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A Reading by CallumOutdoor & Water-Repellent Cushions

A coral striped outdoor bench cushion under the jug

A glass jug, a striped cushion, teak slats. Ten seconds of water tell you more than a page of promises, and so does knowing which parts of a cushion the weather actually reaches.

The quick answer

On an outdoor bench cushion, spend on outdoor-rated fabric for every panel the weather reaches, because indoor fabrics are for indoor use only. Save where a roof protects you: under a fully covered terrace, an indoor fabric can work as trim. Test a sample with a jug of water before ordering; if the water beads and rolls off, the finish is working.

Read by

The Weather Man of Casco BayPublished Updated 4 min read

Water poured from a glass jug beading on a coral and white striped water-repellent cushion on teak slatsSave
A jug-pour test on the coral stripe: the water beads and rolls off the edge.
Light gray outdoor seat cushion with gray and white striped back cushions on a teak loveseat beside a concrete side tableSave
A mix-and-match set: plain gray on the seat, a gray awning stripe on the backs.
Close-up of a taupe and white striped outdoor cushion corner with piping on a silvered teak benchSave
Stripe placement and piping at the corner of a taupe outdoor cushion.
Water droplets beading on a slate blue water-repellent outdoor cushion on a teak bench with a pool splash behindSave
Pool splashes bead up on the slate blue weave instead of soaking straight in.
Blush pink and white striped outdoor bench cushion on a teak bench in a glasshouse with citrus trees and cut rosesSave
A blush awning stripe on a teak bench among potted citrus, ferns and a trug of freshly cut roses.
Macro of a sage and cream micro-houndstooth outdoor cushion corner with self piping on a weathered teak benchSave
A close look at a double-piped corner in a sage micro-check outdoor weave.
Coral and white striped seat cushion with solid coral back cushions on a whitewashed masonry bench with bougainvilleaSave
A striped seat and solid backs in matching coral dress a built-in plaster bench on a tiled terrace.

Pinned by Callum

Five places where the water shows you how the cushion is built.

Pinned: Water poured from a glass jug beading on a coral and white striped water-repellent cushion on teak slats
  1. Water poured from jug

    Pouring water straight onto the top is the simplest home test for a repellent fabric.

  2. Round beaded droplets

    Round beads mean the finish is working and the weave is not wetting through.

  3. Drops running off

    Water rolls down the boxing and off the piping instead of soaking the side.

  4. Stripe matched at corner

    The stripe runs cleanly from top to side at the corner, even on a test piece.

  5. Slatted teak seat

    Slats let any water that does get through drain away underneath.

  1. Water poured from jugPouring water straight onto the top is the simplest home test for a repellent fabric.
  2. Round beaded dropletsRound beads mean the finish is working and the weave is not wetting through.
  3. Drops running offWater rolls down the boxing and off the piping instead of soaking the side.
  4. Stripe matched at cornerThe stripe runs cleanly from top to side at the corner, even on a test piece.
  5. Slatted teak seatSlats let any water that does get through drain away underneath.

What the jug is telling you

Somebody tipped a glass jug over a coral and white striped cushion on a teak seat. Good. That is the cheapest test there is, and the most honest.

Look at the top. The water sits in round beads instead of spreading into a dark patch. Round beads mean the water-repellent finish is working and the weave is not wetting through. Look at the corner: drops run down the side band and off the piping rather than soaking in. The stripe runs cleanly from top to side there too, matched at the corner even on a test piece.

Under it all, teak slats. Slats let whatever does get through drain away underneath. A solid seat would hold that water against the foam.

The coral stripe is a smart pick for a demonstration: clear water shows against the color and against the white. It is a cheerful pick for a patio or porch, too, and cheerful counts when the sky turns gray.

Now the part people skip, friend. Water-repellent is a promise; waterproof is a contract. A repellent finish beads dew and a passing shower. Steady rain finds the seams and the zipper eventually. Budget for that with a dry place to store your outdoor cushions between storms and over winter. It costs nothing.

Outdoor fabric vs. indoor piping: spend or save?

Part of the jobSpend or saveWhy
Main fabric in the openSpendIndoor fabrics are for indoor use only; the outdoor charts are all outdoor-rated and UV-resistant
Trim under a full roofSaveAn indoor piping was approved once the terrace proved covered from rain and sun
Testing before you buySaveA jug of water on a sample shows whether the finish beads
Several sizes at onceSaveA round chair seat and a bench cushion can share one cart and one order
Linen or velvet indoorsChoose freelyOn one real quote the price was the same for both, so pick on use
WinterSaveBringing cushions in to dry, indoor storage costs nothing
A real project

Unlabeled samples and a piping that got a pass

A buyer furnishing a covered terrace at a holiday home ordered fabric samples, then could not tell them apart: nobody had labeled them. The workshop identified each one from a photo.

The buyer wanted an indoor fabric for the piping. The workshop first advised against it outdoors. Then it heard the whole story: the terrace is covered from both rain and sun. With that roof overhead, the indoor piping was approved. The set, two chair seats, two chair backs, two sofa seats and two sofa backs, was ordered as outdoor cushions in an outdoor main fabric.

That is where the savings live. Not in cheaper cloth where the weather hits, but in knowing exactly where it doesn't. The covered porch Pattern draws that line room by room.

Sizes
Two chair seats, two chair backs, two sofa seats, two sofa backs

The lesson: Indoor fabric can work as trim when the furniture is fully sheltered.

Buyer questions: fabric, sizes, and a bus

  1. A common question

    My cushions will live outside. Can I pick a fabric from the indoor charts?

    The workshop's answer

    No. Indoor fabrics are for indoor use only. For outdoor cushions, order them as outdoor cushions and choose from the outdoor charts, which are all outdoor-rated, water-repellent and UV-resistant. If you picked an outdoor code from your samples, order it the same way.

  2. A common question

    Can one order cover a small round outdoor chair and a bench?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Add both sizes to the cart and write the dimensions in the personalization box, for example a round seat about 11.5 x 11.5 in (29 x 29 cm) and a bench cushion 33 x 13 in (84 x 33 cm). Put any date that matters in the same note.

  3. A common question

    We're building a bus conversion with a sofa that pulls out into a double bed. Can you make the cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Two cushions of 75 x 26.5 in (190 x 67 cm) were quoted for exactly that, and the price was the same whether the buyer chose linen or velvet.

Pour a jug of water on an outdoor fabric sample before you order. If the water beads and rolls off the piping, the finish is working.

Callum
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On the cutting table

CushionOutdoor box cushion on a slatted teak seat
FabricWater-repellent outdoor stripe, coral and white
PipingSelf piping; drops run off it
StripeMatched from top to side band at the corner
TestJug pour: round beads mean the finish works
LimitsSteady rain can get in at seams and the zipper
CareLet it drain and dry; store indoors over winter
Best forPatio, porch and backyard benches

Order this cushion

Have it made

Have this made — ask Callum’s workshop

Short list: size, sun hours, how fast it has to dry. The workshop goes through it with you. — 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
Water-repellent outdoor stripe, coral and white
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping; drops run off it
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

Questions buyers ask next

What does it mean when water beads on a cushion?

It means the water-repellent finish is working and the weave is not wetting through. Beads handle dew and light showers; steady rain can still get in at seams and zippers, so let cushions dry out and store them in bad weather.

Is water-repellent the same as waterproof?

No. Water-repellent fabric makes water bead and roll off for a while and still breathes. Waterproof fabric has a coating or membrane water cannot pass, but it breathes poorly and can feel warm and sticky in summer.

Does a water-repellent finish last forever?

No. The finish wears with cleaning and can be refreshed with a spray-on treatment. Test it with a few drops of water each spring; if they soak in instead of beading, it is time to refresh it.

Can indoor cushions go on a covered porch?

Sometimes. Indoor linen-look, velvet or chenille can live under a deep roof, out of blowing rain and direct sun. Open patios need outdoor fabric, because fading, mildew and soaked foam are what fail first out there.

Fair winds — Callum