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Madison Hardwood Patio Furniture Set with Parasol
by kaitlinsmummy
Due to it being my 10 year wedding anniversary last April, and my husband honestly not having a clue with what to get me, we decide that we should treat ourselves to something that not only would be used by ourselves, but as something the whole family could benefit from.
One thing that I have always loved since a young age, is ... eating alfresco, this feels like I am having a real treat, eating good food with the sun rays beating onto my back, bliss!
After a good perusal in the local DIY stores, and pricing up different patio sets, we found that the best offer around (by a long shot!) was the offer that was being run on the Argos website, which was ½ price on selected patio sets, but with an offer of 10% off on any piece of garden furniture, so we could not only afford a really good set, but also a nice parasol base that actually matched to set, how spoilt am I!
After a good look we found that the "Madison four seater hardwood patio set with parasol" our deal set, that and the fact that the set that was being sold then came with a beautiful burgundy parasol and matching burgundy and white striped seat pads, which matched my new barbeque, yes I am that sad!
In the set you get -
1x square table.
4x chairs.
1x parasol.
Teak oil finish.
Made from FSC pure mixed hardwood.
Weather and stain resistant finish.
Table legs remove for storage.
Table size: H74.5, W152.5, D96.5 cm.
Chair size: H91, W46, D56.5 cm.
Table weight: 21.2kg.
Chair weight: 16kg.
Parasol weight: 4kg.
(Taken from www.argos.co.uk)
The table came in a flat pack form, with the legs being very easily attached via a simple nut and bolt attachment, with the wrench being included, with the chairs being the same.
The table and chairs looked very nice once assembled, fitting perfectly on my modest (small!) patio area, with the chairs fitting nicely under the table when not in use.
The table and chairs both have a nice sturdy look to them, being more like a dining set rather than a flimsy patio set, which in fairness is what attracted me in the first place, I have children so need something that won't break the first time someone jumps on it (and chances are that they will!)
The table is made from solid hardwood, with an attractive teak coloured varnish finish to it, with the only real design being the beautiful close slated top, wit the slats being far enough from each other to be noticeable, but not as wide spread as say a picnic table would be.
The chairs are in the same vein, with the set and legs being solid, but the back rest is in the same open slated design, though these being much wider, and they are nice and comfortable to sit on, with the added bonus of the thick seat cushions.
The parasol comes in two pieces, with the base part needing a stand to be purchased before assembly, this is the one thing that doesn't come with the set, though can be purchased quite cheaply, mine cost me £20.00 but matches the wood and design of he set, the cheaper plastic one's available would have stuck out like a sore thumb!
The parasol top section holds the umbrella part, which is made from a nice thick material, with the "slats" that hold the umbrella in the open position also being made from hardwood, with a pin and chain method of holding the parasol open, this is very effective and heavy duty enough not to get broken too easily.
Once erected the set can sit on the patio without having to be taken apart for storage, though I do advise the parasol and the seat cushions be taken off and placed in either the house or shed over the wet or cold period, this should keep them clean (-ish, I have kids!) and stop the colours fading too much, though of course this may well happen (especially on the parasol) due to sitting in sunny conditions.
The only slight problem I have had (and in fairness this was my own fault!) was the fact I didn't buy a cover for the table, so does seem to have aged considerably over the winter period, though the only damage is the faded red colour on the table top, with the wood still being sound, and the chairs (even though they were left out too!) still looking brand new!
This was a fantastic buy, with me buying it for £299 (½ price), and getting £20.00 off that price, which I then spent on the base (thus saving myself nothing!).
The only problem I had with the delivery, and I would recommend you check with Argos regularly, was the time it took for use to receive our set.
We knew it would take a good 6 weeks as it was being made then shipped over, this was due to such high sales of this particular set, what actually happened was that we got it for the last decent weekend in august, and only got to use it once! Though on the upside Argos was extremely apologetic, even giving us an extra discount and refunding our P&P costs, so how please am I that we have good weather this early in the year, I think you can thank me for the unseasonably nice weather! Lol!
This is well used and well loved set that (now I have actually got a cover for it!) should last us for a good few years of family use, recommended!
Thanks for reading x
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Argos Polyester Gazebo
by abbadabbado
When our daughter was coming up to her first birthday, we were planning a party for our family at home. With her birthday in the middle of the summer we were worried about the weather being too hot for guests in our south facing garden without a lot of shade.
Couple that with a small budget and we ended up at Argos looking at their ... range of gazebos. We found their basic 2.4 metre squared gazebo for £16.99.
Despite the fact that this gazebo doesn't have side panels, we decided it was worth the risk for the price. All we really wanted was to provide some shaded area, or even an area out of the rain should the great British summer weather turn on us.
The gazebo came all flat packed as it were in a plastic draw string bag. When not assembled, the gazebo is quite small and therefore easy to store in the house. It is quite heavy when unassembled however and looks deceivingly light when you pick the bag up so take care.
To assemble, we found it was fairly easy to do, and most men can manage this without looking at the instructions first. All the poles are labelled with letters and they need to be placed together. We found that it was easier to lay out the frame on the ground first. This way we knew where the gazebo was going to go and we could also build from the top down.
Personally I found it easier to build the top of the gazebo first, and then as the legs were attached we were able to lift the frame up off the ground as we went. All in all it probably too about half an hour the first time we built the gazebo, and each time after we got a bit quicker at the process.
Attaching the plastic cover is easy enough and as long as it sits on the top centrally to start with then it will fit perfectly the first time around.
You are given some stakes to secure the cover and the frame to the ground, and once in place it sits well.
I was initially worried that the gazebo was quite flimsy when we first built it. When there is no wind then you are fine, but one year we built this and it was a blustery day. I was very worried it was going to fall over but I can happily report that it stayed up.
I wouldn't like children to run through the poles around the gazebo, as I think one strong push and you could have the whole frame tumble down.
As we don't have a large garden we found this was the right size for us, and when the cover and stakes are in the ground the whole area increases from the 2.4 metres of the frame to approx 2.7 metres. This is perfect for our garden and fits our six seater patio table and chairs underneath comfortably.
We have found storing the gazebo is easy due to the small size, although you do have to be careful when placing back in the storage bag as nothing ever goes back as neatly as the first time it's removed does it.
Overall for the price this is a great gazebo to keep for occasional use. There are better gazebos for sale with average price tags though so if I was looking again I would probably improve the design and structure for slightly more money.
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Tesco Kansas 2 Seater Swing Bench
by blissman70
It's coming up to that time of year again, you know, the time when the sun is supposed to come out from behind the rain clouds and begins to crack the flags we walk upon.
So, with the hope of that sunshine we all love, there is nothing better than to relax in you back garden, once you've tendered to the grass and flowers, on the ... most comfortable thing you can rest your derrière on.
There are many forms of seats that are designed for a garden, from flimsy wooden benches to solid log effect chairs, and there's also the good old fashioned, yet remarkably comfortable, plastic table and chair sets, which most people have owned somewhere along there garden paths.
But what I find the most comfortable form of seating that can make any garden feel welcoming is in the form of a swing seat, one of which I have owned for quite some time now and love to relax on it at every opportunity that I can.
The particular swing seat I am talking about is called a Kansas 2 seat Swing seat bench, which, as the name suggests, is a 2 seat bench that swings.
When I bought this it came in a large 'flat-ish' box, which instantly told me that it had to be self assembled, which looked a little daunting but after a quick read of the instructions I soon realised that it was going to be quite a simple process.
** Here's a quick run down of how it is constructed...
Two of the leg sections are bolted together at the top, with a cross beam bolted two thirds of the way down, this cross beam keeps the leg sections from moving anywhere.
Then the top parts of the legs are bolted onto a top cross beam, securing them at the right distance. There is another cross beam which then bolts onto the leg sections almost near the bottom, steadying the entire back end of the swing seat.
That's the main frame of it put together, now for the seat itself.
This slots together and is secured by a few small screws, making sure that you slide the metal bars through the seat material before screwing the seat frame together.
Then, once the seat is constructed, it hangs onto the top of the main frame via two 'huge' looking springs, which are very strong indeed.
Finally, although this is not essential, is the canopy which sits above the entire swing seat. This again needs assembling and again is a matter of sliding the poles through the material and then slotting the end pieces into position.
Then, to attach the canopy onto the frame, is a matter of using the large plastic 'screwing' nuts on either side of the main frame itself.
These large plastic 'screwing' nuts allow the canopy to be adjusted and locked into your personal position.
** WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE..?
It's a rather good sized swing seat, the size of the frame itself being 1050mm deep by 1400mm wide by 1530mm high, with the entire thing weighs in at a sturdy 12kg so it is light enough to move around the garden whilst being heavy enough to stand its ground.
The frame is made of steel hollow tubing and is a silver colour, powder coated for more protection and a longer life.
The two seat swinging section hangs from the top beam using two 'springs' which simply hook into place.
Then there's the canopy itself which is approximately 1450mm wide by 1200mm deep and sits happily above the frame, blocking any unwanted sun from you as you relax in you seat.
** MY OPINION...
I have spent many a happy hour sitting on this swing seat and have to say that it is so relaxing and comfortable that it would be so easy to fall asleep on, although it would also be so easy to fall off as you slept. Once I sat on it and lifted my feet from the ground the swinging motion was so relaxing I just wanted to sit on it all day long, letting my troubles simply float away.
It's a well designed and is both practical and nice looking, for a swing seat that is.
The hollow steel frame is lightweight and very strong indeed, and with it's 'dull' silver colouring it certainly looks the part standing in the garden.
The black seat, which is pretty comfortable indeed as it sinks slightly under you as you sit down, hangs from two firm springs, allowing the seat to swing freely without touching the sides, as long as it is on a level surface of course.
The seat material itself is weather proof, being more robust, so this can be happily left out during those summer showers.
The canopy material is made of a polyester type material and does deflect some rain water, although I would recommend taking the entire canopy frame down in the winter months. This may give you many more years of enjoyment out of the entire thing plus, and this is my main reason for taking the canopy frame down, in strong winds the canopy acts like a parachute and you may find your swing seat in next doors garden before too long.
The canopy can be set at various positions depending on where the sun is in the sky, or, if you chose, you can take the entire canopy off and enjoy the rays of the sun as you swing away in your garden.
Out of all the garden seats I have scattered around my garden this has to be the most relaxing one to sit on, mainly because it swings away allowing you to feel almost weightless as you sip away from your glass of Pimms.
It does have a downside, which is only a downside if you are not too careful that is. This downside is that if you swing too vigorously on it it can tip up, but as long as you don' treat it as a playground swing then it should stay upright without a problem.
As for the price, well, it sells for around £100.00, which sounds a little on the pricey side, but as it will last a fair few years, even longer if you cover it up during the Great British winters, it should be money well spent.
The covers for this swing seat can be bought for around £20.00, although I do think that Tesco should give the cover free with the seat.
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