While wood patio furniture can be made of virtually any wood imaginable, the vast majority of wood patio furniture is made from three woods: red cedar, northern white cedar and teak.

Each of these has their own unique qualities. The type of wood you choose depends largely on your own personal tastes as well as your locale. Some woods respond better to different climates, so they will age better and last longer.

Cedar has been the choice of homeowners for years when it comes to wood patio furniture. The best thing about cedar is that it doesn\’t easily decay or rot. Even though it\’s a relatively lightweight wood, it has a lot of character and can fend off the weather with ease.

Northern white cedar won\’t warp or shrink no matter what the weather is like in your area. Red cedar won\’t warp either, if it is cut on the grain. While northern white cedar is a quality material, it won\’t last quite as long as red cedar. The latter contains acidic tannins that act as a natural preservative. However, with a couple coats of preservative, white northern cedar wood patio furniture will last a long time. In fact, you may tire of it long before it falls apart on you.

Both of these types of cedar won\’t shrink over time. They will tend to crack a bit with time. This is natural and won\’t really affect the lifespan of your wood patio furniture. Red cedar is great for picnic tables, benches and patio gliders. It also can be used for armchairs and swings. White cedar is almost as versatile, but tends to be more popular for benches, log furniture and Adirondack chairs.

When new, red cedar has a characteristic dark red to light brown color. It can also be a honey brown. It readily accepts a finish, such as a stain. But you may just want to let it age and gain character naturally. Eventually it will turn silver gray, much like its northern white cedar counterparts.

The warm, rich tones of red and northern white cedar woods will add a lot of beauty to your deck, patio or balcony. They will also look great in the yard in their own grouping, such around a fire pit or in a gazebo. If you set them on the ground you may want to put them on a small concrete pad to keep them out of the dirt. It will extend their life.

The other popular option is teak. In contrast to the teak of old, much of the teak sold today and used in wood patio furniture is grown and harvested from sustainable forests. So you can enjoy the rich beauty of teak without feeling bad that you\’re destroying the environment.

Teak is an extremely hard wood and is impervious to most weather and insects. It will age beautifully if you don\’t treat it, taking on a silvery gray sheen as it ages. If you still want to maintain the original beauty and luster of the wood, use some Danish oil or teak oil to nourish the wood. This is the same stuff that mariners use to keep their teak decks looking pristine out on the salt water. It will restore the rich color and also protect the wood. It only needs to be done once a year or two – whenever the teak starts to look a little dry.

There are other great wood choices out there today as well, including eucalyptus and bamboo. You just really can\’t go wrong with wood patio furniture no matter what wood you choose.

Author Bio: Jesse Akre owns Edenvale Shoppes and hosts numerous furniture and furnishings for any home whether it be console table or kitchen tables styles and designs.

Category: Home Management
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