If you’re thinking about building some wooden outdoor furniture for your house, the best wood for garden benches will depends on your budget first.
Wood is variable in cost based on the timber place of origin and natural conditions. Then also consider how long you want your furniture to last and maintenance.
There are softwood and hardwood best woods choices for garden benches.
Softwoods are more lightweight, and requires regular maintenance and waterproofing as part of finishing the long list of indoor and outdoor projects.
Softwoods include smooth wood varieties, such as cedar, pine and where a great finish is desired, they have been pressure treated. And more specifically, softwoods are cheaper.
Hardwoods have even much more work/better finishing yet are long-lasting and require less maintenance as they are almost indestructible.
Difficult to believe, but hardwood garden furniture will last several decades, when treated property, before any maintenance is required.
Although it is true, and hardwoods are high in initial cost, and you pay for wood that is more tough, takes longer to grow and process into the timber.
Teak and Oak are the two more commonly hardwoods used for deck furniture.
List Of The Best Wood To Use For Outdoor Furniture
If you’re looking to make the most weather-resistant wood for your garden furniture, you want to choose a wood that is least affected by moisture, rain and torrential downpours, and any proximity to sunlight.
Here is a list of the best types of timber to make strong and long-lasting benches.
African Mahogany
African mahogany has been grown in the tropics of the US for longer than 100 years, and makes great durable garden furniture.
It has horizontal grain and a lovely finish but is a pain to work with as it is prone to plucking.
It lasts longer as it doesn’t warp and is rot and pest resistant. You can get a foot of the board for around $9 or even less.
Plantation Teak
Teak is a fine hardwood that smells good while new, has a nice finish, and is weatherproof.
Teak grows a startup of plantations in countries in Southern Asia.
It is rather expensive since a foot-long board sells for about $29.
Teak is dense with oily qualities so it wears well and is not as prone to weather and wood pest issues.
Teak is thick with a dark luxurious golden-brown color so it really is the choice of wood for outdoor furniture.
Spanish Cedar
Cedar is an easy wood to use, especially Spanish Cedar, it’s a flexible thin hardwood.
Spanish Cedar is a brightly colored wood that resists decay and bugs, and it takes on character with a good finish or stain.
You can find this wood at $8 a foot.
Western Red Cedar
Wester Red Cedar is reddish-brown in color, is rough, and is built to last due to its rot and insect resistance.
It is soft and easy to work with, but it does require routine maintenance to handle any scratches it may accumulate.
Affordability. Western Red Cedar is inexpensive, costing less than $7 per foot.
Cypress
Cypress is simply beautiful, golden color with a beautiful grain pattern that is perfect for garden benches.
It is durable and decay resistant, which is great for areas with high humidity.
Moderately soft to work with, staining it gives it a nice pop of its natural color. You can find Cypress timber at a price per foot of around $8.
White Oak
Cedar Ranch, or White Oak, is remarkably moisture-resistant and great for all kinds of outdoor garden furniture.
Its native greyish color and straight grain look great after an oil finish.
You can obtain Oak boards by the foot no problem, for way less than $10 at your favorite lumber store.
Acacia
Acacia is cheap and has good longevity outdoors.
It needs very little or no maintenance providing that it is kept away from direct heat to avoid warping.
Make sure you oil it properly to get a good shine and keep it as a lighter brown color.
Rosewood
It is a solid hardwood that is more expensive than Teak, but lasts as long and has a stunning grain finish.
It has a floral aroma when the timber is new and is a combination of red and brown color which gives it a warm appearance.
It is exceptionally resistant to decay due to its density, and doesn’t absorb moisture.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is great for garden benches as it is durable, resistant to moisture and insects.
It is more affordable than Teak and easier to cut.
If the wood is treated properly and covered during the winter, it can last more than 20 years.
Shorea
When Shorea wood is fresh, polished, and treated, it is brown in color, but when left untreated it can turn greyish when outside.
It is a dense hardwood with exceptional durability, it carves excellently and looks stunning as a garden bench.
It is termite and weather resistant!, and is quite a bit cheaper than Teak although similar physically.
What Wood Is Most Weather Resistant?
Teak is the most weather-resistant wood together with Cypress.
This is a trait that makes it the perfect timber for all types of outdoor furniture.
To be weather-resistant wood must maintain its natural colour and shape despite exposure to harsh weather.
Wear and tear resulting from regular use, such as scratches, will be minimal over the years.
How Thick Should Wood Be For A Bench?
3-4 inches thick is about right.
When estimating outdoor furniture’s size, examine its use, location, and how long it will last.
A wooden bench needs to be durable for harsh weather and use.
In addition, it needs to be portable, should you want to shuffle your garden around.
Heavier wood is more permanent, than lighter woods. As mentioned before, the legs should be greater than 2 inches wide to hold several people when sitting.
A proper width for the bench to hold at least four people – should be no less than 80 inches.
The height should be comfortable for people of all sizes for a habitual sitting posture.
Weatherproofing A Wooden Bench
You’ve got to protect your timber from the sun’s rays, and equally important, the natural elements. Be aware that you’re wooden bench is completely exposed.
Weatherproofing of timber is a must when the units are new. Regularly weatherproofing old outdoor timber units, will do the job too.
The main products used to finish wooden furniture is:
Linseed or Tung Natural Oils
These oil finishes are plant based and permeate the wood correctly for long-lasting protection.
Tung oil is more firm and moisture resistant than Linseed, while Linseed dries quicker than Tung.
Stain and Sealer Combinations
It comes in a completed form that provides easy to apply outdoor wood furniture and looks great, polished, and protected.
It comes in various colors and it has a polyurethane sealant that prevents moisture damage to the hardwood.
Clear Wood Coats
Varnishes show off the beauty of the wood grain and natural color.
The best polyurethane clear coats are great for weather-proofing wooden benches.
Lacquer is an option too but it scratches easy and doesn’t last as long.
What Wood Is Waterproof?
No woods are completely waterproof. Some wood species are more water resistant than others.
Teak and White Oak are the best species in terms of species naturally being oily and able to withstand moisture.
As with most wood furnishing, using sealants and applying paint can waterproof the outdoor furniture with continuous maintenance and reapplication.
Stains are used to add another layer of color and polish to luxurious woods but they can also help make wood weather resistant.
Is pressure-treated wood suitable for outdoors?
Sure, pressure-treated wood is perfect for outdoor use.
During the pressure-treatment process, air from lumber is replaced with preservatives that are water-based, and makes it resistant to rot and bugs.
It is good to use, and in addition to outdoor furniture uses, it is used to make beds and indoor household furniture.
The paint takes great, however you have to wait until it is totally dry.
This wood can last for multiple decades.
You can ensure your pressure-treated wood benches last beyond all expectations by keeping excess moisture away from them, and regularly polishing them to maintain a protective seal from dirt and moisture.
Please make sure the wood is clean, and fully dry before staining.
Is Pine Strong Enough For A Bench?
Pinewood makes benches that are sturdy and robust for everyday use.
Pine is light, and with treatment won’t swell or shrink quickly.
Pine is elastic enough to easily fold and move it while building a bench.
Pine has beautiful variations in grain. Unfortunately, it scars and scratches easily.
Is Plywood Strong Enough For A Bench?
Plywood can achieve pretty robust construction for a bench, but I would only recommend laminating many blocks to about four inches thick.
Laminating plywood together in many layers provides a stronger build.
Plywood is entirely dimensional, so when you start constructing wooden benches it should not be difficult.
Plywood is not easy to break and is also weather resistant.
Benches made from plywood will also survive outdoors because the wood is heat-treated in the factories.
How Long Do Wooden Benches Last?
With a little routine maintenance and treatment, your wooden benches can last up to 25 years:
- When you purchase your furniture, be sure to buy hardwood stands up to environmental extremes.
- Regularly wash and dry the bars. Periodically coat the bars with an appropriate water resistant and insect proof product.
- Never forget to cover your wooden benches in the winter or if you won’t use them for a long period if you care about their maintenance.
Final Thoughts
The optimal wood for benches will be strong and endure all weather types.
Wooden furniture needs a little care, for it to last.
So, you really need to want it.
Consider total costs, the wood’s availability, where you are located, and ultimately the use of your outdoor furniture.