An Ideal Wood for Outdoor Patio Furniture
Patio furniture is made out of many types of wood. Some are made from teak wood, cedar, redwood, bamboo, Southern Yellow Pine, and many others.
One of the most important wood qualities in outdoor furniture is oil content, which helps withstand harsh weather conditions. The hardness of the wood isn’t nearly as important as the oil content when it comes to lasting for years outdoors. That is what makes teak wood stand apart from the rest. Teak has the highest oil content and when compared with other wood, the oil doesn’t deplete over time. In order to make quality outdoor patio furniture, teak takes almost half a century to mature to the point that the oil content is high enough.
Teak is a preference for many people. It’s more expensive than other woods but when you consider the lifespan of 50 plus years, it’s truly a great value. In order to ensure that you teak patio table can fulfill its lifespan; you must properly care for and maintain it. Grade A teak wood can withstand temperatures as low as negative 50 degrees and as high as 60 degrees without be affected. Teak oil also makes the wood more resistant to things like cracking, warping, and insects including termites. Teak wood also doesn’t splinter, making it an excellent choice for your outdoor patio furniture.
Your teak outdoor furniture can change colors according to the weather. Left outdoors it will begin turning gray. The UV rays are what cause the color to change. You don’t have to have your furniture changing colors however. The new look can be maintained by applying a teak protector or teak oil. The teak oil will change the wood cosmetically, but will not damage the strength or integrity of the wood.
Cleaning and maintain is simple with teak wood. Wash with soapy water and store it in a well ventilated area that isn’t damp. With the simplicity of maintenance, lifespan, resistance to weather and bugs, and not splintering make it pretty obvious why teak is the number one choice of wood for outdoor furniture.
Western Red Cedar is another ideal wood for outdoor furniture. It is comparable to teak in its strength and durability. Western Red Cedar is a northern hardwood found in the Northwest United States and Canada. It is a very dense, tightly grained wood. Western red cedar contains natural chemicals that inhibit decay, fungi and termites. It is a highly colored wood and has fine texture. It is coveted for it weather resistant qualities. 
Western Red Cedar makes wonderful outdoor patio furniture because of its strength, durability, and weather resistance. Teak is more popular because of its availability as well as strength. Over the years teak has been over harvested which has caused its price to increase dramatically. They are now growing teak in plantation, the hybrid that has been created grows much more quickly but isn’t as strong as the original slow grown teak. There are strong points to both woods when being used to create outdoor furniture. Both are strong and durable so the rest is up to the consumer. Although I’m pretty sure they prefer teak since it’s the number one wood in outdoor patio furniture.
