Commonly used for fences, roofing and siding: Cedar can last good wood for outdoor projects kr years without any maintenance or treatment. Back in the day, farmers used local trees wod create flr fences at their property line. Although, it does make good outdoor furniture because it's rot, termite, and Powder Beetle resistant. Responds very well to both lathe turning and steam bending; glues and finishes well. There are methods of construction for avoiding ground contact and for pitching wood so that water does not collect on the surface.

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Black Locust is moderately easy to work with. The Wood Database states "Overall working characteristics for Black Locust are mixed: although the grain is usually straight, its high density and hardness can make it difficult to machine. Black Locust also has a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges. Responds very well to both lathe turning and steam bending; glues and finishes well.

Jacob Aune is familiar with Black Locust. Because of its exceptional strength, this is the species to use in outdoor applications where structural integrity is important. It is tougher than white oak and also offers better longevity in outdoor environments. Cedar is soft, light, and easy to work with. A drawback of working with cedar is the fact that it has poor screw-holding capabilities because of the overall softness of the wood.

Although, it does make good outdoor furniture because it's rot, termite, and Powder Beetle resistant. Aune says most of the ones native to North America offer excellent resistance to rot and most insects. Commonly used for fences, roofing and siding: Cedar can last for years without any maintenance or treatment.

On the negative side, it is much softer and more brittle than the other species on this list with the exception of cypress. Armstrong pointed out that the natural resins in cedar are what make it such a hardy timber, and very useful for outdoor furniture. It doesn't need to be painted, stained or treated, but doing so will enhance the lifetime of the wood against the elements.

If left untreated, it weathers to a gray color. Since cedar is a softer, lighter, faster growing wood, it won't last as long as hardwood. Ken Schumacher, a professional woodworker and owner of KS WoodCraft a company that specializes in building custom furniture , has a great example of how insect resistant cedar is: "A few years back, I was a tabletop source for a major national furniture company. The company loved ordering live edge aromatic cedar tops from us.

When the raw slabs arrived to our shop, we noticed that there were tiny insects boring in the bark of the slabs. What must have happened is that the slabs were placed out in the yard after the kiln treatment. The insects must have found shelter in the bark of the wood, but did not penetrate the heartwood AND sapwood.

Cypress wood is rot and insect resistant attributable to its natural oils. Cypress weathers to a silver gray over time if left unfinished, similar to cedar, and has enough oil content to resist water and rot for a while. The wood is comparable in softness to the various cedars. The cypress heartwood color varies from a light yellow brown, to reddish and dark brown. Aune says "old growth wood has the best reputation. While the wood commercially harvested these days may not be as highly regarded, it is still a viable wood for outdoor use.

Because of its lighter color and gorgeous grain, your choice of stain will really pop once cypress wood has been coated. Cypress is a very pretty option for those who are keen on making their garden furniture stand out" says Armstrong. Cypress stains very well. KS Woodcraft builds a lot of furniture with cypress. Schumacher states "while being a very light [referring to weight] wood, it remains quite stable. In all of our applications, we find that there is minimal movement; which we LOVE.

Special care should be taken when planing "" small passes to remove tear out. Douglas-fir is widely available and used predominately for construction and building projects. This species is one of the hardest softwoods commercially available in the U. Its heartwood is moderately strong in regard to decay, but is vulnerable to insects. Douglas-fir is relatively easy to work with.

Staining and finishing it is easy. It holds adhesives well too. You may be familiar with this species already if you celebrate Christmas. Douglas-fir is a popular type of Christmas tree!

Bruce Lemler says douglas-fir offers "great wood character in terms of grain and texture while providing a strength, sturdiness and hardiness that performs incredibly well for everything from outdoor patio sets and benches to tree houses and sheds.

Add to that the versatility for finishing and you've got your wood. Whether clear varnish, stain or paint achieves the final desired appearance, this wood will look great. Seek out Douglas-fir that's been weather-treated, and you're already ahead of the game. ARTwood specializes in creating wood furnishings from reclaimed wood mainly trees felled by Hurricane Sandy but also furnishings in need of rescue.

Ipe is a fast growing wood imported from Central and South America. It is a really hard and dense timber. The high density found in ipe means it can barely float.

It also means it is a more difficult wood to work with, so monitor your cutting edges carefully when working with ipe as you will experience a high cutting resistance. Ipe can be a difficult wood to glue properly. It is recommended to prepare the surface prior to gluing. I would stay away from using adhesives on ipe if you can help it. Aune from Altare Design agrees. He says "A word of warning for those using ipe: it also resists many adhesives.

This makes it a poor choice for furnishings that rely upon glue for structural integrity. Mechanical fasteners such as screws or interlocking wood joints are the safer option. I would give it about 15 years if left untreated and in an outdoor setting. It resists movement, warping, cracking, decomposition, and denting. Aune says "this is a very hard wood so it will resist physical damage better than the rest of the species mentioned here.

It is also highly resistant to insects and fungi thanks to its oil and extractive content. This makes ipe the ideal wood for outdoor uses that will subject it to heavy abuse such as flooring for decks and gazebos. It's commonly sold for decking because of its weather-resistance and extreme density. For an outdoor wood that needs to be resistant to dents and scratches, this is the one. Redwood is most commonly used in outdoor furniture due to its natural insect and moisture resistant qualities.

Alfresco Dining Sale. Wood Wood Top Ideabooks. Appears in. Falon Mihalic April 28, Houzz Contributor. Through landscape design, I create spaces for quiet reflection and lush gardens using native plant palettes and sustainable stormwater techniques. I'm a contributing writer to Houzz so that I can be active in the conversation about sustainable design for residential projects. Learn more about my company's work at falonland. Save Comment 41 Like Natural wood is a lovely choice for adding warmth and texture to garden structures like raised beds, fences, decks and trellises.

Much lumber is chemically treated to prevent it from rotting. However, some woods have superior rot resistance naturally and can be used outdoors without chemical treatment. Back in the day, farmers used local trees to create rot-resistant fences at their property line.

In New England, black locust Robinia pseudoacacia was the preferred tree. Midwest farmers planted thorny Osage orange Maclura pomifera to delineate their property lines and keep farm animals contained.

Sometimes they used living stakes and let them grow into a living fence-hedge. Both black locust and Osage orange can be seen growing as hedgerows in these regions today. Those farmers had the right idea to use naturally rot-resistant wood to create low-maintenance fences. It was a locally available building material that required little maintenance.

Source wood that is naturally rot resistant and local to create gorgeous natural surfaces in your garden. Why Use Wood Today? From a design standpoint, wood surfaces are very intriguing, with their color modulations, weathering and variety of textures.

Woods have a huge range of aesthetic expressions, from wild, bumpy log posts to refined decks sanded smooth. Wood has an undeniable warmth and an association with woodlands and natural landscapes, and one type of rot-resistant wood can be used in a variety of ways.

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