Restore and Repair Your Furniture

Timber is a great choice for an outdoor deck and your coordinating furniture pieces, as it's durable and attractive and works with any style of home decor. You can also more easily paint or recolour timber than you can virtually any other material, including plastic or PVC. While all timber may look alike to you, it's good to note a few important differences, so you're sure to get the right choice for your outdoor space, for both the deck itself and for furniture. Note a few tips in this regard.

Hardwood

Hardwoods, such as ironbark and blackbutt, are very durable and last for years; their density also makes them more resistant to pest infestation and against holding moisture that can lead to mould and mildew. Hardwoods also often come in a wide range of shades, from a deep russet red to a light, sunny yellow, so you may not need to paint or stain your hardwood deck as often as any other choice.

However, note that many hardwoods, such as Merbau, have a tannin or natural-colour pigment, that can rub off onto furniture and other pieces when first exposed to moisture. Be sure you have your hardwood pieces sealed before you use your deck, and dry the deck and furniture pieces with clean rags after the first rainfall. This will remove any residual tannin and reduce the risk of staining your clothes and furniture cushions.

Softwood

Softwoods, such as pine, are very easy to fabricate, so you can more readily saw and sand these pieces by yourself if you're installing your own timber decking or making your furniture. This is important to consider if you will want to replace damaged pieces yourself sometime down the road. Softwoods, however, may need consistent painting and staining, as they typically don't offer the shades and tones of hardwoods.

Exotic lumber

Exotic lumber such as teak and bamboo are very durable; bamboo is also very sustainable, as it grows quickly, so it's an eco-friendly choice. Teak is durable for furniture and holds up well under direct sunlight and harsh weather. However, it can be difficult to cut through dense exotic lumber, so it may not be the right choice for an amateur creating their own deck, working with everyday saws and other household tools.

Exotic lumber can also be very expensive; you need to consider this cost, as you will eventually need to replace damaged slats and other pieces on your deck. You also don't want a lumber so exotic that it actually becomes difficult to find once you're in the market for replacement pieces.