Outdoor cushions for Australian verandahs, alfresco areas and pools

In Australia the sun does the damage the rain gets blamed for

Outdoor cushions in Australia fail from the top down. Cancer Council Australia says a UV Index of 3 or more is enough to damage skin, that UV is present every day of the year, and that it can run just as high on a cool, clear day as a hot one. Thin cloud doesn't stop it. SunSmart, Cancer Council Victoria's program, describes Australian UV as some of the harshest and most dangerous there is.

Fabric feels that too. Sun bleaches color, tires the fiber and, once a cover splits, bakes the foam underneath until it crumbles. Perth averages 8.8 hours of sunshine a day, about 3,200 hours and 138.7 clear days a year. So start outdoor cushions with UV-resistant outdoor fabric, and keep linen and velvet indoors.

Then the water. The tropical north has a wet season from October to April; Darwin takes about 72 in (1,832 mm) of rain a year, with afternoon humidity over 70% in the wettest months. Brisbane's storms run November to March and can bring damaging hail and destructive winds. Perth gets most of its rain between May and September, and the Fremantle Doctor blows in from the south-west on most summer afternoons.

Here's what that means for the foam. The workshop's standard seat foam is about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), medium-firm, and not quick-dry. After a soaking it needs 24 to 48 hours to dry. Quick-dry foam isn't offered as standard, though a mesh base has been built on request for some projects, so ask before you order. Dry-fast foam explains when it's worth it. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract.

Queenslanders, Federation verandahs and the alfresco under the roof

Australians spell it verandah, and they live on it. The Queenslander is a timber house raised on stumps, which let air move under the floor and keep it above floods and termites. Its verandah runs along the front or wraps around several sides. In Brisbane, many people keep a dining table and chairs out there, and a daybed or sleepout. That daybed is one of the best seats in the country, as long as the cushion has a zip-off cover and the afternoon sun doesn't reach it.

Federation houses, built from about 1890 to 1915, have red brick and front verandahs with decorative timber. A narrow front verandah suits a bench by the door or a pair of chairs. Many newer homes put the alfresco area under the main roof, which works as a covered outdoor room. Past it there's often a pool, and a row of sun lounges in full sun.

Those sun lounges need their own pattern. Split the cushion at the hinge and add ties at the head end, following the sunbed size Pattern. A verandah daybed wants a mattress-style daybed cushion with round bolsters. How deep is your verandah, friend, and does the late sun reach the back wall?

Millimeters, fade lines and colors that hold

Australian buyers often measure in millimeters, and that's fine. One sent tapered outdoor chair seats: 18.5 in (470 mm) across the front, 15.4 in (390 mm) across the back, 18.5 in (470 mm) deep in the middle and 17.3 in (440 mm) at the sides, all 2 in (50 mm) thick. The workshop drew templates with curved fronts from those typed numbers before quoting. Write every edge down, and measure the depth at the middle and at the sides.

Then pick a color that can take the light. In open sun, a dark, saturated color shows its first fade line at the fold. Sand, stone, white and a good stripe hide it longer. Under a verandah roof you can be bolder, and a teal or a coral reads well against white weatherboards.

Order samples, up to 5 codes at a time. Lay them on the actual sun lounge at noon, then look again at dusk. The swatch Pattern covers the rest, and the piping Pattern helps you pick the edge. For another hot, humid coast, see the Gulf Coast page. Across the Tasman, New Zealand gets the same strong sun with more wind.