I am looking for an economical wood to make the dock furniture (chairs and table) . I plan to finish the furniture using a clear deck stain if it would hold up to the Florida weather or else paint as a last resort. I am not sure if using paint as a finish would change the wood choice of wood.
I’m not considering using teak or redwood because of the high cost. I would appreciate any suggestions on wood that would be a good choice for dock furniture that would sit outside on a saltwater dock in the Florida sun.
I was thinking cypress would be a good choice, but I was told that cedar would be better. The cedar is supposed to be more resistant to insects and wood rot, but that may only be for cypress heart wood.
Home Depot sells cedar, and the price for cedar is less than cypress. Then again, different species of cedar may have different characteristics.
Appreciate any comments on which is the better choice, cedar vs. cypress or any another wood I should consider using.
Thanks,
Al
Palm Coast, Florida
Edited 9/2/2006 12:34 pm ET by Al – Florida
Edited 9/2/2006 5:59 pm ET by Al – Florida
Edited 9/4/2006 4:45 pm ET by Al – Florida
Edited 9/4/2006 4:48 pm ET by Al – Florida
Replies
Hi Al,
Sorry for the delayed response.
To tell you the truth I'm not well versed in the price of lumber these days. Every time I go to the lumber yard my jaw drops at the cost of wood. It seems to keep going up; many species have tripled in price in the last decade. Also, prices vary by region and we're up here in the Northeast.
I think you're on the right track, though. Cedar is going to be a great option because of its rot and bug resistance. I've seen the tongue-and-groove ceder at Home Depot and it should do the trick.
I recently built some deck furniture and came accross a very economical material at my local building supply store. It was some form of Mahogany -- probably an Asian variety -- that was sold as 5/4 decking. It was $2.20 per linear foot for 8-in. wide boards and less than $2 for 5-in wide boards. I milled them up, and edge jointed where necessary. It looks great and with an oil finish I expect it to last a long time.
Other options include Ipe and cypress as you said. Again, I'm not sure about the prices.
The finish you choose will also help extend the life of the furniture. If you use an epoxy outdoor finish the wood will be very protected. A deck stain will provide an adequate finish but it will need to be refinished ever few years.
Matt Berger
Fine Woodworking
Hi Matt,
Thanks for your reply.
If the price was the same for cedar and cypress -- which do you think would be a better choice for outdoor furniture.
I noticed Home Depot sells cedar in two varieties -- one is red (aromatic) and the other labled western and it is a light brown.
I know red cedar is used for cedar closets and chests, but I am not sure if it should be used for outdoor furniture.
Appreciate your thoughts,
Thanks again,
Al Miller
Palm Coast, FL
Western cedar is the one you want. However, given a choice between that and cypress, I'd choose cypress. It seems to have a long tradition in outdoor furniture. I've read that the original Adirondak chairs were all made from cypress.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled