Garden furniture is available in a variety of materials, including Softwood, Hardwood, Cast Iron, Cast aluminium, and Wicker.
The choice of material will depend upon durability, finish, strength and personal preference.
Softwood furniture is generally made from Pine. It is cheap, cheerful and functional. It lacks strength and durability and will deteriorate after 3 or 4 years if not treated. It is high in maintenance and ideally, needs dry storage during the winter months.
There are a number of different hardwoods used in the manufacture of outdoor furniture. The most common include Yellow Balau, Eucalyptus, Meranti and Teak.
Teak. The most durable and long lasting of all hardwoods, due to its high content of natural oils and rubber. Each piece of teak is kiln dried to less than 12% moisture content before being shaped and used to produce each piece of furniture. This prevents any changes in climatic conditions affecting the furniture when moved to different geographical areas. Every item is manufactured using traditional dowelled mortise and tenon joinery complimented with solid brass fittings and fixings. Naturally rich in oleoresin, teak is highly resistant to warping and rotting and will last for many years without any special treatment. However, after time, teak can show hairline cracks, especially in end grains. These are quite natural and do not detract from the wood’s strength or durability. (more…)