Woods for outdoor furniture
A manufacturer of outdoor furniture consults the Wood Doctor for help with choosing a species to replace beech. 1998.
by Professor Gene Wengert
Q.
I am the Manager of Berkshire Wood Craft in West Springfield, MA. Our product is outdoor furniture. We are currently using beech, mahogany, and white oak. We are having problems with the beech--end checking and splitting on the surface of the various parts. The finishes that we use on the beech is an oil based paint.
We are looking for the best wood to replace use of beech. We are thinking about cypress, cedar, and redwood. We also have questioned the availability of these. Can you give me any words of wisdom?
A.
If I were making outdoor furniture, I would consider Alaska yellow cedar (natural decay resistance) and CCA (green color) treated Southern yellow pine.
Certainly there are other choices, but these two are at the top of my list. It is important to recognize that there are different grades of lumber. So, a No.2 SYP might be too knotty or too warped--you might need a No.1.
White oak is a good choice, but it is heavy and does have a few cracks, from time to time. Both oak and mahogany are expensive. Cypress (only old growth) and eastern or western red cedars are also good choices, but are expensive. Old growth cypress is in short supply; so is eastern red cedar.
Professor Gene Wengert is Extension Specialist in Wood Processing at the Department of Forestry, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Click on Wood Doctor Archives to peruse past answers.
If you would like to obtain a copy of "The Wood Doctor's Rx", visit the Wood Education and Resource Center Web site for more information.
Would you like to add information to this article?
Interested in writing or submitting an article?
Have a question about this article?
Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below?
KnowledgeBase: Lumber & Plywood: Buying
KnowledgeBase: Lumber & Plywood: Wood Identification
KnowledgeBase: Wood Engineering: Wood Properties
KnowledgeBase: Woodworking Miscellaneous: Woodworking
KnowledgeBase: Knowledge Base
Would you like to add information to this article? ...
Click Here
If you have a question regarding a Knowledge Base article, your best chance at uncovering an answer is to search the entire Knowledge Base for related articles or to post your question at the appropriate WOODWEB Forum. Before posting your message, be sure to review our Forum Guidelines.
Questions entered in the Knowledge Base Article comment form will not generate responses! A list of WOODWEB Forums can be found at WOODWEB's Site Map.
When you post your question at the Forum, be sure to include references to the Knowledge Base article that inspired your question. The more information you provide with your question, the better your chances are of receiving responses.
Return to beginning of article.
|
