When it comes to using wood for exceptional quality in outdoor furniture, I first think of cedar. Cedar is a beautiful wood that is very durable and outdoor porch swings and other items made out of cedar will last for generations. It is naturally resistant to decay, insect and weather damage. We regularly go to the Oregon coast for family vacations, and homes with cedar siding are very prevalent. This is because the cedar lasts under the harsh conditions of living right by the ocean. It starts out in a beautiful red / brown color and ages to a rustic soft silver gray, giving the home a wonderful rustic look. Cedar is also commonly used for split rail and full wood fences. The use of cedar for siding and fences is a testament to its superior durability.
One of my favorite benefits of cedar is its strength to weight ratio, which in layman terms means that the wood is exceptionally strong without being overly heavy. Basically, cedar furniture is easy to move around, you don't have to hire the neighbor's teenage boys when you want to rearrange your patio furniture. This is one down side to teak, another great and common out door wood, teak is just plain heavy!
Another great thing about using cedar for outdoor porch swings is that it does not shrink or warp like other woods can do. Other woods are normally pressure treated to avoid this problem, but then you are exposing your family to chemical preservatives that may be harmful to their health.
I am also really excited about cedar because we finished landscaping our back yard last year, and this spring we will be getting some new outdoor furniture. I knew I wanted cedar because besides all the benefits mentioned above, I simply like the way it ages, I think it gives a garden a truly homey look.
Last year I found a company that sells cedar outdoor porch swings and garden furniture is called Rustic Natural Cedar Furniture Company. They have been specializing in manufacturing cedar products for the both in and out of the home for over 30 years. They use both Northern White Cedar and Western Red Cedar for outdoor products. We bought a wonderful swing for our front porch made of the Northern White Cedar, which starts out a beautiful creamy white color before it changes to the traditional gray. I really wanted to go with them again so that our backyard furniture matched our outdoor porch swing, and they had some great options.
We could go with a basic garden swing, they had them in a variety of sizes. But the footprint is larger than I want, plus we already have the porch swing. Another option they have are gliders, both single and loveseat gliders as well as glider benches. They also have a great double glider with a table between the two gliders all on a cedar stand. Great for out door socializing, and there are optional canopies.
Well, spring is starting to tease us here in north Idaho, we had a beautiful spring like day on Wednesday, but then a snow storm the next day. But it is still the first hint that I must decide soon on what great cedar pieces I want to grace our back yard.
