If you are after some nice looking outdoor furniture you can't go without at least having a look at aluminum patio furniture. You can buy it in sets or even individual pieces so you can mix and match to get the look you want. A nice three or four piece bistro set will give you that elegant European cafe look or if you prefer clean lines glass top tables are also readily available.

You might be wondering why you would choose aluminum out of other more traditional materials such as wrought iron or wood. There a quite a few advantages to Aluminum as a material for furniture. First of all it's very malleable, making it easier to cast or extrude. Other reasons are that it is non-toxic, doesn't rust, create sparks and is non-magnetic making it suitable for a wide variety of environments.

You would be hard pressed to find a material that is just about maintenance free. You can spray it with your garden hose to clean it, you don't have to worry about staining it every couple of years like wooden furniture and that goes for sealing as well.

A wipe down with some mild soap and warm water is about the most work you will do for even the dirtiest of outdoor aluminum furniture. Giving it a wipe with a good quality automotive polish will even bring back its original shine. Dealing with a spill straight away is the best way to avoid any staining.

There are two main manufacturing methods for aluminum furniture, casting or building a frame. Cast aluminum is simply molten aluminum poured into a mold. If you are after more complex pieces with attractive patterns such as those found in wrought iron then cast aluminum is what you are after. It's a good compromise but still isn't capable of producing the fine detail found in wrought iron furniture.

With the frame method of manufacture a sturdy mesh or material is attached to the aluminum frame. The frames can be either hollow or solid. You don't get the intricate designs with framed aluminum but with proper care it will last you just about forever.

Cast aluminum has been gaining in popularity in recent years due to it's light weight, easy care and of course its cheaper price. Despite all of these advantages it still manages to look stylish and sophisticated.