Best Outdoor Wood? Teak, Cedar, something else?!

So you want to build an outdoor wood project and don't know which wood to choose? Never fear, we get asked this question all the time! I'm in the process of making a new patio table for myself, so I decided to pass along my secrets to building outdoor wood furniture.

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Chapters
00:00 Welcome
00:33 Best Outdoor Woods
01:15 What's up with Teak?
02:12 Teak alternatives
02:57 A note on longevity
03:24 Let's build an outdoor table
05:25 Tips when building outdoor furniture
07:49 Which finish to use
08:47 Finishing my table
09:19 What's teak oil?
10:14 Thanks for watching!

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[josephcole]

You did my heart good by the amount of finish you used. I see so many using the finish sparingly and not really getting and good depth of finish in the woods. Thank you for all your videos.

[wreckenbach]

Mark,
Thanks for the video, I've been watching for a few years. I do appreciate your passion and teaching style.

[flyingwalrus]

Awesome video! Love the shot of Teak, Iroko & Afromosia getting dripped on with that Walrus Oil. Informative video as always, quality job gentelmen!

[andrewpensavalle]

Ah, Mark, I never cease to be in awe of you and your woodworking knowledge and ability. Another great video.

[willbraswell]

Love the angles you ripped on the sides of the slats. Nice touch!

[allanwilliams]

Another great video Mark. Packed with great info. Thank you for sharing. 👍🏻

[BobBlarneystone]

I have a 50 y/o table in my backyard in Michigan, and it's clear redwood. Other than greying out, and some squirrel toothmarks from digging seeds from the cracks, it's in excellent condition.

[Danman]

Love the table. Also the explanations!

[drewcunningham]

I have been buying wood from yall for just over a year and only had 1 piece of hard maple that was cracked. Love your videos and your woods

[rustydegeorge]

As usual, excellent video and very informative. Thanks for producing all the videos you do, they’re a tremendous resource for novice woodworkers like myself!!

[donquixoteperonomancha]

1st time watching your video and it was not only informative but also fun and carefree, so subscribed immediately! Thank you for a wonderful video, plus I love that table so much that I'm going to build it.

[strongjohn]

The finish came out great! Wonderful project and very informative video!

[ebmarson]

Very nice . Thanks for sharing. You are a fantastic educator.

[prairiedf]

Hi, another very interesting outdoor wood is black locust. While somewhat difficult to work with, black locust is very rot resistant, hard and strong. Plus it’s a “weed” tree most people are happy to get rid of.

[KarlBunker]

I love the angled cuts on those slats. And as always, thanks for the info on woods!

[StormGod]

This was really excellent information presented so effectively. I especially appreciate the emphasis on outdoor durability and finishes!

[joelw]

That is an awesome design. Always love watching your videos. Can’t wait for the next one. I’ve been watching all your species specials or whatever you call them. If I’m ever in the area I’ll stop by!

[bryanseward]

I’ve been using thermally modified (poplar, red oak, ash) and I’m really impressed. I plan on using it for the exterior of my home at some point. Can’t say enough good things about it.

[SawdustmakerLori]

Love how that table turned out and thanks for the helpful information about good choices for outdoor wood and finishes!

[fraforgt-r]

I’ve inherited a Burma teak bench from my great grandparents. Its over 100 years old, made of very rare Burmese teak and its still going fairly strong, its still in use at least. After scrubbing all the algae off and adding a brace underneath using a scrap piece of oak and then some osmo exterior oil. It looks great! Fairly solid when sitting on it, joints are still pretty loose though since they’ve weathered away over the years. Teak sure is a winner though! Amazing!