Outdoor Furniture Glossary Of Terms
This glossary is designed to help you understand the terminology we use every day, so you can make informed decisions about your purchase. Many of these terms can be confusing, so we’ve explained them here to make it clearer for you.
With over 40 years of experience in the outdoor furniture industry, we are always here to answer any questions you may have. Please contact us if you require any assistance regarding outdoor furniture.
Activity Table:
An outdoor picnic table with game boards integrated, such as chess & draughts, or snakes and ladders. They are commonly used in schools, youth clubs, community centers and gardens, promoting problem-solving skills and social interaction. Earth Anchors make activity tables in both junior and adult sizes.
Anchor Fluke:
The internal component of an anchor which is driven out during the installation to act like a tree root and permeantly fixes our anchor into the ground below.
Anchor Kits:
A set of ground-fixing anchors designed to secure items firmly to the ground. Commonly used for outdoor furniture such as picnic tables, bins, and benches. The smallest anchor kit, the EA1, was one of the original products developed by Earth Anchors and is still widely used by businesses to install outdoor furniture.
Anchored:
An item securely fixed to the ground using anchor kits. This ensures that outdoor furniture or equipment remains stable, safe, and resistant to movement or theft.
Lawn Tablet:
A memorial plaque used to cover an urn or mark a burial plot, often used in American-style lawn cemeteries. This is a type of burial ground where gravestones are flat and set into the ground rather than standing upright. Lawn Tablets can be inscribed with texts and images and are seen as a modern alternative to traditional headstones.
BS EN 1729:
A European standard for furniture in educational institutions. It specifies dimensions, safety, stability, strength, and durability requirements for tables and chairs. This standard ensures furniture is suitable for learning environments, and businesses supplying furniture for educational use must ensure their products comply with BS EN 1729 to meet legal and safety requirements.
Carbon Footprint:
A measure of the environmental impact of activities and how much they contribute to climate change. Earth Anchors works to significantly reduce this impact by using sustainable recycled plastic materials and responsible practices. Using recycled plastic instead of virgin materials helps lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy consumption and diverting waste from landfills.
Composite Lumber:
A material made by blending plastics with wood and bonding agents. While Earth Anchors’ recycled plastic is sometimes referred to as “composite,” it is not. Our product uses 100% recycled plastic, whereas composite combine wood and plastics. Although composite wood will last longer than natural timber, recycled plastic offers superior durability and weather resistance as it does not contain wood fibers, which are prone to rotting and decay. Particularly when submersed in water or subjected to constant damp conditions.
Concrete-In:
This fixture method requires a hole to be dug and filled with concrete or Postcrete. Once the concrete hardens, the fixture becomes part of the ground, creating a solid point to lock or secure items so they can’t be easily moved or stolen. Earth Anchors uses concrete-in fixtures to secure outdoor furniture such as benches, tables, and bins as an alternative to anchoring or bolting.
Earth Anchors:
An outdoor furniture company that provides durable products such as benches, tables, litter bins, and recycled plastic lumber. The company focuses on sustainability by using 100% recycled plastic in its products.
Originally, Earth Anchors was the name of a product developed for British Telecom (BT) to secure telephone pylons. Over time, the term became the brand name for the company and now represents its expanded range of outdoor furniture and recycled materials.
Engraving:
Engraving is the process of cutting or carving text, designs, or patterns into a surface to create a permanent mark. In outdoor furniture, engraving is often used on plaques and wooden benches to add a personal touch or commemorative message.
FastDek:
A product name for a recycled plastic pad that can be placed underneath outdoor furniture such as benches and tables. It is an alternative to using concrete and is widely used to create a stable base quickly and easily. FastDek helps outdoor furniture avoid direct contact with moisture on the ground and provides a cleaner, more comfortable surface for sitting and walking to the furniture.
Forest-Saver:
An Earth Anchors brand name for its recycled plastic lumber products, made from 100% recycled plastic. The clue is in the name “Forest-Saver”, signifies that these products do not use trees or virgin resources.
Galvanised:
The process of dipping a steel product into a vat of molten zinc. Creating a thick rust proof layer on the material. Often leaves a textured finish and can be painted over for cosmetic purposes.
Ground Anchor:
The singular component of a ground anchoring kit used to secure outdoor furniture or equipment firmly to the ground, preventing movement or theft. They are commonly used for benches, tables, bins.
Ground Fixing Kits:
A ready made pack of components used to secure outdoor furniture to soft ground. This generic term covers our soft and hard ground fixing kits of various sizes and for a selection of different substrates.
Hard Ground:
Refers to installation on a hard surface, such as concrete, tarmac, or paving slabs or block paving.
Infant Tables:
Tables designed for infants aged 4 to 7 year. Infant tables are built at an appropriate height and size for comfort and safety. They will be suitable for primary and infant schools.
Installation Tools:
A necessary item for installing Earth Anchors’ ground-fixing systems. These tools are specifically designed for driving anchors into the ground without damaging the anchor our your furniture and are not standard tools like drills or screwdrivers. Without them the anchoring fluke cannot be driven out.
Interpretation Boards:
Signs designed to provide information and context to visitors. They are commonly located in nature reserves, museums, historical sites, parks, and trails. These boards often use text, images, and maps to tell a story or explain features of the site. Interpretation boards are often a vertical signs where as the lower laid back signs are referred to as a lectern.
Junior Tables:
Junior tables are designed for children between the ages of 7 and 11 years old. These tables will be built an appropriate height and size to ensure comfort and safety for children in this age group.
Local Authorities:
Official organisations that govern a specific geographic area and are responsible for providing local public services. They ensure that public spaces are maintained and equipped with essential outdoor items such as litter bins, benches, and dog waste bins to keep the community clean and maintained.
Motifs:
Are decorative designs, patterns, or symbols that carry meaning or aesthetic value. Motifs can be engraved onto memorial plaques to add personalisation or convey a theme.
Picnic Tables:
Picnic Tables are outdoor furniture consisting of a tabletop with attached benches. They are designed for outdoor dining and socialising and can also be adapted into games tables for entertainment and community activities. Often referred to as “Picnic Benches”
Plastic Wood:
Plastic Wood is a material created by processing and molding recycled plastic into shapes that replicate the look and function of traditional timber. The process involves collecting post-consumer or industrial plastic waste, cleaning and shredding it into granules, then heating and extruding or molding it into durable planks or profiles.
Recycled Plastics:
Recycled plastics are plastic waste that has been collected, cleaned, and processed into new products. This process typically involves shredding the plastic into granules, melting it down, and molding or extruding it into durable shapes for reuse. Using recycled plastics helps reduce landfill waste, conserve resources, and lower carbon emissions compared to producing virgin plastic.
Rootfast:
An Earth Anchors anchoring system designed to secure outdoor furniture or equipment firmly into the ground.
Soft Ground Anchors:
Anchors used to fix outdoor furniture on soft surfaces such as grass or mud. Soft Ground Anchors are necessary to prevent theft, tipping, or unwanted movement of your outdoor furniture.
Softwood:
Softwood comes from evergreen trees such as pine, spruce, and fir that usually have needles and cones. These trees grow faster than hardwood trees, so the wood is cheaper, lighter and easier to cut and shape.
Softwood is commonly used for building furniture and fences because it’s affordable and easy to work with. However, softwood requires regular maintenance to protect it from rot, decay, and weather damage when used outdoors.
Garden Plaque:
A decorative or commemorative plate often placed outdoors, in gardens or parks. In our industry, garden plaques are typically used to celebrate a person, such as honoring their memory or marking a special contribution. They usually feature engraved text or motifs, and we make them in durable, weather-resistant materials such as stainless steel to ensure they have longevity in outdoor conditions.
Stainless Steel:
A strong metal that resists rust and corrosion, making it ideal for outdoor use. It’s an alloy made mainly of iron, carbon, and chromium.
Tree Plaque:
A commemorative plaque attached to a stand for placing near a tree, typically in parks, gardens, or memorial areas.
UV Resistance:
This describes how well a material can withstand sunlight without getting damaged. Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can cause fading, cracking, or weakening over time. Materials with UV resistance are specially designed to block or absorb these rays so they last longer outdoors. Stabilizers are added to paints and plastics to improve protection.
Wayfinding:
A generic term relating to all types of outdoor signage commonly found in parks and nature reserves. It’s a system that uses multiple tools, such as signs, maps, interpretation boards, and directional indicators, to help people reach their destination. In public spaces like parks or trails, wayfinding ensures visitors can easily understand where they are and where they need to go.
Waymarkers:
These are individual posts with directional references within a wayfinding system. Their role is to confirm the route or provide directional guidance at specific points along a path. Essentially, waymarkers are components that make wayfinding possible.
Weather-Resistant Materials:
Materials designed to withstand harsh outdoor elements such as rain, wind, UV rays, and temperature fluctuations. These materials help prevent damage like fading, cracking, or corrosion. An example is recycled plastic, which offers excellent weather resistance compared to natural wood.
Wheelistat:
Wheelistat is an Earth Anchors designed locking station for keeping Wheelie bins in place. Can be supplied for wall mounting or with a post suitable for hard of soft ground.
Picnic Tables:
Picnic tables are a type of outdoor furniture that consists of a flat tabletop with attached benches. It is designed for outdoor dining and socialising and can also be adapted into games tables for entertainment and community activities. Often also referred to as a picnic bench.
Picnic Bench:
A commonly used phrase to describe a picnic table. If found on a quotation it will be referring to the seating component of a picnic table. Unlike a picnic table, it does not include a tabletop; it’s just the bench for sitting.
Bench:
A seat which does not have a backrest. Benches are often chosen because they take up less space, allow seating from either side, and have fewer parts, making them easier to maintain.
Sheradized:
A protective finish applied to mild steel to increase lifespan outdoors and prevent rusting. It involves placing the steel product and zinc powder in a rotating drum oven at 300°C to 400°C to bake the powder onto the product. Only suitable for small components. Unlike galvanizing it creates a uniform dark grey or black finish.
Seat:
A seat that includes a backrest section, providing additional comfort compared to a bench, which does not have a backrest.
Kerbside:
The term “kerbside” refers to the edge of a pavement or road where it meets the property boundary. In delivery terms, kerbside delivery means large, heavy, or bulky items are delivered to a suitable location at this edge, close to your property.
Laser-engraved:
A method of engraving that uses a focused laser beam to cut or etch text, designs, or patterns into a surface. This technique is highly precise and allows for detailed, permanent markings on materials such as wood, metal, or plastic. Laser engraving is commonly used for plaques, signs, and decorative elements because it produces clean lines and can handle intricate designs.
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