CushionGuide
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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Will regular indoor cushions be OK on a covered porch or balcony?

Also asked as:Would they do OK on a covered balcony?Covered from rain, but open to pollen and humidity?

A roof changes the forecast. Under a closed one, indoor cloth does fine; behind a screen that lets in pollen and damp air, it doesn't.

Answered by

The Weather Man of Casco Bay ·

Ivory two-tone dotted chenille window seat cushion without piping on a built-in drawer base, waffle throw and eucalyptusSave
Without piping, the ivory weave rounds softly over the edge, giving the built-in a relaxed, upholstered look.

The quick answer

Regular indoor fabrics such as linen, velvet and the soft fabric are fine on a covered porch or balcony if a closed roof keeps off rain and direct sun. They are not waterproof. For a screened porch that gets pollen, dust and humidity, or any open-air spot, choose outdoor fabric; samples can be sent first.

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Key facts

  • Regular fabrics are fine under a closed roof with no rain or direct sun.
  • The shop checks the area is really covered before recommending regular fabric.
  • Standard fabrics are not waterproof; a water-repellent outdoor range, including cream Coton01, is available.
  • Screened porches with pollen, dust and humidity call for outdoor fabric.
  • Seat, backrest and bolsters can each be made in outdoor fabric, and samples can be sent first.
  • Indoor-fabric piping on outdoor cushions is fine on a covered terrace; order through the outdoor listing.
  • The outdoor range runs to about 150 to 200 colors of woven polyester with water-repellent and UV/fade-resistant finishes.
  • Outdoor quotes assume 4 in (10 cm) thick non-tufted foam cushions, because tufting lets water in even in outdoor fabric.
  • Indoor covers on a porch come off and wash at 86°F (30°C) max on a gentle cycle; air-dry them to shed pollen and dust.

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Sun, rain, salt. Say which of them your cushion will meet, and the workshop will plan around it. — Callum

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Regular fabrics are fine under a closed roof with no rain or direct sun.
Foam
Outdoor quotes assume 4 in (10 cm) thick non-tufted foam cushions, because tufting lets…
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Indoor fabric is fine when

  • The roof over the seat is closed, so rain never lands on the cushion.
  • Direct sun doesn't reach the seat at any hour of the day.
  • Pollen, dust and damp air stay out.
  • You don't need waterproofing, in which case the soft fabric is the nicer choice.

Choose outdoor fabric when

  • The porch is screened and gets pollen, dust and humidity.
  • Rain reaches the seat, even now and then.
  • The spot is open to the sky.
  • The cushion would be corduroy or another pile fabric and the spot still catches sun.

How the workshop reads a porch

Every covered porch is its own little weather system. Before recommending regular fabric, the shop asks whether the area really sits under a roof. A buyer in the US had a pallet daybed on a covered patio; the roof checked out, and regular fabric got the nod.

Another buyer had an outdoor couch that is always under cover, with a seat about 96 x 31 in (243 x 79 cm). Two made-to-measure patio cushions, no drama. The covered porch Pattern and the screened porch Concept Sketch go deeper.

Rain doesn't negotiate, friend. So which does your porch get more of, sun or damp?

Mixing outdoor cloth with indoor piping

On a covered terrace with no rain or direct sun, an outdoor main fabric can take indoor-fabric piping. Order through the outdoor listing, since the outdoor fabric sets the price, and write 'piping: [code]' in the personalization note.

Any piece can go outdoor: seat, backrest or bolsters. Browse outdoor cushions and patio and porch cushions for shapes.

A screened porch still lets in pollen, dust and humidity, so screened-porch cushions belong in outdoor fabric, not indoor linen.

Callum
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Will an indoor linen cushion work on a covered balcony or porch?

    The workshop's answer

    On a covered balcony that rain barely reaches, yes. For a screened porch with pollen, dust and humidity, the shop recommends outdoor fabric and can send samples first.

  2. A common question

    Will the linen cushions be OK on my covered patio daybed?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, on a covered balcony or patio they'll be fine. For a pallet daybed on a covered patio, the shop first checked the area was under a roof, then recommended the regular fabric.

  3. A common question

    Is the regular fabric OK for a covered outdoor area?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, if it's covered, but the standard fabric isn't waterproof. Water-repellent outdoor fabrics are available (one buyer chose cream Coton01); if you don't need waterproofing, the soft fabric is the nicer choice.

  4. A common question

    Can the piping be an indoor fabric on outdoor cushions for a covered terrace?

    The workshop's answer

    Indoor fabrics aren't recommended outdoors, but a covered terrace with no rain or direct sun is a different case, so yes. Order through the outdoor listing, which sets the price, and write 'piping: [code]' in the personalization.

  5. A common question

    Can outdoor cushions stay out in the rain and snow all year?

    The workshop's answer

    They handle sun and rain showers but aren't built to sit uncovered through rain and snow: the foam isn't quick-dry and there's no mesh drainage bottom as standard. A covered porch is best, or storage over winter.

Questions buyers ask next

Is corduroy OK on a covered terrace?

Better not. One reply warned that UV and water can affect corduroy even under a roof, so pile fabrics, and covered spots that still catch sun, are safer in outdoor fabric. Exposure is judged case by case.

Can I get outdoor fabric samples before ordering?

Yes. Samples of the outdoor fabric can be sent before you order, which helps when a screened porch or a covered balcony sits right on the line between indoor and outdoor cloth.

Which cushion pieces can be made in outdoor fabric?

Any of them: seat, backrest and bolsters can each be made in outdoor fabric, including for screened porches. Order through the outdoor listing so the right fabric chart and price apply.

Do covered-porch cushions need dry-fast foam?

Usually not. Under a solid roof where rain doesn't blow in, standard high-density foam is the more comfortable choice, and foam guides keep dry-fast foam for seats that actually get soaked. The workshop's outdoor cushions use its standard high-density foam, not quick-dry foam, so on an open or storm-exposed porch, bring them in or cover them when heavy rain comes.