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Outdoor Furniture Comparison - Wood Versus Wicker

With the ever-growing popularity of outdoor living spaces, outdoor furniture is in great demand. You can find them in a variety of materials, from synthetic, iron to wood. Although many people use synthetic furniture in their outdoor areas due to low-maintenance and affordability, it is not the best choice if you want your patio or deck to look stylish. A lot of people prefer furniture made of wood or wicker as they look fabulous with any style.

Wood vs. Wicker

People have different opinions over which type of furniture is better for the outdoors, wood or wicker. Truth be told, there is no telling which product is better as it depends on your personal taste and how you want to maintain it. When well cared for, both wood and wicker furniture can last many years. Let us take a brief look at each type of furniture:

Wooden furniture for the outdoors

If you love natural-looking elements in and around your house, wooden furniture is perfect for you. The best wooden furniture is made from lumber of center-cut heartwood that has a consistent, rich and appealing grain. If you opt for this type of furniture, look for pieces that have stainless steel or zinc-plated screws so that you can easily tighten them when they eventually loosen.

Pine and cedar wood are also great for outdoor furniture. They have a light color that turns to an almost-silver gray with age, unless they are painted or sealed. Cedar and pressure-treated pine are both durable, making them the ideal materials for patio or deck furniture. Cedar is slightly pricier than pressure-treated pine but well worth the added cost.

Teak is another great wood for deck and patio furniture. It is the most expensive but it is a fantastic investment as it can last for 50 years or so, when properly maintained. The only maintenance required is an application of teak oil once or twice a year to retain the beautiful reddish-brown grain color, which also creates a non-porous layer to protect against corrosive moisture, water and sunlight.

Wicker furniture for the outdoors

When it comes to aesthetic appeal, there is nothing quite like wicker for outdoor furniture. Wicker can be found in two types-all-weather and regular. They look very much alike but caring for and maintaining them is different. As the name suggests, all-weather wicker is great for any area in your outdoor living space. It can withstand all the harsh elements without eroding. All it needs is a little hosing down every few weeks to keep it clean. Regular wicker furniture is better for covered areas as it doesn’t hold up well when be exposed to rain or snow.

Regular wicker is made of bamboo, cane or rattan vines. A coat of paint will do well to keep it from aging. Remember that it is best not to sit on regular wicker furniture that is wet, as it will cause the weave to stretch. All-weather wicker is made from synthetic fibers or twisted paper. These materials are woven around a frame and a weather-resistant finish is applied to it.

No matter which type of outdoor furniture you prefer, remember that a little care can go a long way in making sure that your wood or wicker outdoor furniture lasts you many years to come.