You’ve been sitting on it since the middle of April, but now it’s time to take another look at it. Your patio furniture isn’t what it used to be, but you can make it look good as new… 

Thank goodness for my neighbors.

Although they are nice people, I use them as a barometer for my home repair. When their grass looks like it needs cutting, I cut mine. When their garage door looks like it needs paint, I paint mine. You get the idea.

So last weekend when we were invited over for bar-b-que, I noticed that their metal deck furniture looked as if it had seen its better days. So when I got home, you guessed it – I decided mine was ready for some refurbishing.

Fortunately, refinishing your metal deck/patio furniture is easier than you think, and it will make a world of difference when it comes to enjoying your backyard.

Here is the play by play on making your metal furniture look spiffy again:

- Remove all the rubber tips from the legs and cushions.

- Wash and rinse the furniture thoroughly using a mild detergent.

- With a wire brush, scrape off all the rust and the loose flakes of paint. If you have places with paint ‘bubbling’ up on the furniture use a screwdriver to remove the bump, then wire brush it clean.

- Once you are done with the scraping, use a commercial rust remover to remove all the rust.

- Now the fun part. Paint or spray with rust-resistant paint. If the furniture is really corroded, you may want to use a rust-resistant primer first. Note – you don’t have to use black. What were once 4 black chairs and 2 black end tables on my deck are now 2 red chairs, two yellow chairs and two tables with a color that is something in the blue family, I think.

- Now just let it dry – up to 24 hours for each coat depending on weather and paint instructions. Then replace rubber tips and cushions and bingo – new patio/deck furniture.

If you take the time to do proper preparation, your job may well last a couple, three years. And at 105 hamburgers and hot dogs per year, that is a lot backyard enjoyment!