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8 Questions You Need Answered Before Buying Commercial Grade Outdoor Furniture
October 24, 2016
Durability, strength, appearance, and overall maintenance are some of the most important things to consider before purchasing just any outdoor commercial grade furnishings.
There is a difference between residential furniture and commercial furniture. Commercial site furnishings get a lot more wear and tear, and as a result need to be much stronger. After all, you could be held liable if something happens to one of your customers while using furniture at your place of business.
Commercial grade furnishings need to be strong enough to support all sizes of people. The last thing you want is for someone to fall and become injured due to an improperly made bench or chair.
Ask These Questions When Buying Commercial Grade Outdoor Furniture
1. How Durable Is It?
Quality commercial furniture should be highly durable. While a regular old plastic chair may last a few years in someone’s backyard, it may not last more than a week at a commercial location. For one, it will get consistent use day in and day out. Secondly, people are much harder on commercial furniture than on their furniture at home. Commercial furniture must be prepared to take on constant hits, knocks and stains.
2. Is The Design Functional And Representative Of Your Clientele?
What age group does your establishment serve? A preschool is going to need different site furnishings than a retirement home or trendy restaurant. The outdoor furniture you purchase must align with the needs of your target audience. For instance, benches are available in different heights and sizes; some are backless while others offer additional back support.
Know all of your options and ask yourself: Which is going to be the most comfortable, safe and overall effective option for the people that’ll use it most?
Do you want chairs attached to benches or welded into the ground? Or, do you prefer more portable options? If your business is located in an area with theft concerns, you may want to consider the attached option to help prevent potential criminal activity.
3. Is It Made From Recycled Materials?
Going green is on everyone’s radar right now, which means you’re in luck when it comes to finding quality commercial furnishings made from recycled materials. Our products are recyclable and they are made from recycled materials. Our darkest furnishings can be made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials. We value the American economy, which is why we manufacture all of our products right here in the States with a focus on eco-friendly and sustainable practices.
4. How Much Weight Can Furniture Withstand?
Commercial furniture must be able to withstand more weight than your typical residential furniture. It’s always a good idea to inquire about weight limits to ensure there are no issues.
5. Is 5% Of Your Seating Wheelchair Accessible?
The Americans with Disabilities Act enforces the implementation of wheelchair and handicapped accessible facilities for all businesses. This important Act covers everything from movie theaters to restaurants to grocery stores. Regardless of business size or location, if it’s in the US and open to the public, it must comply with the laws outlined by the ADA. This applies to restaurants, playgrounds, patios, picnic areas and so forth.
There are no “grandfather provisions” that can get existing facilities around these regulations, which includes doors, entrances, parking lots and many other aspects of your business, including fixed seating and tables.
If your business provides tables, benches or other seating that is affixed to the wall or floor, you must ensure that 5% are wheelchair accessible. If there are less than 20 tables provided, you must have at least one that is wheelchair accessible. One way to accomplish this is to use portable chairs that can be moved out of the way in exchange for a wheelchair.
A wheelchair-accessible table is no more than 34-inches tall and no shorter than 28-inches tall. The distance between the floor and the underside of the table must measure at least 27-inches. If you have multiple wheelchair-friendly site furnishings, they must be evenly distributed. It’s illegal to segregate people with disabilities to one section of your establishment.
6. How Much Maintenance Will It Require?
Maintenance will vary based upon the materials used to craft outdoor furniture. Some materials require a lot more maintenance than others. For instance, wood furniture is going to require regular coats of protective sealant and consistent inspections to ensure it is not splintering or rotting.
On the other hand, our specially formulated resin made from LLDPE is one of the lowest maintenance materials on the market. There is virtually nothing you have to do to preserve it, and it’ll last a long time without any additional effort or maintenance. Not to mention, it can be made to imitate a wide variety of materials, such as stone, without the added maintenance concerns.
7. How Long Will It Last?
The average life expectancy of commercial grade outdoor furnishings will clue you in to when you’ll have to replace furniture. Outfitting a business in all new furniture is no small expense, so it’s better for your bank account if furniture lasts a long time. Inquire about warranties in order to get a good idea of how long furniture really lasts. For instance, if a company claims a certain chair can last 10-years, but it is only covered by a 3-month warranty, it’s time to get suspicious.
8. Is It Made By TerraCast?
TerraCast Products remain the proud leaders of long-lasting, sustainable commercial site furnishings for outdoors or indoors. All of our products are made in the US using the highest quality materials and most sustainable manufacturing processes. We take great pride in the long-term durability of our unmatched resin-based products.
Company: 
TerraCast Products LLC
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