Interior Design & Decor

There are many things you should take into consideration when selecting your outdoor furniture. For instance, you need to figure out how much upkeep is involved with each type of furniture, and how long the piece will last before it should be replaced. You also need to research how easy the furniture will to clean, and exactly how much you want to spend on each piece of outdoor furniture. Two of the most popular types of outdoor furniture are built with cedar and teak, and each type of wood has a distinct list of advantages.

Let’s start with cedar. Northern White Cedar is often used for furniture both outdoors and indoors. This type of wood is known for its strength and durability and is naturally impervious to insect attacks, general decay, weather damage, and basically anything else that Mother Nature can throw at it. Cedar has a high strength to weight ratio, meaning that while it is very strong and durable, you usually will not have a problem moving the furniture around because it is so light. If that is not enough, Cedar is also attractive. It tends to come with a natural gold, silver or tan color, but will fade to a bleached silver color when exposed to the elements, and stay that way for the next few decades.

Teak is another strong choice when purchasing outdoor furniture. Even though teak is one of the more expensive types of wood used for outdoor furniture, it is also one of the most durable woods. Teak also weathers very well. After spending season after season in the elements, teak takes on an attractive weathered look. It is a dense and hardy wood, so the weather, insects, and the sun have trouble doing any harm to it. Some folks choose to stain their teak furniture, but there are some risks involved with this approach. Be sure that you will be happy with the stain because it will be permanent once you apply it. However, applying a layer of paint or stain to teak furniture is a great way to help protect your furniture for years against the, rain, wind, and the sun.

While some people choose teak because of its strong and durable features, others choose cedar because it is a less expensive, yet very beautiful and weather proof wood that makes for an attractive piece of outdoor furniture. Basically, choosing your outdoor patio furniture comes down to your preference. Both teak and cedar make great pieces of furniture for your outdoor space.