Which outdoor furniture material will survive your deck or patio without turning maintenance into a second job? The right answer depends less on the color or shape and more on four tests: water, sunlight, wind, and the amount of cleaning…

You have a 12-by-20-foot patio, a grill in a cardboard box, and three possible spots beside the back door. The wrong layout will make you carry raw meat across the yard, squeeze past guests, and wipe grease from a counter…