Im tyring to build a picnic table and i dont know what type of wood would be best. any suggestions?

Question

Im tyring to build a picnic table and i dont know what type of wood would be best. any suggestions?

Answer 1

a piece of teak will be ideal if you can afford it .It is ideal for outside

Answer 2

Will this picnic table stay outside permanently? If so, choice of wood will need to take this into account.

Redwood has always been the favorite for this application. It is expensive and a little fussy to work with, but it's beautiful and it has a natural anti-rot and anti-insect quality.

Cedar isn't a bad second choice, depending on where you live and market conditions, I sometimes see Western Red Cedar for reasonable prices. Cedar also has the natural ability to repel insects and rot.

I don't really recommend pressure treated wood - you know, the green-ish stuff. It smells bad for a long time, the chemicals are not great to be touching. They use copper salts with formaldehyde which is a carcinogen.

You could use regular dimensional lumber (2 X 4, 2 X 6, 2 X 8, etc) and treat it annually with linseed oil or other finish. If you're going with this wood and are looking at sealants and are going to consider some of the commerically available water seals for decks, make sure they're not especially toxic to in contact with skin or in proximity to food.

Answer 3

Treated will last the longest.

Answer 4

It's cheaper to just buy 1...If u want to learn how to make it...U should go to a hobby store and get a book on the subject.  But asking what type of wood already tells me ur better off just buy 1.

Answer 5

do not use pressure treated lumber ,it is poison!do you really want to eat off something that has poison in it.like previous post redwood or cedar is the best,or regular pine lumber and stain and seal it.

Answer 6

hardwood,it will last longer and wont warp.

Answer 7

Paleeze! Don't use treated lumber because it is poison? Unless you are gonna flop your baked beans and burgers directly on the table, treated lumber is by far the most economical. Cedar, teak, cypress are beautiful, but also about 3 times as much.

Hope that helps.