How To Choose Your Outdoor Wooden Furniture
Wooden furniture that has to sit outside your house has to endure a lot of harsh elements, and its chances of wear and tear are very high, unless it has all the right specifications for outdoor usage. Here are the top tips for choosing the right finish for your outdoor living and entertainment furniture.
The right material
All things rot and decay when exposed to sun over a period of time. So the question is not, ‘whether the material will rot or not’ but rather ‘when’. Most modern wooden furniture are biodegrade and tend to rot at the speed of light if exposed to sun continuously. So when choosing furniture that needs to be put on the porch or in a conservatory, make sure to go for treated wood or superior sturdy species like redwood and its counterparts.
The right binding and the finish
Choosing the right material is only half the equation, the other two elements one needs to be mindful of are the glues and the polish. Most furniture are designed for the indoors and are not able to withstand sudden changes in temperature and moisture level. As a result when placed outdoors, the glues give way and the finish fades in no times. Look for waterproof glue and stain when choosing your outdoor furniture.
The right construction
Unlike indoor furniture, which focuses more on aesthetics than durability, furniture that is used for outdoor living are designed for the rough. Outdoor furniture is usually carved out of thick pieces and have wider and deeper joints. This is done to reduce the surface of wood that comes in contact with sunlight. Outdoor furniture doesn’t follow the popular technique of veneering that most indoor furniture incorporate. A as rule of thumb, avoid anything with delicate paint, decoration or man-made material. If you are not fan paint and want to go for wood finish make sure to choose one with treated lumber.
Choose the right wood
The best choice material that is weather resistant, looks great and durable is wood. However, no two woods are created equal and no two wood can withstand weather changes equally. When buying wood, one has to keep in mind that the heartwood is more rot resistant than the rest. Heartwood is the darker wood which is cut from the center of a log as opposed to the lighter wood called sapwood.
Following types of woods are the best choice for furniture outdoors.
• Acacia
Acacia is a sustainable wood and is an excellent choice for outdoor furniture. The wood can withstand all forms of weather conditions and it stains well.
• Cedar
Cedar is a crack, rot and insect – resistant, light weight wood that stain and paints perfectly well. It is an ideal choice for outdoor furniture. It is a soft wood.
• Redwood
Redwood is another good wood that many homeowners prefer to put outdoors. However, most eco-activists are against cutting this tree down as it grows slowly. The wood is rot, insect and weather-resistant too. This too is a soft wood and can dent easily.
