Among many short-term trends in all areas of life, from housing to outfits, to cars or places to choose for a summer vacation, some things are timeless in fields. We can all agree that what little black dress means for the fashion industry, the lumber means in the housing and interior and exterior design industry.
Many people live in apartments dreaming about their dream houses with patios or huge gardens with their favorite rocking chairs to settle down and relish the day. It can also be important how you choose the comfortable piece of furniture that will last and what it is made of. Natural wood makes a perfect mix of evergreen beauty and durability with the modern shapes it can achieve with the help of a creative and wise carpenter.
Since wood can be used for making so many pieces of furniture, it’s wise to inform yourself better on how to choose the best type for your table, sofa, bench, or chair in case you are considering an outdoor oasis in your yard. Various types of timber have characteristics that can contribute to the beauty of the outside of your household if you know how to use them right and make the best out of each sort.
Here are some essential things to have in mind when choosing the best material for your outdoor furniture.
1. Resistance
You want to make sure the type of wood you choose is resistant to all undesirable outside effects such as rot, insects, water or any similar dangers. Choosing cypress, for example, means you’ll get a fantastic material that releases its natural ingredient, making your furniture water-resistant.
Another extremely dense and water-proof material for the same purpose is ipe, as well as eucalyptus with its natural oils that keep moisture, insects and rot away and saves you tons of cash. If rot is your biggest threat, you can consider cedar as a long-term solution for your problems, yet this one doesn’t go well with water – keep it in mind when making a decision.
2. Durability
We all know how having something that’ll last, especially when we spend time selecting it, arranging it, and maintaining it, is essential to us. This is why choosing the sort that’ll last for as many decades as possible and keep its form and beauty untouched means a lot to any homeowner. Cedar is durable and keeps its original texture since it retains water, while acacia requires being well-sealed – if that one condition is fulfilled, it’s always long-lasting. Shorea also requires regular oiling and maintenance but shows fantastic results, and redwood is another sort whose color remains strong and vivid for a very long time while having maybe the best durability under all climates, though this one comes with a higher price alongside its fantastic benefits.
3. Local accessibility
There are sayings how the food that is locally grown goes best with the metabolism of local people. In other words, if you’re about to select the best for your health, the area you live in will bring you the best ingredients to keep you healthy, rather than something from another part of the world.
A similar analogy can be used for woods. Buying local lumber will usually be best for your yard or terrace with less treatment than some other types you might find in other parts of the country or even the world. The fact that you bought it locally also decreases the price significantly and is more eco-friendly, considering the lower carbon-dioxide emission due to driving it from another part of the country or from abroad.
4. Surface
Depending on the type of surface you’ll put the furniture on, some wood types might show certain advantages or disadvantages that are good to mention. Cypress is excellent if you have a terrace and concrete-made surface since it doesn’t go well with the ground.
Acacia tends to show discolorations when used in direct contact with the moist ground, so it is better to turn to something like redwood or teak.
5. Climate
If you live in a Mediterranean area your choices will be different than if you live in dry, desert areas. A wet climate with a lot of rainfall means a distinct approach that includes white oak as one of the options. Oak can be a great selection as it turned out to show some fantastic characteristics, having in mind that ships are often made of this material and that it can last for a significantly long time.
Teak, which is grown and harvested in Southeast Asia, is excellent for outdoor furniture in areas that are near the beach as its top-notch features can survive in all types of weather conditions. Redwood, if we put the higher price aside, is irreplaceable in all sorts of conditions, which means it’s a number one idea regardless of the climate circumstances.
6. Environment-related factors
Let’s say you want to find the best wood type for your cottage furniture, but that you don’t plan to use the object throughout the whole year. The fact that some pieces might be more or less exposed to sun, rain, or other types of natural influences should be taken into consideration at all times. The pieces you get might be positioned fully under the roof, awning or some sort of movable piece of plastic or metal that’ll keep it more or less protected. If you don’t have that kind of protection, you surely want to give those more durable options a go.
7. Maintenance, price, and position
Some wood tends to be a bit more sensitive and delicate in their structure and form and require much more maintenance than others that simply need to be only oiled from time to time in order to keep their original looks. If you can’t dedicate the time to maintaining the furniture, it’s best to forget about mahogany, which requires regular attention in order not to lose its fantastic rich color. Shorea does require regular oiling, yet it’s one of those materials that have quite a long lifespan. Cedar, on the other hand, requires minimal maintenance, as well as ipe that can last for a significantly long time without any treatment.
Adding to the above-mentioned, just like you know that your coach needs to fit the space between two walls in the living room, your outdoor area limits your choice in terms of space it takes. The size of the elements that are made of woods you need also dictates the price of the items, which is an important element in your selection.
If you are about to organize just a small balcony, there will be no space for a huge dining table and associated elements, and you would need to go with a small coffee table like the one remarkablefurniture.com.au has, which will be less expensive than a huge 8-piece dining set. In case your backyard has vast space and you plan to move the entire dining room for a while over there, you can select some bigger pieces that will fit the space and the price would need to follow it as well.
The beauty of the vast variety of items that you can choose among is what makes this journey interesting – and mixing the benefits of each wood type with the needs you have for your outdoor area will bring you good results.
