How to Waterproof Wicker Furniture in 4 Easy Steps


While wicker furniture is made for outdoor use, it doesn’t do well long term when exposed to rain and snow.

Thankfully wicker furniture is easy to protect from water; all you have to do is paint it, spray a layer of oil, and cover it when it’s not in use..

1. Paint Your Furniture

The first step in waterproofing your wicker furniture is painting it so that you can spray the marine varnish layer on top of the paint.

You’ll need to do this step every three years on average, and it’ll keep your furniture usable for as long as you want.

When picking your paint, make sure to choose one that’s formulated for wicker furniture.

painting a wicker chair

When you get it, paint every piece from top to bottom, making sure to cover even the tiniest nooks and crannies.

After you’re done spray marine varnish on top.

Wait until it’s dry, then spray another coat.

If you like your wicker furniture’s color and you don’t want to paint it, you can ditch this step and apply three layers of the marine varnish instead.

You can do that with any natural material, including bamboo and rattan as well.

Lastly, make sure to choose a marine varnish that’s suitable for use on wicker. Stay away from waterproof lacquer spray.

While it’s suitable for use on wood, it’ll trap moisture in the wicker and cause it to rot from the inside.


Also Read: Is Spray Paint Waterproof?


2. Apply Tung Oil to Your Furniture 

If you don’t want to paint your furniture or apply marine varnish, you can go for tung oil instead.

However, unlike paint, you will need to reapply it every year.

wicker and tung oil

It won’t perform as well as paint against downpours of rain, so you’ll still need to store the furniture inside when the winter months come around.

All you’ll need to do is apply the oil to any cloth you have. Afterward, wipe the whole furniture with it, making sure not to leave anything out.

It’s preferable to do this step at the beginning of the season when you’ve just taken the furniture out.

Repeat it again at the end of the season.

3. Cover Your Furniture

Buying covers for wicker chairs, tables, and sofas is one of the easiest ways to waterproof them.

wicker furniture cover

When choosing your covers, make sure they fit the furniture tightly so that there is no danger of them blowing off and allowing water inside.

4. Store Your Wicker Furniture Inside

When the weather starts getting cold, the best thing you can do is bring wicker furniture inside and keep it there until you need it again.

That way, you keep it protected from frost, rain, and snow.

store wicker furniture inside

Bear in mind that even waterproof furniture won’t stand against harsh, continuous rain. Waterproofing is meant to protect the material from moisture, but a constant stream of water will damage any furniture eventually. 

If you have a garage or an empty room, use it to store the furniture until summer comes around again.

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