Cedar vs Teak – Which Wood Lasts Longer?
When choosing furniture, whether for your garden, patio, or inside your home, it is probably quite important to you that it be of high quality that will last a long time. In terms of patio furniture, you’ve heard the good reports of both cedar and teak and are curious as to which will last longer so that you can make the appropriate choice for your décor. Because both are mostly weather resistant, either material is a great buy, but depending on your use, you may prefer one over the other.
Both types of wood produce oils that help to protect them from the elements, even if they are not treated with varnish or oil. That means less work on your behalf to seal them against the weather as opposed to other kinds of wood. Cedar patio furniture will also have an aroma, which comes from the secreted oils. Most people find the smell pleasant when wafted on the breeze outside, and it also repels moths and certain other insects. While teak furniture also includes the natural oils, there is no scent connected with it and no natural insect repellant properties.
Cedar is a naturally hard wood that is readily available and actually abundant within the United States, whereas teak is natural to a more Southern Pacific tropical environment, growing mainly in Southeast Asia. That means manufacture of teak garden furniture requires importing the raw materials or even importing finished products, making it more costly. However, the wood is virtually indestructible, used for such tasks as building boat docks or ship decks, as well as flooring in many cases.
Cedar furniture is also a hard wood product but more common because it can survive in almost any climate (barring outrageously cold temperatures of -40 degrees). Therefore, it grows in abundance and can be used with less concern, whereas only one species of teak is not endangered.
Of course, the type of furniture you are looking at can weigh heavily on your choices as well. For example, wooden picnic tables, which are usually inexpensive and not held to the highest of standards in their use and only being functional, would most likely not be made out of teak. However, outdoor bar furniture, built to impress and last a long time, could be out of either material but will often be teak because it is so durable. When it comes to wooden rocking chairs, you may find either material because porch rocking chairs are more a matter of taste than anything.
Part of how long your furniture lasts depends on your use, abuse, and maintenance, so between cedar and teak, you’ll find varying opinions. For different items, one may be better than the other, but they are both highly durable with low maintenance and a great, graceful appearance.
