Best Wooden Outdoor Furniture Shopping and Maintenance Tips
Summer is in full swing in Alabama! While quarantine may put a damper on some activities, we can still have fun outdoors while practicing social distancing. The pleasant weather might lead you to shop for that perfect patio furniture set or inspire you to clean up your porch furniture, all with the excitement of spending a relaxing evening outside, either alone with a glass of wine, or filled with the laughter of friends and family around a fire pit.
Outdoor furniture is a key element in comfortably enjoying your time outside, and no material better suits the outdoors than natural wood! But what exactly makes for good outdoor wooden furniture, and how can you best maintain it? At Alabama Sawyer, we craft both indoor and outdoor furniture; read on for our recommended materials, maintenance tips, and products!
Wooden outdoor furniture requires some maintenance to protect it from the elements. Whether it’s porch, patio, or garden furniture, it will be made from either hardwood or softwood. Hardwoods like Teak and White Oak are lower maintenance, but come at a higher price point, while softwoods like Pine and Cedar are more sustainable and will last as long as they are finished properly! Outdoor furniture must be treated with an exterior grade oil or varnish to seal it against sunlight and moisture.
If your furniture is treated with an outdoor varnish, you might not need to sand and retreat it for several years. Oiled furniture can easily be maintained by re-oiling every season. If your furniture is showing signs of weathering, such as developing a rough grain and fading in color, it may be a sign that it needs some tlc!
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Gently clean dust and dirt with water and a scrub brush
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Let your furniture dry completely for a day
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Apply oil with a rag, wiping away any excess
Our Hyo Tables are made from Alabama Pine, and are finished in a Japanese method known as Shou Sugi Ban, in which the surface of the wood is charred, brushed, and treated with oil. This method was originally developed to weatherproof cedar siding for houses, and can preserve wood outdoors for years! The Hyo Table can also function as a stool and will be just as at home in a sunny garden as on a shaded porch! For more outdoor seating, we also offer our rugged Beam Benches, which can be finished in their natural wood color, or treated in the Sugi Ban style.