out door wood furniture

[footprintsinconc]

i need your opinion and thoughts:

what kind of wood do you suggest i use for out side furniture? like table, chairs that i could do stain/clear finish or paint? what kind of clear finish would i use that is for out doors and can take the sun? with the AZ sun, i think i will have to refinish these tables every year right?

thanks!

[pelligrini]

I haven't used it, but I've read that Ipe is pretty good for outdoors. Not exactly cheap, nor easy to cut. Sure does look good though.

You probably want to use a oil type finish. Most any film finish, even those with UV blockers, will fall apart in no time.

[cabinetman]

There are several species of wood that have a natural resistance to rot and insects. Depending on the look you want and your budget, and what's available, your choices could be Cedar, Cypress, White Oak, Redwood, Teak, Ipe. These would be suitable for a natural finish. I would use a penetrating oil, like Penofin Red Label. It's a fairly easy maintenance finish. Basically just scrub clean, and recoat. Using any type of film finish will fail, and maintaining that is a PITA, with having to sand.

If you intend to paint, your wood selection is a bit wider, as a painted finish weathers fairly well.
.

[bigstick509]

I built these about 5 years ago out of cedar. I only have had to re-coat once with Penofin so far, but they will need it again this coming spring. The pic is after a cleaning before the first re-coat.

[LCHIEN]

I use some cheapo cedar for my backyard projects.
I could finish it with a water seal finish but I'd have to redo it every year because it deteriorates.
If I do nothing cedar is naturally rot-and insect resistant so it will probably last about 10 years before it starts falling apart. Turns a silvery gray and stays that way.

[Pappy]

Teak is the first that come to my mind. Figure if it stands up to the abuse of sun and salt air on boats, it will stand up to about anything. Going down in preference would be White Oak, Redwood, and then Cedar. Never worked with Ipe.

[pelligrini]

How did the edges of those cedar projects hold up over time?

My experience with it was that it can get splintery. I've used some Western Red Cedar for some various outdoor items, mostly fencing and arbors. I also didn't finish it either.

[footprintsinconc]

thanks for the replies! i've been out in PA for an interveiw....just got back late last night. fingers crossed

bigstick509, did you round all the edges on the individual pieces to keep them from splintering?

also, can this Penofin oil be sprayed on or does it have to brushed on?

i do need to keep the budget down, cant be too spendy...so i am not going to get some pricing on cedar and red wood.

thanks again guys!

[cabinetman]

also, can this Penofin oil be sprayed on or does it have to brushed on?

It could be sprayed on, but you get much better penetration with brush on or wipe on.
.

[bigstick509]

thanks for the replies! i've been out in PA for an interveiw....just got back late last night. fingers crossed

bigstick509, did you round all the edges on the individual pieces to keep them from splintering?

also, can this Penofin oil be sprayed on or does it have to brushed on?

i do need to keep the budget down, cant be too spendy...so i am not going to get some pricing on cedar and red wood.

thanks again guys!

When I built these the splintering was a major concern, the chairs set on a brick paver patio and are moved around and dragged on occasion. I rounder over the bottom of the legs very carefully and have had no problem. Eased edge for the rest of the exposed boards.

[Rich P]

If you go the hardwood route...

I have a fairly large (+/- 4' x 11') outdoor trestle table which I made from leftover 4/4 ipe decking. At first I used Messmer's hardwood decking finish (similar to Penofin) which was OK.

I subsequently made two indoor coffee tables from ipe and used Howard's Feed-N-Wax which did a great job. The tables were for my daughters and they both entertain a lot so I wanted a finish that would stand up to water rings from glasses left over night. To test I took a scrap of ipe and put several coats of the Howard's on it, put a glass of ice water on it and left it overnight. In the morning I simply wiped off the water and it was good as new (if a little damp). After nearly a year of abuse, the tables are like new.

Turns out Howard's makes a product called Sun Wax which is basically the same as their Feed-N-Wax but with a UV filter for outdoor hardwood furniture. I applied it this past spring to the outdoor table and the mangaris side chairs and it's done fine during the summer. It's not as hot here as AZ but we do get a lot of heat and sun here in Sillycon Valley. To keep up the finish it's recommended to reapply periodically but it's just a wipe on, wait and wipe off excess.

[footprintsinconc]

thanks for the answers, and the finish product Rich. i will look into that.

[footprintsinconc]

is Penofin similar to lets say Thompsons' deck seals? i dont know much about finishes, how would i go about looking at differences between the sealer/finishes?

[cabinetman]

is Penofin similar to lets say Thompsons' deck seals? i dont know much about finishes, how would i go about looking at differences between the sealer/finishes?

IMO, Thompson's Water Seal is about equal to saliva compared to Penofin.
.

[Rich P]

Penofin makes a lot of different products for different materials from PT to tropical hardwood. You need to pick your material first and then a finish to go with it.