Popular Wood Types for your Outdoor Furniture
Some wood species are simply better than others to be used for outdoor furniture. Marine ply boards which are used in boats have been used as planks on patio decks, They are excellent materials for such furniture as they are known to resist deformation when exposed to the elements over long periods. But this is processed wood. Among the natural wood species that are most sought after as outdoor furniture, there are three: Pine, Cedar and Teak. Pine
Among the three woods preferred for garden furniture construction, pine is the most common and most affordable. It is also the most popular wood for use in constructing a house and only require some chemical treatment to make it resistant to rot, warping, shrinking and twisting. It is also the most renewable as they come from sustainable tree plantations that can be replanted after felling the trees and not from old woodlands.
If you are in the market for outdoor furniture without the high cost associated with teak or cedar, pine word furniture is your best bet. If you install them on your patio, there’s a good chance the patio deck is also made of pine. While its natural state makes it vulnerable to rot, a liberal chemical treatment is all that is needed to make the pine furniture last for years.
Cedar
One of the most popular American hardwoods, western red cedar has both a luxurious deep reddish grain and appealing aroma that make it a favorite in home furnishing. Apart from its aesthetics, the wood possesses natural oils that resist rot and insect infestation which make cedar a natural choice for solid wood dressers and drawers as well as closet shelves which can be solid or veneered to keep the bugs out.
Unlike pine, cedar needs no chemical treatment to make it weatherproof as its natural oils do the job. Hence, it is a suitable wood for outdoor furniture. However, cedar is known to change its coloration over time and turn into silvery gray though not entirely unpleasant as its ages quite gracefully. But if you like your furniture fragrant, this is your best choice.
Teak
Of the three woods, teak is the sturdiest and the most expensive. It is the wood used during ancient times and it is a testament to their strength and durability that most of the existing antique wood furniture you find in museums are all too often made of teak.
Teak has a natural resistance to decay, exudes an exotic aroma and is known to prevent rust and corrosion and used with metals which make them ideal in ship building. Some of the oldest castles and mansions in Europe have doors made of it and are still standing. Park benches in England are made of teak and most of them are over a hundred years old.
