My husband bought me 8 foot wind chimes from the Amish country while on vacation this year. I love them and enjoy both the visual and acoustic sound they give. But as winter draws near with the snow and ice being a daily concern for 3 months, should I store them away for winter or just leave outside?
They are very heavy and we had to hang them way up high in a very large tree, so moving them back and forth will be a lot of trouble. But I want them to be able to last as many years as possible.
If anyone has advice on how they up keep theirs so they last longer I would like to hear about it. They have a large wooden top on them and have very strong strings from which they dangle from. I'm not sure if the harsh weather will effect them or not. Thanks in advance.
I live in upstate New York and never bring my chimes in. I have the four foot size and have had them out for at least 6 years, possibly 8. I was really surprised by all the people who said to take them in!
Yes bring them in before they are ruined. You know you can get rustoleum paint to paint them both the wood and the chimes. See if you can find someone to help get them in and then in the spring you can fix them. You can varnish the wood if you do not want to paint that part and you can also paint the chimes what is nice rustoleum has any color you can think of.
They also have metallics, which is a good way also to fix antique lamps as they age. Good Luck I love wind chime's my grandmother always had them and now I do and they always sound so beautiful, as you obviously know. Best of luck whatever you decide to do. Darlene
Yes, bring it in! I have several windchimes. Exposure over several summers has affected the wood and metal, although they've never been in sunlight. Once or twice I wasn't able to bring them in when it rained. The wood finish is coming off and the metal chimes have spots. I've always brought them in before winter. Before storing, I wipe them clean, put them in paper bags, then plastice boxes. You probably put it high up to catch the wind and it would be hard for a thief to get it, too! But, you really should bring it in for the winter. It'll be ruined unless the Amish can tell you it's weatherproof. Then, next spring find an easier access location where you can clean them during the summer to preserve the wood. Let me know what happens.
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