What Is The Best Wood For Picnic Tables? (With Pictures)

If you are a massive supporter of outside eating, a picnic table is a must. Mostly crafted from wooden, these tables occur with benches to seat a large group and have an A-body composition. What’s the right wooden kind for this kind of a table, however? It all is dependent on what you are searching for.

For case in point, teak is extremely tough and lengthy-lasting, but it’s also pricey. Cedar, in change, is far more affordable but not really difficult. And then you’ve got mahogany, oak, and redwood, to identify a number of. Each and every wooden sort is exclusive. We’re chatting about the bodyweight, workability, resistance, and, of training course, cost.

The pursuing record contains our prime seven picks for a picnic desk. Let us consider a nearer search to see which one particular fits you best!

The 7 Best Types of Wood for Picnic Tables

1. Teak

Teak is a single of the most pricey woods on the world. So, if you are on a tight spending budget for the picnic desk, you may possibly want to skip it. On the other hand, teak’s higher price is nicely-justified by its homes. 1st, it is extremely challenging, dense, and holds a good amount of fat. Second, it is incredibly strong from drinking water, decay, rotting, and pests—thanks to its natural oil.

Unless of course it is a portable table, weather conditions resistance is a must. And that is why teak wood will be a worthy investment, especially in the extended run. Alongside with that, it’s also a reasonably flexible substance, which indicates it won’t be challenging to perform with it. The texture and the coloration should have our consideration as well: they search great in any setting.

2. Mahogany

Following up, we have got mahogany, another quality-good quality wooden that comes at a steep cost. It is not as high-priced as teak, however, but even now highly resistant to h2o, bugs, and decay. Far more importantly, it is really easy to operate with and light-weight. You’ll be ready to craft a picnic table from it even if you don’t have a carpenter’s degree. Plus, lightweight tables are a lot far more mobile.

As for the downsides, this wood variety “sits” drastically lower on the Janka hardness scale (900 vs. 2300 if we compare it to teak). It’s nonetheless tough and reliable, of system, yet very hot as brick-sturdy. Lastly, the reddish, orange color and the wonderful grain patterns will give your picnic table a wonderful contact.

3. White Oak

Oak is an amazingly well-known wood content for home furniture due to the fact it is the “golden middle” among teak and mahogany on one particular side and the more affordable options on the other. White oak offers previously mentioned-regular hardness and density, which routinely indicates it won’t split or scratch effortlessly. Insert substantial resistance to elements and insects, and you’ll see why it is a go-to selection for a picnic table.

There is one particular huge downside, even though: white oak is extremely hefty and a lot more challenging to shift about than any other wooden materials on the listing.

Must You Go With Red Oak Instead?

The most substantial advantage of pink oak more than its white counterpart is the price: it is much more affordable. On best of that, it has a lighter texture, which many individuals are inclined to like. Next, dents and scratches are less complicated to disguise on purple oak. However, it’s not nearly as difficult, and drinking water/decay resistance is regular at best.

4. Redwood

Just like the title implies, this wooden species is pink. To insert to that, it has “rustic” grain patterns that search marvelous on picnic tables. This is a flexible, very lightweight content that will come at a sensible price tag. Alongside with that, redwood’s resistance to humidity and decay is very higher. The very same is correct for resistance to pests. Regrettably, it isn’t at all hard (402 lbf).

So, if you want your redwood table to previous, make confident to implement a layer or two of a reliable, best-top quality end. And see that it’s sealed properly normally, the crimson pigment may wreck your outfits!

5. Cedar

For outdoor furnishings, cedar is a secure wager. It is reasonably tough and features large workability. If you’re an beginner woodworker, cedar will be a blast to operate with. And, just like redwood, it is lightweight and easy to have around. Cedar is not especially high-priced, both, and will not break your financial institution.

Much more good information: it is practically immune to “outside threats” like termites, decay/rot, and large humidity amounts. That can make it a in close proximity to-excellent selection for a picnic table. Up coming, rain, snow, wind, debris, and other normal components won’t be a difficulty because cedar simply withstands all of it. You will not even have to stain or take care of it!

6. Douglas Fir

What can you expect from Douglas fir? Is it a good option for a picnic desk? The response is indeed, it absolutely is. This wood is consumer-helpful, light-weight, and will take minimal effort to cut/condition. Douglas fir is also simple to paint and stain, so you can pick no matter what end you want. It’s quite cheap, way too, and which is what helps make it a well-known decision for most Do it yourself lovers.

Very last, but not the very least, thanks to large resistance to insects and rot, it’s a excellent selection for any out of doors task, such as, of system, picnic tables. Fir isn’t 100% drinking water-tolerant, however, and scratches very easily.

7. Yellow Pine

This proper right here is one particular of the the very least expensive alternatives on the industry. Woodworkers from all above the globe value its versatility and seamless, all-natural texture. With that said, yellow pine is more difficult than most softwood species and has good wood density. What about humidity, though? Really don't be concerned: the southern yellow pine can deal with massive amounts of water/humidity and won’t rot.

On the downside, it is prone to decay. Additionally, it is quite weak from termites and UV rays. A thick layer of varnish, paint, or lacquer will probably fix that, but it’s even now a con.

Hardwood Vs. Softwood: What’s The Difference?

These terms are used to distinguish amongst woods from broadleaved trees (hardwoods) and conifers (softwoods). Remember: softwoods do not have pores, although hardwood species lack resin canals. So, which choice is ideal for a picnic desk? It is dependent on what you’re hunting for. If longevity/longevity is the #one precedence, go with hardwoods. They have an prolonged lifespan and are sturdier and far more reputable.

On prime of that, hardwoods are low-maintenance and manage decay, rot, water, and termites easily. The negative information is hardwoods cost much more than softwoods, and they’re normally much heavier, which is not great for a cell picnic table. Does that suggest you must pick softwoods as an alternative? Well, not quite. Even though they are, indeed, much more inexpensive, light-weight, and simpler to perform with, softwoods have a significantly shorter lifespan.

How To Pick the Right Wood for a Picnic Table?

It doesn’t actually matter whether you’re preparing on buying a brand-new picnic table or creating a single yourself. To get the very best “bang for the buck”, it’s really essential to know in progress what to appear for. What is the right density for a wood species? Does adaptability perform a key part, or not? What about the visible element? These are just some of the factors to take into account just before committing to any variety of wood. Here’s a more thorough breakdown:

Hardness Plus Density

Even the toughest hardwood varieties are likely to put on and get scratched. To keep away from that (or, at least, keep it to a least), seem for wooden components with an earlier mentioned-average hardness ranking. You can verify the so-called Janka Scale to determine out precisely how challenging the wood species is. For hardwoods, one thousand lbf/kilos-pressure is a decent place to start off (400-600 lbf for softwoods). As for density, 25-thirty is just proper for softwoods, while hardwoods are forty-50% denser.

Workability/Ease of Use

This only applies if you want to develop the desk yourself. Softwoods are typically much more adaptable and simpler to operate with, but this isn’t a common rule. Each wooden type is distinctive so just take a moment to find out about the workability of every single species. Pay out added attention to adaptability if you do not have any fancy, pricey tools to carve out the wooden to your liking.

Comfort and Maintenance

You will not have to be concerned about ease and comfort if you choose 1 of the seven wood varieties from our listing because they are all extremely cozy. You can sit on benches crafted from these wooden components for hours straight. As for routine maintenance, even the most inexpensive wood normally takes minimal effort to maintain in correct condition. Some dusting, oil/vinegar cleaning, and maintaining it absent from direct daylight will do the trick.

Aesthetics

As a basic rule, the more the wooden fees, the far better it seems. Furthermore, pricey wooden species do not rot, scratch, or chip and search as excellent as new for many a long time. And if you use quality top quality paint or stain, it will not only make the surface area search like a million bucks but also serve as an additional “layer of defense” for your picnic table.

Resistance

Humidity is 1 of the most significant difficulties for any wood species, along with decay, rust, and mould. Consequently, prior to picking among the different possibilities on the market place, make confident to check out the wood’s resistance to all these factors. And really don't neglect about the insects! Specified wooden types are a lot more resistant to termites than other individuals.

The Price

Teak is extremely pricey, with mahogany becoming the shut second and oak completing the circle. Now, these are all hardwoods, indicating picnic tables crafted from these woods will last for several many years (if not many years) and battle off humidity, rot, and other natural elements. Softwoods expense less (say, pine or fir), but they aren’t as sturdy or strong.

So, the goal here is to locate some thing that’s similarly reputable, extended-long lasting, and reasonably priced. For that, you could go with Douglas fir or cedar.

Conclusion

Picnic tables are tons of exciting, specifically if you reside in one particular of the hotter states and enjoy getting pals and family members associates more than for impromptu eating. Now, until you want the table to rot, decay, and split prior to prolonged, you need to have to pay out further attention to the substance. Nowadays, we checked out seven experimented with-and-real wood types that function best for picnic benches. They’re all different, even so, and have their execs and cons.

So, prior to you commit to anything at all, get a second to familiarize by yourself with our comprehensive reviews. There, you’ll uncover all the necessary information on the cost, excess weight, durability, and weather conditions resistance. Want to understand much more about wood? Then verify out our other in-depth guides on wooden varieties, Diy projects, and far more!

Featured Picture Credit history: Rob Hyrons, Shutterstock