyond the garden bench. Now, the industry is responding to the environmentally conscious desire to maintain stunning designs in sustainable outdoor furniture.

The 2013 Green Home Furnishings Study conducted by the Sustainable Fur-nishings Council found that 45.2 percent of respondents said they were “definitely

interested” in buying green home furnish-ings if they liked the style and the cost was comparable to other options. A total of 84.6 percent of respondents said they were at least “possibly interested.”

The council’s executive director, Susan Inglis, says that green comes in many dif-ferent shades for eco-friendly furniture. “Sustainability is a triple-bottom line,” Inglis says. “It’s about what’s good for ecosystems on our planet, what’s good for communities, and what’s good for econo-mies.”

Indeed, sustainability deals with many material and social concerns including, conservation, landfills and social equity.

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Grills and serving areasFood preparation areas call for bright task lighting.

Install a recessed spotlight on an adjacent roof over-hang, mount lights on a railing behind the grill or use a portable fixture approved for outdoor environments.

Pools and fountainsIlluminate with un-

derwater lighting to pro-vide beauty and safety for evening entertaining or swimming. Low-volt-age and LED lighting are popular sources for ambient pool lighting, or install fiber-optic light-ing to create a starry background in your pool's floor and around its edges. Floating and solar-powered lights also are available.

Light a treeLook for a focal point on your property that can be

accented with lighting to provide a nice contrast of col-or. Tree lighting uses the heights of the trees to spread the light out in a soft and subtle way to bathe the area in light. The higher the lights, the larger the spread of light.

cooking area. The higher-end Weber Q 3200 ($250) and features a cooking area of 280-square-inches.

The portable Aussie Walk-A-Bout charcoal grill ($60) is as compact as its price tag.

The High EndWell-heeled customers will seek a higher-end barbecue

experience. The luxury end of the outdoor-grilling busi-ness is booming today, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, illustrated by a surge in new high-ticket gourmet grills and smokers this spring.

“People are looking not just to cook outdoors. They want to make it an event,” says Sue Crosby, director of communications for the Hearth association.

Customers with deep pockets and the desire to im-press friends and family have plenty of options, including the Kalamazoo’s new wood-fired Gaucho Grill ($17,495 and up), patterned after Argentinian-style wood grills. A 36-inch wheel raises and lowers the 726-square-inch grill rack. The grill, available as a built-in installation or free-standing model, features gas starter system to quickly ignite a wood or charcoal fire.

Viking’s new Professional 5 Series outdoor grills, pro-pane or gas, now boast blue LED lights on the control pan-els, illuminating knobs for better visibility when grilling at night. There’s a parade of companion products and ac-cessories: side burner and wok cooker, warming drawers, ventilation and undercounter refrigeration. These can be strung together to create a fancy outdoor kitchen, or the grills can stand on their own.

Hers have removable slipcovers for washing and are designed for use as a side table and seat as well as a foot-rest. “They sit up off the ground so the fabric’s not in standing water” following a heavy rain, Jenkins says.

By contrast, today’s wildly popular poufs sit flush to the ground and, depending on their shape and construc-tion, “you can’t really set a tray on them,” Jenkins says.

Poufs have their place, though. They’re great for ex-tra seating, easy to move around and stow, and are less expensive than ottomans. The trend is toward global flare, with ikat, kilim and suzani patterns proving to be big sellers alongside repeating geometric patterns and bold solids.

Wall ArtThis year many companies have introduced weath-

er-resistant wall art that looks like painted canvas yet stands up to the elements. With so many new options on the market, “It’s time not to hang terra cotta sundials anymore,” Williamson says.

“You can make the fence look like a wall. I’m not sug-gesting you make it like a gallery,” she adds, “but one piece of art or a grouping of art can create a focal point” as well as a personal touch.

Especially in sunny climates, “You will get a slight bit of fading over time,” Williamson says.

Be advised that certain outdoor wall art, including Surya’s new collection featuring outdoorsy motifs like maps and beach scenes, are suitable for covered outdoor spaces as opposed to full exposure.

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burner, Xo’chihua explains, the flame tends to blow over in breezes. On tables with round burners, the flames tend to burn more con-sistently and also provide more heat.

Fire bowlsJust like a fire table, a

fire bowl can be the perfect entertaining focal point and used to hold drinks. Willie Wilson of Concrete Habitat, a Spokane, Wash., company that fabricates concrete-like material into counters and ac-cessories, likes to decorate the rims of his company’s fire bowls with touches like polished crushed glass. “That’s fun because it reflects the flame and adds a little more ambiance,” he says.

The shape of the fire bowl may be sim-ple, but not all bowls are created equally. They’re available in a wide variety of ma-terials and designed for use on the ground or on a tabletop. Most are propane- or gas-fired.

Burner options include a manual valve key ignition, an open gas valve, a match-lit ignition and an electric ignition.

Standing lights and

torchesM i m i c

the breezy feel of an island

destination with a fiery torch, either us-

ing a real flame or an LED bulb. Take wind, rain and other forces of nature into consideration when choosing the best light source for your outdoor liv-ing space.

Standing lights and torches are some of the easiest to install backyard focal points, rarely involving extensive setup.

Try placing them in different spots to experiment with the effects: around a patio table, posted at the entrance to the backyard or placed in planters for to emphasize the outdoor foliage.

In 1990, owners of Syracuse, Ind.-based Poly-Wood, discovered an innovative use for recycled milk jugs by extruding them into plastic lumber for outdoor furni-ture. The company’s first-ever design, an Adirondack chair made of the recycled plastic, was a hit and continues as a best-seller for the company, says vice president Brady Maller. “We find a lot of opportunity to get really beautiful shapes,” Maller says of the design process with HDPE. Further, HDPE doesn’t bend like other plastics and is impervious to nearly all types of weather conditions.

Maller likes to talk about the “genera-tional” quality of Poly-Wood furniture. At the end of its useful life, the product, made from recyclable material, is a recyclable product itself, Maller says.

Loll Designs, a sustainable outdoor furniture manufacturer in Duluth, Minn., also got its start with an Adirondack chair. Founders Greg Benson, Dave Benson and Tony Ciardelli conceived Loll as a way to repurpose the excess recycled 100-per-cent recycled and recyclable HDPE used by their original company, TrueRide, which designed and built skateboard parks. Furniture pieces were nested into the same sheets of HDPE used to produce

skate-park components. Three years of prototyping went into the first Loll Ad-irondack before it launched at retail in 2006. Loll now produces a range of out-door furniture, including chairs, benches, tables and other accessories, made from the same recycled material, sourced primarily from milk jug containers.

“We believe by using 100-percent re-cycled and recyclable material we are supporting and promoting eco-initiatives/principals that we share and strive for, including reuse, recycle, and supporting USA-sourced and USA-made products,” says founder Greg Benson. “Our products keep material out of the landfill and also reduce the amount of new plastic being made.”

For every pound of weight in a Loll chair, approximately eight recycled milk jugs are being reclaimed. The com-pany estimates that it has repurposed more than 35 million recycled jugs in its furniture since 2005.

The milk-jug provenance, however, belies HDPE’s sturdiness.

“Our material is also very heavy,” Ben-son says. “The average weight of an Ad-irondack chair is approximately 50 pounds so your furniture will not blow around.”

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