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.

The first way is following manufacturer’s instructions.   If you purchased your wood outdoor patio furniture new it should come with care and maintenance instructions.   If you have the information, it’s best to save and follow them. They will give you the best advice on properly maintaining your furniture.

Also, covering and storing the furniture during any    months that you don’t plan to use the patio furniture.   If you have room in your garage or shed then it would be the perfect place to store it.   Otherwise, you should place it under an overhang and or cover it with a cover that is made for use outdoors.

Leaving it in the sun and rain can ruin the wood unless you protect it.   This can be done by simply covering it.   You don’t always know when a storm is coming and you may not be home to protect your furniture.   Keeping your furniture protected and sealed can lessen the need to take such precautions.

Sealing the wood will give you better coverage for longer life.   So if the wood is sealed you won’t have to worry about rushing out in the rain to protect that beautiful garden bench you just purchased.   You should use a good wood protestant at the beginning of every season.   The type of furniture you have will help determine whether you need to use a stain, paint, preservative,oil or wax.  When you purchase the product you need to read the labels.   You want to be sure that whatever you are purchasing will work properly on the type of wood you are using it on.  Also,  make sure the product  is made for outdoor use; otherwise you won’t be properly protecting your furniture.

One of the best tips for designing the perfect patio is planning. First you need to determine how you plan to use your space then how elaborate you want the area to be. The more precise you plan, the better you will like the end results. Determining how many people will be on your patio will make a difference in the planning. If you enjoy throwing parties, then you will need to design your patio so that it can accommodate the large number of people. If small get-togethers are more to your liking then a smaller patio will work well.

Make sure your plans aren’t bigger than your area. You want to be sure that whatever you plan can fit in the space that you have. Begin your planning by making sketches of what you want the space to look like. The drawings do not need to be perfect. The sketches greatly help in the designing. Traffic patterns and location of landscape are important in your sketches.

Trees are the perfect accent to any outdoor room. They provide privacy, shade, and a focus point. Fast growing vines will also provide both shade and privacy. Another good idea is to make your patio flow with the structural elements of your home. If you have a brick house then brick pavers would be the perfect solution for your patio. If you want to mix textures then be sure to add elements of the original.

Furniture makes a big difference in your outdoor space. You want furniture that is both functional and stylish. When choosing your outdoor patio furniture, remember that it needs to be able to withstand all weather types.  There are many options out there for you to choose from such as wood, wicker,  and poly lumber. It’s more a matter of preference than anything else when deciding on your patio set.   Some are easier to care for than others, so it’s also important to choose something that will work well with your lifestyle.

Furniture selection is one of the hardest things for many home owners to choose. There are so many different styles to choose from. It may take you awhile, but you will eventually find the perfect outdoor patio furniture to suit both your style and needs. A garden bench is perfect for any garden and adds a hint of sophistication and a patio swing is nice to relax in after a long day of work. Just remember the most important tip I can offer you in designing your perfect patio is plan, plan, plan.

This article brought to you by PerfectPatioTable.com

Teak comes from the tree Tectona.  According to Wikipedia, there are three different Tectona trees.  The Tectona grandis is the most common tree and has a wide distribution in India and Indonesia.  Tectona hamiltoniana is a tree found only in Burma and is endangered due to over harvesting.  There is also the Tectona Philippinenesis which is only found in the Philippines and also considered endangered.   The teak wood harvested from Indonesia is controlled by the Indonesian government through a corporation known as Perum Perhutani.   Perum Perhutani is responsible for the reforestation program in all of Indonesia.   The largest producer of teak is the Island of Java in Indonesia.   The Teak tree needs to grow for a minimum or 40 years before being harvested.  It is the Perum Perhutani’s job to make certain that for every tree harvested there are trees planted for future generations.   It is the teak tree plantation that keeps the Tectona Grandis from becoming endangered like the trees in Burma and the Philippines.  Often teak is described as Java Teak or Indonesian Teak so the user knows that the teak wood is not endangered and being reforested through these environmentally friendly plantations.

This rigid board stock can be used just like wood to build docks, tables, chairs, benches, swings or anything else you build out to wood.  Lighthouses, birdfeeders and birdhouses are and can be made out of poly lumber.  These pieces will last a lifetime.  Poly lumber requires no maintenance such as painting, scraping, or replacing.  It is termite resistant and will not crack, splinter, warp or rot.  Poly wood does not promote bacterial growth or mildew and will not weather from natural elements.  It is fade proof due to U/V stabilization.

Because of poly woods properties many people prefer outdoor furniture made from it.  Poly lumber furniture comes in a variety of colors.  Colors that resemble natural wood, such as weatherwood and cherrywood are very popular; however there is a strong trend for Adirondack patio chairs to be in bright, bold colors, like red, lime green, canary yellow and even Aruba blue.

Even though poly lumber is more expensive than wood, many people prefer to purchase poly lumber outdoor furniture because of its advantages.   It is one of the most environmentally friendly products.  Poly lumber is a great use of recycled plastics, keeping them out of our landfills and it helps preserve the worlds wood forests.  This blog has been brought to you by PerfectPatioTable.com