There is nothing more appealing than a garden bench in a beautifully landscaped backyard – it makes you want to sit outside, talk with your friends, read a good book, or just reflect about the things that matter to you. While there are many materials that can be used to make garden furniture, wood is the undisputed victor, since it perfectly fits into the nature and greenery. There are also many types of wood used for this purpose, but it is the most important for all of them to be weather-resistant and durable. If you are thinking about adding style to your backyard, here are some reliable types of wood you could use.
Acacia
One of the most eco-friendly types of wood available, acacia grows in such abundance that it is almost impossible to wipe it out from the planet. It is dense and long-lasting, so it is very resistant when it comes to weather changes. The wood’s rich golden-brown color perfectly contrasts the green surface of the backyard. If you don’t want to lose that color due to the contact with damp ground, you should definitely seal acacia.
Rosewood
According to the guys behind Robert Plumb, this type of hardwood is usually used for designer timber furniture pieces because of its fullness and richness. Depending on the specific type of rosewood (Indian, Brazilian, New Guinean, etc.), it changes various shades of reddish. All rosewoods take an excellent polish and look excellent when used for luxury pieces. They are relatively soft, so they demand a good seal.
Cedar
This lightweight wood is ideal if you don’t have some concrete place in the garden for your furniture and plan to move it around often. It’s resistant to rot and insects, and easy to clean and seal. Cedar also paints and stains wells, so you can easily match it with your indoor furnishing. It retains moisture, but it is resistant to cracking due to drying.
Cypress
Cypress is the ideal type of wood if you would like to display it with no finish whatsoever. It is insects, rot and elements resistant, though with time, it loses its fresh appearance. Applying oil periodically can help it retain the fresh look for much longer.
Shorea
There are actually about 200 trees with the name of shorea. Some of them are Philippine mahogany, Meranti, Balau and Lauan. Harvesting shorea is highly regulated, so the tree is on its way to become sustainable, if eco-friendliness is an important feature for you. Shorea is very durable, and it can resist both the elements and the wear caused by regular using. If you don’t want your furniture to turn from gold to gray over time, you should treat it with oil.
Teak
Perhaps the most obvious choice for outdoor furniture, since it ages well (unlike most of the previous mentions), repels water, resist decay, doesn’t shrink or swell, and it is very strong. Its natural oil helps maintain teak’s sophisticated golden luster. Due to its superiority for outdoor furniture making and the fact that it was once almost exterminated (today there are carefully managed plantations), teak is often marked with a high-price tag.
Ipe Wood
When it comes to decking materials, Ipe wood is definitely the finest solution available. It’s an exotic hardwood resistant to rot and decay and nothing keeps and eight times harder than California Redwood, and also comes with different benefits over teak at a fraction of the cost. However, you should make sure that the Ipe wood you choose is responsibly harvested from a truly renewable resource within a well-managed forest. With regard to its care and maintenance, you can even find companies as Ipe Help offering an array of solutions for the owners of these decks.
Making a Decision
All of the types have their unique advantages, so making a good decision will depend only on your specific needs and aesthetic preferences. Still, before you allow yourself to be seduced by the aesthetic, you should find the balance between sustainability, durability, resistance and your budget. When buying wood for outdoor projects you should always look for “all heart” materials, since darker colored wood from the center of the tree is much more rot resistant. You can also read articles from sites like Afulltable before making a decision.
Making the right call can be difficult, but you can’t go wrong with the mentioned types of trees. Now take your time and choose the wood for you. All that is left is to throw some pillows on the bench, sit back and enjoy.
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