What Wood is Better for Outdoor Furniture

Spring and summer means the return of barbecues that most of us enjoy or the occasional evening entertaining friends or family in an outdoor setting. It is because we relish our outdoor life that we build and decorate our patio or deck.

To insure the comfort of our guests and to maximize our success as a great host we need the right patio furniture. By choosing carefully our patio furniture we will not only provide a relaxing atmosphere to our guests but will improve our outdoor surroundings. There is on the market today patio furniture for any budget and for all decor. Choosing the right kind is important.

Patio furniture should be chosen based on the following characteristics: Good quality to withstand the activities that we will impose on it Good looks to fit the decor of the house and the personality, style and taste of the owner

Whether you choose wood, metal, wicker or plastic is a matter of personal preference as today’s materials are all durable and most as also very stable.

This article will examine the differences between two different woods, Cedar and Teak.

Teak is a very hard wood native to Southeast Asia often used for large patios areas. It is highly weather resistant, and its natural oils makes it suitable for exposed areas, where durability is a factor.

Teak was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s in a style often known as Danish Modern, it seems to enjoy today a second boom in popularity.

Teak remains cool even under a very hot sun, and it does not splinter. These qualities have made it a most sought after material not only for today’s furniture but also for vintage furniture.

With all these qualities it is not surprising that is also one of the most expensive type of patio furniture, although many manufacturers of teak furniture are taking initiatives to bring worldwide prices down and make it more affordable for more people.

Another wood high on the popularity list is Cedar. It can resist to wet weather but also to extreme dryness without splitting. It is an excellent choice to keep insects and even termites away due to its strong odor.

Used for garden furniture as well as construction of pergolas, Cedar is an excellent outdoor wood as it ages and dries without much changes. It will not warp, contract, or splinter. Any kind of paint or other finishes can be used and it is very easy to work with cedar for do-it-yourselfers.

I am sure many of you know the warm feeling, the calming effect that smelling cedar wood has on us. It is more affordable than teak and yet it will still make your patio a very special place.

Which you will choose is really a matter of individual preference as both these woods will give you years of satisfaction and use with relatively little maintenance. If care and maintenance is the prevalent decision maker then teak should be the winner.