Best Woods for Building Outdoor Furniture | Skill Builders

[@ekimosurac1]

Nice job on the vid. Regarding domestic species, consider Sassafras, Catalpa, Black Locust, Cherry, Walnut, Red Mulberry, and Eastern Red Cedar. All of these species are rated as DURABLE by the USDA. Black Locust, Osage Orange, and Red Mulberry are noted as have exceptional rot resistance. Today's fast grown 2nd and 3rd generation WRC and cypress are only moderately rot-resistant.

[@benbravo7239]

Thanks for the information I’m refurbishing some old garden benches a whole set this was great information thank you

[@rockler]

That sounds fun! Glad this could help. Thanks for watching. 💙

[@geckosethpe]

I’ve been on a massive red wood cedar binge. I recently got some white oak as well, so I’m hoping to combine the two for some garden planters or outdoor decorations

[@MrJohnnyboyrebel]

I made two Adirondack chairs out of cypress (new growth) and primed and painted. They “live” on a flagstone patio in full sun and rain. Both chairs suffered wood rot in a year. Old growth reclaimed cypress will not do that. Lesson learned.

[@josephlipetzky2825]

Thank you very much

[@anatoliyefimov4984]

would love to see a similar video that covers that finishes, sealers, protections you can add to compliment the wood...

[@rockler]

Hi Anatoli, Chris Marshall did create a video for Woodworker's Journal that talks through the best finish for outdoor projects. You can find it at kzbin.info/www/bejne/onq5h3Sfhp6qnZY. Thanks!

[@tammoton9494]

Nice info. What's a good finish for outdoor white oak? Tung oil is too "indoor-looking" for me.

[@rockler]

A spar urethane works well. You can get water or oil based. The water based will retain a more natural look. Deck and marine finishes work great as well.

[@jbb5470]

Thanks Chris! With spring just around the corner, this would be a great addition to our back porch! one of these chairs in Cedar :^)

[@felixfromnebraska8648]

What about Teak wood? I've always heard it was great for outdoors.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Just finished a teak Adirondack chair. Looks great but AWFUL to work with. Oil killed every tool blade, sand paper etc. never again. Oh, and the wood alone was close to $900 for 35 feet of 4/4 8 inch stock.

[@markcynic808]

@@Samlol23_drrich All true, but that teak Adirondack chair will outlast one made from any other wood.

[@parkersharpe8074]

I have lots of black walnut, will that hold up?

[@phuocle864]

Which wood should I choose the best weather resistant to make this chair? I intend to use Teak wood whether it is suitable? Should I choose the best Cedar or Teak?

[@rockler]

Teak would work just fine for an outdoor project.

[@ulisesgalvan9343]

And the teak??

[@ranger2316]

I made an Adirondack chair out of IPE once just because ... well, why not? Man, that was one HEAVY chair! It wasn't all that difficult to work with, although it is heavy, dense and a bit brittle. You have to predrill for screws! Not sure I'd ever use IPE again, but it was an interesting exercise.

[@richardcagle5475]

Kind of glad it was extremely price prohibitive for me given your experience. Kind of thought the same thing. Great looking, basically indestructible. What's not to love? Well, price. It was almost $14/bf. Nope

[@zulaab123]

Is it ok to use treated wood for outdoor furniture. Or if not can I paint on it to make it safe

[@rockler]

Yes, pressure treated lumber is good for outdoor furniture use. Wear PPE when cutting and sanding. However, a coat of paint will greatly increase the protection of any outdoor wood.

[@waterfrontcentral7481]

Do people use Koa? It is a beautiful rare wood I know, but curious to know how it would hold up

[@rockler]

Hi, Please reach out to our product support team at 1-800-260-9663 or [e-mail]. They'll be able to assist you. Thank you

[@HaigKalousdian-oc4mn]

What about teakwood for out door furniture? Thanks

[@rockler]

Teak holds up very well to the elements.

[@MrDiegogue]

What is a design toolkit?

[@puckhugh]

No mention of Teak Or redwood ?

[@berner57]

What would be your advice if you want to make a few outdoor pieces that will be primed and painted (with oil of course)? I learned the hard way that the best primer and paint will not protect cheap pine for more than 2 years! Any thoughts on pressure treated lumber?

[@rockler]

When it’s newly purchased, pressure-treated lumber is often saturated with chemicals to the point that you can feel the wetness on the lumber. That dampness can impede the ability for a primer/paint coating to dry properly. If it doesn’t dry and bond securely to the lumber, film finishes like primer and paint are much more likely to fail prematurely. Give pressure-treated lumber plenty of time to dry before priming and painting it. You might consider either stacking the lumber so its edges and faces are open to the air or even stickering between the pieces. Or, if you use it in a project, give the lumber three to six months to dry after its assembled. There’s no downside to waiting before priming and painting. After all, the pressure treatment is intended to prevent premature decay and insect infestation. So let it dry, then prime and paint as usual. Both exterior-rated oil-based and latex-based primers and paints are good topcoats for pressure-treated lumber.

[@leonpse]

Is redwood good?

[@rockler]

Yes. It cuts well with hand tools and it machines nicely. It is very stable, and holds up well as outdoor furniture.

[@leonpse]

@@rockler Thanks

[@kurtlindner]

Great video.

[@mariocainarean6121]

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[@larryharrellcomedy8051]

Should you just stick to pine if you’re going to paint it? I wouldn’t want to cover any of those others up, but really don’t want to use pine.

[@rockler]

Poplar is a great alternative to pine. It is a hardwood, and it takes paint very well.

[@johnconklin9039]

Of course teak is good for outside projects, but the cost is ridiculous. If you can find it, sassafras is inexpensive, attractive and decay resistant.

[@GhassanSaffarini]

Great

[@stephenjie599]

A modified wood called Accoya is perfect. Durable, dimension extremely stable.

[@peeloffrecords8496]

What about fasteners?

[@rockler]

Stainless Steel would be best, second would be galvanized.

[@DennisMathias]

What about price? Could you arrange the 5 in order of price?

[@Cam-wi3tp]

all to expensive for an adirondack chair, just use 5/4 pressure treated deck lumber

[@plutus205]

Teak??

[@markcynic808]

In Europe, Siberian Larch is excellent.

[@MrMonero]

I was wondering why he didn’t mention larch. People here in Scotland use it for cladding, fencing, benches and more. Most of the time it is left natural and untreated and holds up to the rough elements.

[@MrMonero]

No larch?

[@rockler]

Hi Bitcoinist, Please reach out to our product support team at 1-800-260-9663 or [e-mail]. They'll be able to assist you. Thank you

[@C_L_Thomas]

What about Teak?

[@cherylligutom6860]

what about Molave wood?

[@rockler]

Hi Cheryl, please reach out to our Product Support team at 1-800-260-9663 or [e-mail]. They may be able to assist you. Thank you!

[@sanjaisai8418]

What about teak..

[@bobwoodhams7242]

teak is the best

[@tipsreviews7476]

Green treated is best 😆

[@ferranouri1527]

san Fransisco holes speech complimentary

[@zidnyknight3611]

what i hear is white oak cypress western red cedar african mahogany spanish cedar

[@bobleeswoodshop7919]

Ash.?

[@bitounas]

iroko?hello!?

[@hickerbilly345]

You left out black locust.

[@markdesign1354]

Teak

[@beejd5349]

What about Acacia

[@rockler]

Acacia has a good reputation in terms of outdoor furniture. It must be finished and like any wood that you use outdoors, the end grain should get special attention when it comes to sealing the grain. Many finishing experts recommend using an epoxy to “pack” (wipe on in a thick coat) end grain. This is true for cedar, mahogany, white oak or acacia.

[@jbo8060]

@@rockler hey not a whole lot out there on acacia wood as far as outdoor furniture goes. I found an awesome outdoor furniture set made of acacia. I am not a wood guy. It comes unfinished and needs to be stained. What exactly is end grain ?

[@95cv95]

What about keeping the carpenter bees away ?

[@rockler]

They won't bore into Black Locust wood. They are also repelled by Almond Oil and Citrus Oil. You can make a mixture and spray it on through the spring to keep them from nesting.

[@AkashMahamud-z1q]

So informative! I appreciate the ease of setup mentioned-perfect for someone like me! @homekitdecor

[@rockler]

Thanks for watching!

[@thebigdoghimself]

Which ones are known carcinogens? Spanish cedar dust is very bad for you.