Why wood? Which wood?

Sunset, June, 1992 by Peter O. Whiteley

Here's a guide to outdoor wood furniture ... with questions to ask before you choose from today's many types and styles

THERE'S AN ENDURING graciousness to outdoor wood furniture that evokes images of rolling lawns, intimate gardens, forest glens, flagstone terraces, and lemonade in the afternoon.

Something about weather-worn wood makes you want to run your hand across it to feel its subtle textures. Besides this tactile pleasure, wood offers delights for other senses: its sun-baked smell, its occasional creaks, and, most of all, its appearance.

The chairs pictured here represent the wide variety of styles made. They would have looked as much at home in turn-of-the-century gardens as they do outside today's houses. Properly cared for and smoothed by use, outdoor wood furniture brings character to a garden, deck, or patio.

But not all woods are suitable for year-round use outdoors. Sun, rain, insects, fungus, smog, and people all dole out their share of wear and tear. A limited number of woods are commonly used for chairs, tables, lounges, and benches.

Our sampling above shows chairs crafted from nine widely used woods. Some of these are only now increasing in availability. Besides shopping for the look you want, you need to understand the properties of various woods and the best care for them. And, increasingly, shoppers want to know the origin of the wood.

When you think of traditional outdoor furniture, two woods probably spring to mind: redwood and teak. These remain popular because they withstand the rigorous tests of the elements. But these days, their names may also evoke environmental--and even social--concerns (see the sidebar "Where did that chair come from?" on page 100).

In response, manufacturers are looking to alternative woods that offer qualities equal to those of redwood and teak at comparable cost. These lesser-known species are coming from North, Central, and South America, as well as some nations on the western Pacific Rim.

Regardless of its origin, all wood used outdoors soon undergoes a profound change in appearance. The toasty tones of the unpainted and unweathered chairs above are short-lived. The woods' natural colors--pale tan, dark brown, warm terra-cotta, deep red-brown--will fade in a year's time and be replaced by a palette of grays. That's what sun and water will do to wood.

The only way to keep the wood's just-milled look is to treat it like a boat's deck and seal it beneath coats of marine varnish. But, as with boats, doing that once will start you on a lifetime of maintenance: stripping, sanding, and revarnishing.

(Some furniture manufacturers realize that not everyone likes the look of naturally weathered wood. They offer pieces that are colored with semitransparent stains, which let some of the natural grain show through, or seal the wood with paint.)

Like an unsealed wood deck, unsealed furniture left outside to age naturally still requires some maintenance. An occasional hosing off will remove most dust and debris. To remove deeper-seated grime and stains, scrub lightly once a year with a soft brush and a mild solution of TSP or a commercial deck cleaner (sold at most hardware and paint stores).

If you must let wood furniture overwinter on damp lawn or soil, set a concrete block or brick into the ground beneath each leg to help prevent rot.

OTHER REALITIES: STYLE, AVAILABILITY, AND COST

Walk into most outdoor-furniture stores and you'll probably find yourself wading through a colorful sea of cast resin or metal. Usually, the area devoted to wood furniture is small, and the selection on the showroom floor limited. Discovering the full range of choices takes time, visits to home centers or design showrooms, and leafing through catalogs.

There are many major manufacturers. To help get you started, the listing on page 101 gives sources for the chairs shown in this article, as well as environmental groups that can answer questions about wood sources.

Lounges, chairs, and tables are often designed in sets, with pieces priced individually. The price range can be wide, even among models made from the same wood.

For instance, teak has long set the standard for durable outdoor wood furniture. But the supply of responsibly harvested teak is limited, which tends to drive up its price. Couple that with complex design and joinery, labor and import costs, shipping and handling fees, and showroom markup--and the price of teak furniture might seem numbingly high to the first-time buyer.

A limited-production bench from a designer line can cost more than $2,500. But, you can also find handsome benches sold by mail order for $400 to $600, and teak bench kits for less than $300.

In general, well-built outdoor wood furniture is more expensive than its cast-resin or metal counterparts. You pay for the look, the wood, and the craftsmanship.

As with most furniture, it's rare that you can buy a piece right off the showroom floor. Most choices must be ordered, and delivery can take several days to several weeks, depending on the manufacturer's location. Shipping usually adds to the cost.