Wood has established itself over the years as a star material in the garden. Ecological, natural, authentic, durable, a wooden garden furniture accumulates the qualities to invest your outdoor space. But do you know that not all woods are created equal when it comes to outdoor furniture. Some species are indeed more resistant than others for outdoor use. Let’s discover together which are the best species of wood for a garden furniture.
Teak
Teak tops our ranking. It is the most used wood for the manufacture of outdoor furniture. Teak is a tropical tree that grows in the South East region of Asia in Indonesia, Thailand, Laos or Burma.
This wood is considered valuable and durable, which makes it an excellent choice for a garden furniture. It is rot-proof thanks to its richness in natural oleoresin allowing it not to rot in contact with water. It also has excellent resistance properties against wood-boring fungi and insects.
The color of teak ranges from golden yellow to orange brown. The warm shade of teak can be enhanced with an oiled finish to create a beautiful brown effect.
Acacia
Acacia is also an exotic wood species. It has good durability and easy maintenance. In terms of performance, acacia tends to approach the high-end qualities of teak wood. Like teak, it is resistant to climatic hazards, which makes it a popular wood for garden furniture.
It is a dense wood, which weighs quite heavy. The teak table or lounge will therefore be a little more difficult to move.
It has a slightly lighter color than teak. Over time, we can observe a phenomenon of color change, the acacia will indeed tend to gray. This stems from a natural process and in no way alters its qualities. Cleaning and then treatment will restore its original color.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a tree native to Australia, which has been introduced elsewhere in the world and in particular in Europe (Portugal). It has a very rapid growth and gives a solid wood, which makes it a material used for the design of furniture and various fittings.
A eucalyptus garden furniture is however less qualitative than teak or acacia furniture. Its resistance to humidity is indeed less. However, it has the advantage of a much lower price and a pretty natural light color, ideal for decorating the garden. Eucalyptus is mainly used for garden furniture that can easily be stored under cover to protect it from the weather, like deck chairs that are folded and easily put back in a garden shed.
Rattan
Rattan is a natural material, coming from a tropical plant. It is widely used in furnishings for its exotic, vintage and inviting spirit of travel. This vine is regularly found on sofas, armchairs and interior furniture. Check for more at Homary! But can natural rattan also be used outdoors?
Since rattan is sensitive to UV rays and humidity, it could degrade over the seasons. It can still be used outdoors, if it is sheltered and carefully maintained. In any case, we do not recommend leaving a natural rattan garden furniture in the garden all year round. It will nevertheless take on its full meaning in a veranda, a winter garden or under a porch.
If this fragile aspect of rattan frightens you, then the solution is to turn to the woven resin garden furniture which approaches the aesthetics of it from a design point of view, and without having the disadvantages. for outdoor use.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a plant that comes mainly from Asia and America. Bamboo stalks used for making furniture. These round rods bring an exotic and tropical atmosphere to a decoration. A bit like rattan, however, it is not recommended to leave it exposed to the sometimes capricious weather conditions. A bamboo garden furniture should therefore be regularly cleaned and returned to shelter as soon as possible.
Pine
Pine is a soft wood, quick to produce and economical. It has a light color, with the presence of many knots. Class 3, it can be used outdoors provided it is rigorously maintained and has undergone a treatment to make it more resistant to water, temperature changes and UV rays. The price of pine garden furniture will be lower, given its less convincing qualities when compared with species such as teak or acacia.
The pine garden furniture requires regular cleaning, the application of a fungicide and insecticide treatment, and essential storage in the garage or garden chalet. It is for these reasons that there are ultimately very few pine living rooms on the market.
Make sure that with the living room set up, you have room to walk around it. There must also be enough space for the chair to move back when you are seated during a meal outside. In an interior, we recommend about 70 cm of setback. For more different models, check now on homary.com. We can keep the same proportions for the balcony even if in certain situations it will be necessary to reduce it.
