Which wood is better for outdoor furniture, teak or cedar?
If you’re looking to landscape your backyard, revitalize your old porch or patio, or even create a warm and inviting living room out of that new deck, you may need some new furniture. After all, what’s the point of having a great place to entertain if your guests don’t feel comfortable while they’re there? When you need a few chairs to fill up some porch space, or that comfy, luxurious deep-seat sofa for the deck, teak or cedar are most likely your best choice for this outdoor furniture. Which one to choose will depend on a variety of factors, however most importantly you will need to consider the look you hope to achieve, the maintenance required and the price you can expect to pay to find the best fit. So read on below and you’ll be lounging by your new poolside bar on a brand new lounger in no time!
The look
One of the most important features of any new piece of furniture is the appearance it gives off. Is your outdoor patio living space more suited to rustic appeal or luxurious, contemporary style? Maybe neither. Maybe just a simple yet warm elegance speaks to you more. But whether you’re looking to create a fun and relaxing environment with a poolside bar and a few loungers or a simple seating area for conversation, you’ll be spoiled for choice with Teak and Cedar.
Cedar generally has a very natural look, accenting your living room with soft reds, light browns, and grays. Light and porous, cedar can easily accept a stain, sealant, or even paint, but is usually left in a fine-sand finish to preserve its natural look, feel, and smell. Cedar is naturally aromatic, which not only adds to the ambiance of a relaxing evening, but also helps preserve and protect the wood from insects and weather.
Teak is almost the polar opposite of cedar in terms of just about everything. Teak is naturally a hardwood and as such is denser and heavier than cedar. Grown exclusively in subtropical and tropical regions, and most commonly in the dense jungles of Indonesia and other Asian countries, teak is almost always imported and therefore also more rare. As a result of the exoticism associated with teak furniture, a perception of rarity and richness has been achieved and thus portrays an appearance of luxury and prestige. Teak outdoor furniture is commonly purchased in two ways. It can be oiled, for a darker “tinted” look, or left in its natural unfinished state, where it will age gracefully to a soft patina gray. This color, unique to teak furniture, contributes to its exotic appeal.
Maintenance
Another very important factor to consider when deciding to purchase outdoor patio furniture is the level of maintenance you want to employ to live with your new furniture. Fortunately, the maintenance factor, or lack of it, is one of the main reasons why both teak and cedar are top choices for furniture manufacturers and consumers.
Cedar, by nature, is a very resistant wood whose properties help it to withstand the elements of all climates, but specifically very strong climates with heavy rainfall. Snow, sleet, and rain are no cause for concern for cedar’s long-lasting properties, which will maintain its shine for years to come. This is one of the reasons leaving cedar furniture in an unfinished, sanded state is by far the most popular finish. However, as with many other woods, some want to finish their cedar furniture for a completely different look. Various finish options are listed below in order of popularity.
- Stain – Many prefer the finished look of a nice stain on their outdoor furniture. The benefits of using a stain include the ability to change the color of furniture to virtually any color for which stain is available. Stains are now offered in many shades across the dark to light color spectrum. Stain can also provide a slight protection from the elements, although with cedar it isn’t really necessary and therefore should only be used to alter the color. The downsides of staining are that to maintain the original stained look, the stain must be reapplied every 2-3 years, as the stain itself is not as resistant to UV rays from the sun and weather elements as wood.
- Sealer – Some prefer to “lock in” the natural look of their cedar furniture and therefore choose to use a high-quality sealer. Sealants are made by many companies and are available at any hardware or big box store. The sealer will prevent the cedar patio furniture from fading and slow the aging process. However, keep in mind that this aging is often a desired effect of cedar. The disadvantage of sealing cedar furniture is consistent with the disadvantage of using a stain. To maintain its effectiveness, it needs to be reapplied every 2-3 years, which can be tedious and cumbersome.
- Paint: Like any wood surface, cedar can be painted with a fine exterior wood paint. This is not as common as staining or sealing the furniture because the paint will crack and chip, and also drastically alters the appearance of the furniture from its natural state. Once the paint cracks and flakes, the entire painted surface must be sanded and completely repainted, sealed or stained.
Teak is also a highly weather-resistant and ultra-resistant wood due in part to its propensity to secrete a natural teak oil that helps to self-condition and protect against the harsh demands of a wet, humid climate. Many shipbuilders choose teak as the primary wood for their boat decks for this very reason. Many shipwrecks have been raised from the depths of the ocean just to show off beautifully preserved and intact teak. It is this property that makes teak most commonly found in its natural unfinished state, as there is no functional reason to apply any external finish to the surface. However, some customers choose to apply additional amounts of this teak oil to achieve a darker, more stained look. While this will preserve the “new” look of the furniture, it needs to be reapplied every 2-3 years to maintain this look and can therefore become a burden. Also, by leaving teak in its natural state, the desired gray patina look is naturally achieved where it cannot be achieved if a teak oil or other finish is applied to the surface of the furniture.
Price
While price is often a concern for consumers, it is sometimes less of a concern for wood patio furniture consumers. As with everything else, price is a measure of perceived value. The more valuable a product is perceived in the consumer’s mind, the more it will cost. This reason alone is why both teak and cedar patio furniture are generally more expensive than other common outdoor furniture materials such as plastic, wicker, or rattan furniture. Teak and cedar also have a price difference that can be quite significant depending on the individual piece of furniture. This is why.
Cedar – Due to its lightness, proximity, ease of harvesting, and availability, cedar is the more economical of the two types of wood furniture. While it will last a long time and is very durable, teak will typically last longer.
Teak: For all the reasons compared to cedar, teak is the most valuable wood. Simply not having the availability of cedar or other woods helps create this kind of rare, elite feel that teak carries with it, driving up the price. Buying teak furniture is often perceived as a sign of affluence or wealth because teak has a widely known reputation for commanding a higher price tag. More expensive to harvest, more expensive to ship, and its enduring appeal, coupled with its novelty, together contribute to its higher cost of production, which in turn creates a higher price for the consumer.
In short, “better” or “best” can only be determined by the customer. However, considering appearance, maintenance, and price, teak and cedar can easily be compared and contrasted in terms of similarities and differences. Cedar, the lightest and most commonly used wood, is excellent for patio furniture due to its ability to resist insects, rot, and weather elements (specifically rain, sleet, and snow) and also because it is relatively inexpensive to produce. Teak, the hardwood of the two, is more exotic, rare, and will last longer. Therefore, it commands a higher price tag, but also offers higher perceived value in terms of prestige, longevity, and maintenance-free ownership experience.