What’s the Best Wood for a Patio
When you are building a wood patio, it is important to explore the type of wood that you are going to use. After all, the wood is going to provide aesthetics and be exposed to all sorts of different weather conditions. Learning more about different types of wood can make it easier for you to make a better decision.
Understand Resistance to Rot
One of the most important things when choosing which wood is right for your patio is to understand how one works to resist rot. After all, you don’t want to experience any kind of rot as it can weaken your patio. You want your patio to last as long as possible, and there are various chemical compounds that can help as a solution to not rot. Cypress, Redwood, and cedar all have these chemical compounds that bacteria, bugs, and other decomposition agents find repulsive.
Physical barriers can also create rot resistance. There are structures known as tyloses and are found in certain types of words such as black locust and white oak that fill wood pores, preventing moisture.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether the rot resistance comes in the form of physical or chemical barriers – they are known to stand up against the elements more effectively year after year.
Best Types of Wood
The very best types of wood are Northern white and Western red cedar. They are native to North America and commonly used in patios as well as outdoor furniture. They are known for being lightweight and extremely durable in outdoor conditions. Cedar can show cracks in its grain and knots. But it is durable for 20 years or more. And you won’t have to worry about warping or rotting. Unless you choose to stain the light colored woods, which will often weather to be a silver-gray hue.
Teak is another option, which is durable enough to pass down through generations and only light maintenance is need like periodic light sanding as well as cleaning to remove surface dirt. It is straight-grained and dense, and won’t crack over time. The high mineral content allows it to be rot resistant even in the wettest conditions.
Using Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood can provide you with access to some of the best types of wood at lower costs. This would allow you to access teak and some of the other better types of wood without spending a fortune. The wood is older and therefore it has already shown that it is extremely durable.
Doing your research can go a long way to making sure that you have wood that is going to hold up against any conditions. And help your patio look its very best.