The Best Wood for Outdoor Furniture
When it comes to outdoor furniture, there are a lot of choices. But when it comes to the best wood for outdoor furniture, there is only one clear winner: teak. Teak is a hardwood that is naturally resistant to rot, decay, and insects. It is also a very dense wood, which makes it extremely durable. Teak furniture can last for decades with proper care.
Why Teak is the Best Choice for Outdoor Furniture
There are a few reasons why teak is the best choice for outdoor furniture. First of all, as mentioned above, teak is a very dense wood. This means that it is less likely to warp or crack than other types of wood. It is also a very strong wood, so it can support a lot of weight. Additionally, teak contains natural oils that make it resistant to rot and decay. And finally, teak furniture is simply beautiful. The rich golden color of teak ages gracefully to a silver-gray patina over time.
Other Woods That Are Suitable for Outdoor Furniture
While teak is the best choice for outdoor furniture, there are other woods that are also suitable. Cedar and redwood are both good choices because they are also naturally resistant to rot and decay. However, they are not as strong as teak and not as resistant to insects. Additionally, both cedar and redwood will fade and turn gray over time if left untreated. If you do choose cedar or redwood for your outdoor furniture, be sure to treat it regularly with a sealant or stain to protect it from the elements.
When choosing wood for outdoor furniture, there is only one clear winner: teak. Teak is a hardwood that is naturally resistant to rot, decay, and insects. It is also a very dense wood, which makes it extremely durable. Teak furniture can last for decades with proper care. If you do choose another type of wood for your outdoor furniture, be sure to treat it regularly with a sealant or stain to protect it from the elements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wood is the best for outdoor furniture? Cypress, redwood, and cedar are three softwoods that have natural moisture-wicking properties and make fine choices for outdoor furniture. But in our opinion, the best wood for outdoor furniture comes from top-of-the-line hardwoods such as ipe, mahogany, and teak.
What wood is most weather resistant?
Here’s a list of the best, most weather resistant woods to help you build the project of your dreams in a chemical-free way.
- Ipe.
- Cumaru.
- Jatoba.
- Garapa.
- Teak.
- Cypress.
- California red wood.
- Cedar.
What type of outdoor furniture is the most durable? Wrought Iron is one of the most durable and longest lasting type of outdoor furniture available, many times lasting decades. Truly an investment that keeps on giving, wrought iron furniture is also the heaviest frame.
What wood is good for outdoor benches? Cedar is a lightweight wood, making it the perfect choice if you plan to move or rearrange your outdoor furniture often. Cedar is also a good choice if you would like your bench to match your house or other furnishings, since it paints and stains well.
What wood is the best for outdoor furniture? – Additional Questions
What wood lasts the longest outdoors?
Teak. Teak is the king of durable, outdoor woods. It’s extremely rot resistant, reasonably dense and straight-grained, will not warp or crack over time, and has an attractive appearance. Teak is chiefly associated with boatbuilding.
What wood is waterproof?
Pine, larch, Douglas fir, western red cedar, chestnut and oak represent the most water resistant woods for exterior coverings , even without treatment. White fir and spruce will require protection to be able to last over time.
What is the best wood to make a bench?
The best wood for bench slats can be cedar, teak, Brazilian walnut (ipe), or redwood. Ipe, in particular, is great for outdoor wooden benches as it is up to five times stronger than most woods and denser, too.
What wood can I use for bench slats?
Yandles hardwood bench slats are machined on site out of Kiln Dried Oak and Sapele. They are available in a variety of widths and lengths and are perfect for replacing damaged or rotten bench slats on garden benches.
Do you have to use pressure treated wood for outdoor furniture?
Yes, you can use non-pressure treated lumber for outdoor furniture. However, if you choose these, best to apply protection such as sealers, stains, and paints to last the furniture.
Is pressure treated wood good for outdoors?
Using pressure-treated wood for projects like wooden decks and fences will keep your outdoor structures beautiful for years by resisting termites, rot and fungal decay.
What lasts longer cedar or pressure treated wood?
When it comes to comparing treated wood vs. cedar, pressure-treated wood is the sturdier and more weather-proof of the two. It’s highly resistant to insect attack and rot, and special versions rated for “ground contact” can be buried in soil and will continue to shrug off decay for decades.
Is pine OK for outdoor furniture?
Pine is still a good choice for outdoor furniture, it just doesn’t naturally resist the elements as strongly as cedar does. Pressure-treated pine will last a long time and resist the outdoor elements.
How long will pressure treated wood last outside?
While pressure treated poles can stay up to 40 years without any signs of rot or decay, decks and flooring might only last around 10 years.
Why is my pressure treated wood rotting?
Any pressure treated wood rot is usually due to a fungal issue. The fungi that cause this are very small organisms that move into the wood and feed on it over time. This causes the pressure treated wood to decay and soften which then turns into rot. All kinds of fungal issues basically create the same problem: rot.
Should I paint pressure treated wood?
We often get asked for our painting recommendations for pressure treated wood. Our recommendation is short and simple: Don’t. We do not recommend the use of a conventional multi-coat paint system or varnish. The performance is nearly always disappointing, and repainting often has to be preceded by scraping and sanding.
Do termites eat pressure treated wood?
Termites Don’t Eat Pressure-Treated Wood
While it is true that pressure-treated wood is resistant to termite damage, it is far from termite proof. In fact, the word “resistant” is used when pressure-treated wood is promoted to consumers. This is because there are many factors that can compromise this protection.
What do termites hate the most?
Termites hate sunlight. In fact, they can die from too much sunlight and heat exposure. If you suspect that a piece of furniture has termites, drag it to the yard to bake in the sun for a bit.
Which wood does not get termites?
The results showed that the heartwoods of rosewood and deodar were highly resistant to termite attack. The outer heartwoods of sal and toon proved to be resistant, but the inner heartwood of sal was only moderately resistant.
What wood do termites hate?
To deter the pests, homeowners can obtain heartwood-grade lumber for construction projects. Termites also tend to avoid specific species of trees such as redwoods, yellow cedar, Laotian teak, and cypress.
What wood is naturally termite resistant?
Cedar and redwood are two very popular choices for the exterior because they have natural insect repellents. If you have to put wood at ground level, these wood species will be the best material. Other options, like teak, help prevent termite infestations because they are very dense and hard to chew through.
Does teak get termites?
Autumn is coming and with it the increased incidence of termite infestations, the most fearsome enemies of wood. If you own teak furniture, you can rest easy about these parasites, as the waterproofing properties of teak wood are naturally resistant to these insects.
