Proper Procedure Of Waterproofing Fabric For Outdoor Use
It is highly possible to make your outdoor furniture items & their fabric material waterproof including chairs, tables, outdoor pillows & many other outdoor furniture items & fabrics. Making the outdoor fabric material waterproof will be very helpful when it comes to keeping your furniture outdoors even in the rainy season. You don't need to worry about your outdoor furniture even if it raining outside. One of the best ways to make your outdoor fabric material waterproof is to apply wax, due to the reason that it repels water & also smells better as compared to the tars, tannins, and oils commonly used at the time.
Tools & Materials Needed
- Saucepan
- 4 oz. Paraffin Wax
- Stirring Spoon
- Heat Gun
- Metal Mixing Bowl
- 4 oz. Beeswax Pellets
- 1" Disposable Paintbrush
Steps
- First of all, create a double boiler in order to melt the waxes by filling a saucepan with water, which as a result brings it to a boil on the stovetop, before resting a metal bowl on top of the pan. The metal bowl needs to be small enough so that it could fit inside the pan, however, large enough that its underside doesn’t touch the water. The space betwixt the pan and the bowl will trap the heat that is required to melt the wax in the bowl above.
- Now, put down four ounces of beeswax pellets, that you will get from an arts and crafts store, in the metal bowl. Then, trim the four-ounce bar of paraffin wax into small chunks before adding them to the pellets, mixing the two together as long as the chunks melt. While the waxes melt, throw the fabric item that you are going to waterproof into the dryer in order to warm the material, which in turn makes its application process easier.
- Mix or blend as long as all chunks of wax have melted before applying the liquefied wax to the fabric in a thick layer with the help of a one-inch paintbrush. An inexpensive brush having stiff bristles will give the best possible results. Work in one small section at a time as long as you have evenly covered the entire area.
- Switch on or start up a heat gun at a low setting or a hairdryer on high, and position it toward the layer you just applied in order to make sure that it melts the wax into the fabric. After that, let it cool. For any smaller item, including a pair of canvas shoes or a square of upholstery fabric for a chair seat, also slide the wax-coated piece into an old pillowcase and run it across the dryer for 15 minutes. This, too, will be very helpful in melting the wax.
- As soon as the item is cool, look for uneven spots. Apply a second coat, if necessary, before reheating the fabric once again. Allow the item to cure for nearly 24 hours before using it again. After noticing a strong smell from the wax, you need to allow the waterproofed item to air out over the next few days or, for faster results, make space in order to push it in the freezer overnight. After retrieving it, your waxed material needs to be having no odour, watertight, and ready for use.