Wooden vs metal garden ornaments: which lasts longer?

We use both materials, and both have a place. The shorthand is: metal lasts longer untreated, but wood ages more attractively. The trick is matching the material to the look you want, not chasing the spec sheet.

Powder-coated metal will stay flat colour for a decade with zero maintenance. The downside is that when it does start to chip — and it eventually does — repairs look obvious. The fix is a full strip and recoat, not a touch-up.

Wood, by contrast, weathers. The first year a windmill changes most: from warm honey to a deeper amber. After year two it stabilises. With light annual oiling, our oldest customer pieces are now eight years out and still in regular use. Without oil they go silver-grey, which some people deliberately want for a coastal look.

The decision usually comes down to neighbours, not metallurgy. In a modern minimalist garden powder-coated steel disappears nicely; in a cottage garden the wood looks like it has always been there.

Mixed media works too. Our most popular customer photo is a wooden windmill set against a black-painted steel arch. The contrast does more work than either piece would alone.