Metal furniture such as cast iron furniture and aluminium (aluminum) furniture is the popular type of furniture and is suitable for outdoor use. Both types of outdoor furniture have advantages and disadvantages to each. Are you still confused to choose which one? Here we give the differences between cast iron patio furniture and cast aluminum furniture.
5 Differences Between Cast Iron Patio Furniture and Aluminium Patio Furniture
1. Weight
The first difference between cast iron furniture and cast aluminum furniture is in terms of weight. Cast iron is a type of metal that has a heavy-weight. While the aluminum material is a light metal. So in terms of weight, cast iron patio furniture is heavier than cast aluminum furniture.
Because it is lighter, aluminum furniture is easier to move around. This can be a consideration if you use patio furniture for dining and you often move the furniture when using it. Or if you want to keep the patio furniture during the rainy season. Usually, during the rainy season, we can not relax on the outdoor patio which has no roof.
2. Location of use
The use of both types of metal furniture is generally for the patio. Cast iron furniture is often in outdoor areas such as gardens and pedestrian zone. But you can also use it in the semi-outdoor area like the balcony and terrace of your house. While the use of cast aluminum furniture is commonly only in the semi-outdoor areas.
Cast aluminum furniture is less suitable for outdoor use because its light-weight allows this furniture will fly when a storm. In addition, you should use aluminum furniture in the private area because it’s lightweight and easy to move. If you use it in the public space, we are worried that the furniture will be lost.
For public spaces, you can use cast iron outdoor furniture that has a heavy-weight. So it is safer from the storm and theft.
For the safety of your outdoor furniture, you can install metal gates at your home. Pedestrian gates are a popular choice for homes in and around London. They serve both an aesthetic and functional purpose and are a great way of keeping intruders out. Metal gates also have a wide range to meet every need. Whether you are looking for a stunning, high-impact design for a residential property, or made to measure metal gates in London, it all can be made according to your needs.
3. Capacity/ Strength
As we know, metal is a strong material so it is not easy to crack or break. To melt this material requires heating up to a temperature of 1000°C.
In terms of strength, cast iron and aluminum materials have the same strength capacity. Although lightweight, aluminum furniture has the same high strength as cast iron furniture. Both are suitable for making furniture because they can sustain the burden of people sitting on it.
For garden benches type can accommodate 3-4 people. While the chairs and table set type is usually a single-seat design.
4. Design
Cast iron and aluminum furniture have the same design because the manufacturing process was also the same as the metal casting process. Iron and aluminum materials are melted in the smelting furnace and then poured into the molds. Cast iron and aluminum furniture designs consist of minimalist and antique. Minimalist design is a simple design with straight-cut shape material. While the antique design is furniture that has a lot of curved shape ornament.
If you want antique furniture with many unique ornaments, then cast iron patio furniture and aluminum furniture are the right choice. Metal materials can be made into unique shapes as long as there is mold.
Cast iron benches are usually combined with teak to cut the weight so it is not too heavy. We use the teak to make the seat and backrest part. While for aluminum benches, we usually combine them with cast iron to make the legs part to make it more sturdy.
5. Price
In buying furniture, the budget is the main consideration. We need to adjust the price of furniture with the budget we have. The selling price of cast iron furniture is not much different from cast aluminum furniture. If we see the material price per kilogram, an aluminum material has a higher price. But from the production cost, aluminum furniture is lower than cast iron.
Inversely cast iron benches that have a low price per kilograms material, but the cost of cast iron benches production is quite high. As a result, the selling prices for the two types of furniture from outdoor furniture suppliers are not significantly different.
So, which one do you choose?
Above are the differences between cast iron patio furniture and aluminum patio furniture. You can use this as a consideration to choosing between these two types of furniture. If you are going to use metal furniture for the semi-outdoor area, then you can choose aluminum furniture. But if you are going to use metal furniture for the outdoor area, then you can choose cast iron furniture.
rachel frampton says
My dad is planning to design and create his own metal patio furniture, which is why he’s currently looking for a metal finish service that may apply Black oxide on the finished products. Well, thank you for stating here that the Aluminum furniture must be placed in the private areas of the house. It also never occurred to me that cast iron and aluminum have the same strength and durability.
Infiniferro says
Thank you for visiting infiniferro.com
Hopefully, this article is useful and can help you.