Deck Furniture

I have had a few questions about our wooden deck furniture. When we started out to search for deck furniture, we realized that we needed something that would withstand the weather well. We seem to get a fair amount of rainfall during the temperate months (and during the Winter, we will cover all of the furniture). Teak is always a good choice because it holds up well in the moisture. The only problem is that it takes many many years to replenish a teak forest. So we were in search of something more renewable. Eucalyptus was our choice. It takes only 5 years to renew eucalyptus and it is equally durable in the weather extremes. It is available thru many sites on the internet. It comes partially assembled (and partially not....hence hours of furniture construction). It is less expensive than teak, also. Every three months it will need to be coated with teak oil so that it retains its color....otherwise it changes to grey (which would no longer match the exterior of our house.....so we will definitely be oiling it regularly.)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Bev, have you tried bamboo, very durable once treated - and very enviromentally friendly. The following is an piece of info off of the internet. Harvest – the plant does not need to be killed to harvest – it’s roots stay in place.
• Quick growth – it does not take 100s of years for bamboo to replace itself after harvest like other trees. It can grow at 2 inches an hour! It can be harvested every 2-5 yeras.
• Oxygen – bamboo can add more oxygen that its equivalent in trees.
• Erosion control – its root system helps with controlling erosion.
• Rainforests – if bamboo is used instead of timber, the rainforests can be saved. Bamboo even has a greater yield of raw materials for use.
• Renewable resource – bamboo is a renewable resource, and it is adaptable to many different environments (there are about 1500 different species of bamboo).
• Food – bamboo is actually an important source of nutrition for many people.

These are just a few of the reasons why choosing bamboo garden furniture over wood furniture or outdoor furniture made from other materials is so important.

Do not worry: bamboo garden furniture is actually very strong. In truth, once bamboo has been treated, it forms a very hard and tough wood that is also very light. This tough wood is used not just to make bamboo garden furniture, but it is also used in the construction of houses, bridges, fences, and more. In fact, it is even used as a substitute for steel reinforcing rods (used in concrete construction). It is the strongest woody plant on earth.

Of course, one thing that you must be aware of is that bamboo garden furniture is prone to infestation by wood-boring insects if not treated properly. You need only to treat it with wood preservatives and follow other manufacturer’s instructions, and your bamboo garden furniture should be fine, though.



Tama
Bee Haven Bev said…
Great idea, Tama.....I guess Hubbs did not come across any of this in his search...cause I am sure he would have chosen bamboo....you are right, it is quite a good renewable resource. Bamboo flooring is a great alternative to hardwood, too!
Autumn said…
Lots of folks here use cypress- the roots live submerged in water(as in the Atchafalaya Basin) and the knees have been used for years as furniture pieces. Beautiful wood too.