apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have no idea, in terms of the weather-proofing (sorry!), but I just had to pop in to say how much I love your find!

Kelly
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com

www.refinishfurniture.com/outdoor_furniture_care.htm

It's a decent site for refinishing and taking care of practically any type of furniture, including outdoor.
You can always google. There are a ton of sites on that.

If you have a Home Depot or Lowes, they can tell you what to treat the wood with. The metal would worry me,
seems no amount of rustoleum keeps the rust away for long. Maybe you could replace the metal either with webbing, which would have give like the metal springs....
or wood planks, which would be a much firmer feel. Just a thought.
Ace Hardware carries the webbing. If you don't have one around, you can order it online.

As for fabric and cushions, you can start with these....

www.outdoorfabricsource.com/
www.outsidefabric.com/
www.cushionsource.com/
www.denverfabrics.com/pages/static/pillows/outdoor-cushions.htm

you can always check your local fabric store. Any large well stocked store should have waterproof fabric.

Great daybed, and much too nice to use outdoors! You cannot make this weatherproof. You can, under the right circumstances, make it more weather RESISTANT. But over time, it will degrade if kept outdoors.

If you don't care about that eventuality, then here here are some things you can do to slow the decline:

---Keep it in a covered or sheltered area.

---Store it indoors during winter and/or your rainy season.

---Get a good vinyl cover for it and use it (unexpected rain showers, sprinklers, etc.).

---Paint it with a high quality enamel. Critical to prep and prime with Kilz oil-based primer first. If there are any areas of non-coverage or tiny separations, water will seep in. You will need to repaint or at least touch up annually.

---Cushions could be vinyl or sunbrella. No cushions are waterproof (seams), so they need to be filled with something that dries quickly. I live in Southern California, and have had both sunbrella and vinyl cushions; the vinyl are definitely more durable and easier to clean. But the sunbrella dry out more quickly. We have a cedar tree that drops a lot of needles and sap, and a lot of urban grime (oily dust), so I probably wouldn't use sunbrella again due to those issues.

To me, enjoying the outdoors means a relatively low maintenance space that is worry free, relaxing, and available for spontaneous napping. I really recommend keeping this indoors.

Try marine varnish on the wood and Sunbrella fabric. A little WD-40 on the metal with a suitable barrier over top (like a piece of heavy canvas) should protect the metal. Nice idea!

Yes, I agree with farmhousemoderne - marine spar varnish for the wood (the kind used for boats) should protect it from water and UV rays.

What a great find!

Yes, spar urethane is what people put on their front and back doors to seal and prevent sun and wind damage. Scuff the whole thing with a fine sand paper (80 should do it.) Then apply with a brush and really get it in there.

Make sure you do the bottoms of the feet and don't drag it when you move it, or you'll scrape the urethane off of the bottoms and rot can set in. A nice mildew resistant cushion goes on top and you're done!! Post after pics :)

I am with some of the first posters - much too nice to put outside. If I had found it, I so know my fiance's old futon would be leaving for this.

If it will be exposed to rain, do not use cushions thicker thatn 4". No matter how you weatherproof the frame, cushions thicker than 4" will act like sponges and water will not be able to drain properly on the bottom side (even with using all outdoor fabrics & foams). This will not only discolor the fabrics dew to mildew groath and water deposit stains, but will also discolor your frame.

I recommend using a perforated foam that will allow proper drainage rather than a solid block of foam.

You should use a metal primer or rust retardant type of paint for the first coat, then you can use enamel paint for the second coating.

For cushions you want a type of Polyether with completely open cells. Here is a site you can buy foam from-
https://www.foamcenter.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=RAIN

Sunbrella fabric are best for fade and mildew resistance but best to bring inside for hard raining days.
A good selection-
http://www.sinapearson.com/outdoor.html

Inexpensive options-
http://www.housefabric.com/categorysubview.asp?
CategoryID=117&CategorySubID=614

http://www.buyfabrics.com/c-146-Duralee-Indoor-Outdoor-Fabric.aspx

i met a wood primer

Seal the wood first, then use a good quality marine "deck" paint, then a clear coat meant for outdoor use. For the metal, seal it too (think Rustoleum type products), you'll likely need to repeat this every Spring. Sunbrella is great for cushions but you can use anything if you're willing to bring them inside when not in use. Store it indoors during winter/rains.

In the end, it's a beautiful piece, it can last a lifetime indoors but may survive only 5-7 years outdoors (even being brought in for rainy/snowy weather). I'd think twice about making it an outdoor piece...