I get a lot of questions about using different types of wood for outdoor projects and I thought it would be helpful to make a short no-nonsense video that you can refer to the next time you plan to build something that has to stand up to Mother Nature now the easy answer would be to say just go get yourself some Redwood or teak but that's not helpful to the average woodworker who's shopping at a local Home Center and who has a budget so I'm going to focus on types of wood that are readily available in most Home Centers first is of course treated lumber this is typically a soft iron that's been infused with chemicals to slow Decay it's not a bad choice for decks and other large structures but I don't recommend treated lumber for benches and tables and chairs because by its very nature it's wet and unstable as it dries you can guarantee it's going to warp if it's not held fast on a robust frame such as on a deck and the chemicals inside it are not intended for regular skin contact or anything related to serving food untreated construction numbers such as fur and yellow pine are slightly better choices if you find some that's relatively dry I've seen Pine Furniture last several years if it's properly taken care of that means keeping it well sealed especially if it's in contact with the ground and like it or not the best way to seal Pine fully is with good quality paint and keep an eye on it so you can add a Fresh coat whenever it begins to crack or starts to flake you have to keep the water out if you don't want Pine Furniture to rot now if you don't want to encase your outdoor project in paint you might consider a wood that has some natural resistance to Decay Cedar fits that bill nicely it comes in several varieties so the type you're going to use for your outdoor project is likely going to be determined by what's available in your area Western red cedar is pretty common where I live Cedar is beautiful when it's fresh but it will inevitably gray over time no matter what finish you put on it and since that natural gray patina looks a lot better than the Aging flaking finish that you'll have I recommend just leaving it bare and embracing the color change it's going to last you for decades the downside of Cedar of course is it's a very soft wood if you want something that will really take a beating you might consider White Oak unlike Red Oak White Oak contains compounds that reduces its ability to absorb moisture it's not as rot resistant as Cedar but it was good enough for shipbuilding in the old days so I'd say it's up to whatever your backyard's going to throw at it like Cedar there's little use in trying to keep white oak looking fresh and new forever especially if it's exposed directly to rain and sunlight so my recommendation Remains the Same just leave it bare and let it patina naturally of course the type of wood that you use is meaningless if you use the wrong glue or Fasteners I highly recommend an exterior grade glue like tight Bond 3 or a polyurethane adhesive and if you really want your project to stand the test of time use stainless steel fasteners or at least something with a reliable exterior coating now I may make a more comprehensive video on outdoor finishes since that's a bigger subject on its own but in the meantime check this out mywoodcutters.com is the sort of small business I like to support Stefan is a great guy and he can find you knives and Cutters for almost any Joiner planar shaper or molding machine and his are the best prices if you're planning to upgrade to a helical carbide cutter head please use the link below this video to check with him before you buy somewhere else some small businesses are just worth supporting
