Different Types of Wooden Patio Furniture

Wooden patio furniture is made from several types of wood and each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.

If you are certain that you want to use wood patio furniture, here is a brief overview of the different types of wooden furniture to help you in selecting the correct type of wooden patio furniture for your lifestyle and the climate.

Teak

Teak is the most expensive type of furniture materials you can come across. You are expected to pay thousands of dollars for high quality teak patio furniture. But they are really an investment because even for outdoors use, it will last for years, sometimes decades.

Teak is a very unique wood and easily worked. It has natural oils that make it suitable for use in exposed locations (no matter what type of weather it’s exposed to). It is durable even when not treated with oil or varnish.

You can even leave teak patio furniture out in the snow or cold and it won’t harm the furniture. You don’t need to do much when it comes to caring of teak patio furniture. Probably, you need not do anything at all. 

Teak naturally is a silver-gray color and if left untreated, the teak furniture will lighten over time to a silvery color. If you want to preserve the natural light honey color that the teak furniture, all you need to do is rub the furniture with special teak oil or coating once and awhile. Teak is very expensive because it’s a slow growth wood, meaning that there’s not that much of it to go around since it takes so long for the trees to grow.

If you want something equivalent to the durability of fine teak patio furniture but you can’t afford it, then you should seriously consider cedar patio furniture.

Cedar

Cedar is a type fragrant wood and often used for rustic style patio furniture. Like teak, cedar is also a hard wood and will stand up well to the elements because cedar has a natural immunity to rotting, cracking, and other problems that can destroy untreated wooden patio furniture. Cedar wood and cedar oil is known to be a natural repellent to moths. Even an untreated piece of cedar patio furniture can last for more than eight years left outside year round in every type of weather.

Just like teak if cedar is left untreated it will fade to a natural silver–gray color that many people like. As an added bonus, the strong aroma of cedar wood acts as a natural insect repellant so having cedar patio furniture means that you will have fewer pests to deal with when you’re trying to enjoy your patio. Cedar is also exceptionally strong, so people of all sizes can be comfortable in cedar patio furniture all year long.

Bamboo

Technically, bamboo is considered grass, not wood, but it’s so durable and strong that it gets classified as wood. Bamboo furniture is very popular because it’s light but sturdy and has a beautiful natural color that blends into any décor.

Bamboo is more affordable than teak or cedar because, like any other grass, it grows quickly and is very easy to get more of. Bamboo needs very little maintenance other than a wash with soap and water once and awhile to keep it gleaming and clean. If you want to turn you your patio in an outdoor retreat adding bamboo patio furniture can help create a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus patio furniture isn’t widely available yet but more and more garden and patio furniture sellers are starting to carry it. Eucalyptus wood is very similar to teak in strength and durability, and it even has a similar color.

The big difference is that eucalyptus wood furniture costs about half of what teak furniture costs because eucalyptus grows faster and is much easier to get than teak. So if you love the look and durability of teak but can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on outdoor furniture then you should look around until you find a seller that has some eucalyptus wood furniture in stock.

Oak

There are mainly two types of oak used to manufacture patio furniture - Chinese Oak and Red Oak. Red oak is a high quality wood but more manufacturers use Chinese Oak because it is naturally resistance to fungi, rotting, and cracking.

Furthermore, most of the Chinese Oak used for patio furniture is kiln dried which makes it almost guaranteed not to twist or splinter from the severe heat from the sun. Chinese Oak is a very affordable alternative to some of the other hardwood mentioned. Chinese Oak grows fast and is easy to harvest therefore Chinese Oak patio furniture is something that most people can afford even if they have limited budget.

The one thing that wooden patio furniture has in common is that it all can get very expensive depending on the type of patio furniture that you’re buying and where you are buying it.

Whichever wood you choose, be sure that the furniture is designed and made to be used for outdoors. Normal indoor wood furniture will not withstand the outdoor elements. Wood needs to be specially treated to be used outdoors and last.

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