Wood selection for outdoor chairs

[Garandman]

i might build some Adirondack chairs, or buy them. Either way I could make them from Pine, Poplar, Red Oak or Red Cedar.

This will sit down by the stream bank, possibly year round. I can coat them with something, but what is going to last the longest?

 

[LD1]

In order of longevity IMO

1 (longest) Cedar
2 treated pine
3 poplar coated with something
4 red oak

I wouldnt want to make them with red oak. its heavy, and not real rot resistant. White oak would be a better choice, but still heavy.

The rest isnt gonna be much difference in weight. For just doing chairs and not a whole lot of lumber, I'd lean toward cedar. You can also get treated pine that is "cedartone" that has a reddish look like cedar for a little less money. But I dont think a few chairs is gonna break the bank if done in cedar

 

[ustmd]

In order of longevity IMO

1 (longest) Cedar
2 treated pine
3 poplar coated with something
4 red oak

I wouldnt want to make them with red oak. its heavy, and not real rot resistant. White oak would be a better choice, but still heavy.

The rest isnt gonna be much difference in weight. For just doing chairs and not a whole lot of lumber, I'd lean toward cedar. You can also get treated pine that is "cedartone" that has a reddish look like cedar for a little less money. But I dont think a few chairs is gonna break the bank if done in cedar

+1. Cedar is my preference for outdoor furniture and structures. It is easy to work with, light and holds up well. It's one issue is that it is a soft wood, but other than that it is great.

 

[ddbackhoe]

i might build some Adirondack chairs, or buy them. Either way I could make them from Pine, Poplar, Red Oak or Red Cedar.

This will sit down by the stream bank, possibly year round. I can coat them with something, but what is going to last the longest?

cedar would be a good choice. I would go the distance and add an epoxy. I am a fan of the West system (105 and 207) and use it quite a bit. They have an awesome metering kit for doing smaller batches. My latest project is getting epoxied to seal it plus a couple coats of Schooner Gold varnish to add uv protection.

WEST SYSTEM | The 105 System of Epoxy Resins and Hardeners
http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/diy/products/varnishes/schooner-gold.aspx

 

[C4Ranch]

Cypress?

 

[Sodo]

There are lots of different kinds of "Pine". Ponderosa pine won't last more than a few years, for example. Pine shelf boards from the store could be Ponderosa.

There are differences in Cedars too, some better than others for ground contact, but Cedar is generally good for outdoor chairs. If you don't want them to be too heavy, that's another huge benefit of Cedar. I have some cedar Adirondaks on my wood porch and they get moved around whenever we squeeze more chairs out there. They have a LOT of wood in them and could be very heavy if made of a heavy wood. If too heavy would beat up the porch too.

There are a lot of "chair plans" available but they are not ALL comfortable, you need to sit in them before committing to build. I found some Adirondaks, at a dept store that "fit" real nice (very comfy) bought one and copied the pattern (made 4 chairs).

I made changes here and there such as:

- used 1" thick Cedar
- widened the armrests
- "beveled" each slat

Beveling the slats increased the comfort a LOT. I convexed the horizontal slats & concaved the verticals with a tablesaw. Just slightly, just enough to make the corners go away. Mine are more comfy than the pattern chair from the store.

I made these to last, I bet they're still good when I can't get out of one anymore, and that may be awhile. Mine need a little lateral bracing though, I might add that someday (maybe hide some braces underneath, made out of a hardwood).



One fella says "ride hard or sit on the porch". My favorite thing(s) to do is "ride hard then sit on the porch" :laughing:

Sitting by the stream would be OK too.

 

[Farmerford]

ddbackhoe.

That is beautiful! Is it cedar after the West epoxy and varnish?

 

[s219]

I use cypress for outdoor furniture. Have a bench that's been outside for 3+ years and is still looking great. Cypress trees grow like weeds around here, but I can't cut a live one since they are bald eagle habitat trees. But when one falls during a storm, the chainsaws come out. Best are ones that get "topped" in storms. Let them stand for 2-3 years and when I cut the tree down, the wood is already dry and seasoned. It mills, saws, and works like butter, with nice tight grain. Here's a freshly milled beam that was cut from a standing dead tree:



Here's a bench made from cants and scrap pieces of cypress that came off the beams:



Next on my list would be cedar. But don't overlook using synthetic lumber -- like that trex type decking. I see a lot of outdoor furniture made from that stuff now.

 

[Otto Syracuse]

I would agree on the two suggestions to use cypress. It makes absolutely beautiful outdoor furniture and is more durable than cedar. Very easy to work with and takes a stain nicely. I left mine raw for a few years, but then sanded them down and put clear preservative with a small amount of golden oak stain on it and it looks great.

 

[oosik]

I built two Adirondack chairs way back in '83. There are made of red oak because no other hard wood is readily available. I slop them down yearly with a good preserving oil stain and they are still good as new.

I think this is mainly due to our extreme low humidity and I have all four legs sitting up off the ground on a fire brick.

Since I built them, an exotic woods lumber yard has opened and many varieties are now available. I think teak or maybe ironwood would look very nice.