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Anodized aluminum patio set gets too hot to touch

July 11, 2013

Q. My wife and I purchased a patio set of anodized aluminum and when the sun is on the furniture the side table top becomes too hot to place your hand on. Is this normal? Is something wrong? The owner of the store tells us this isn't possible. What's going on?

William Donald
- Redington Shores, Florida

July 12, 2013

A. If it is matte black, it would be normal. Any dark color would take on more heat than a light one.
Aluminum is a superior metal for absorbing and holding heat. You would probably have similar problems with a cast iron one, so there is not much for metal options.

Think of your car where parts are too hot to to hold on to. Even steering wheels can be minorly painful to hold onto in the top 1/4 exposed to sun for hours.

Invest in one of the large folding umbrellas would be my approach.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

A. Too hot to touch is a bit subjective, but I can see it getting hot, especially in direct sun and shielded from the wind. L'll wager it is a dark color, likely green or black. I don't think you can call this a defective product. Black cars get really hot too. It's a physics thing.

Paint it a light color or move it into the shade.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
July 13, 2013

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