Outdoor Wood Furniture – Check the Wood Species Before Purchasing
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Article by: Malcolm Kay Not too long ago, the vast majority of outdoor furniture , Winterberry Holly 'Winter Red' was all made of teak. Teak has proved to be an ideal lumber species for outdoor furniture, , Container Gardening: Urban Alternative for Plant Lovers due to its high durability, ease of working with machine tools, , Cannibals on the Porch its low coefficient of radial and tangential expansion (which reduces potential problems in twisting, or swelling when wet), it's attractive colour , Planning Your Garden from Scratch - the Basics and good working properties. , Are There Really Black Roses? But such widespread use of teak, including for marine decking, has come at a considerable environmental , Remove the Gorilla if You Want to Sell Your House cost. The once great forests of South East Asia have been decimated to the extent that legally logged teak is now only available in very limited quantities, which is reflected in its high price. But unfortunately, illegal logging is still rampant and in many areas of South East Asia, ensuring its continuing supply to the furniture , Can Robotic Lawnmowers Save the World or at Least You Money? trade. Plantations of teak have now been established in a number of countries including Costa Rica for example (presumably planted in most cases where the great forests once existed). But this plantation teak is harvested at a much younger age that has traditionally been the case, so caution should be taken in assuming that the properties , Feeding the Hummingbirds of such younger lumber (including durability) will be the same as old growth teak. Many responsible furniture , Calla Lilies - Flowers for All Occasions manufacturers will now only used teak which has been certified by such independent bodies as the Forest Stewardship Council. If sustainability of forests and sound forestry practices are an important consideration in your choice of furniture, , Calla Lilies - Flowers for All Occasions then look for the FSC logo or ask your retailer to provide documentation to show from where the lumber was sourced. Note however that even if the tag accompanying any wood furniture , Daylilies - The Perfect Perennial claims that the wood , Remove the Gorilla if You Want to Sell Your House is sourced from sustainable forests, unfortunately there is no firm guarantee that this is true. You may be able to make some verification by checking the FSC website, which indicates which companies and even manufacturers , 'Brite Eyes' Climbing Rose have been given official accreditation by the FSC. In recent years there has been a proliferation of different lumber species used in outdoor furniture , Can Robotic Lawnmowers Save the World or at Least You Money? as more manufacturing plants , How to Choose the Best Lighting for Your Greenhouse are set up in places , 'Brite Eyes' Climbing Rose such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, in particular. Unfortunately, a lot of furniture , Landscaping Tips is now produced with price as the overriding consideration, with scant consideration being given to the durability or in service performance of the furniture. , Lawn Mower Guide - How to Prepare your Lawn Mower for the Season And all too often these days the name of the actual wood , To Repot - or Not! species in not even displayed - except perhaps a bland statement like "manufactured from durable hardwood species"Âť. And of course a lot of lumber is transported to furniture , The Basic Principles Of Landscape Design makers located far from the original source of the lumber, making it even harder to track the actual supply country or region. Thus there is often no guarantee that the furniture, , Who Sells Flower Bulbs? which may look magnificent in a covered showroom, will survive the rigours of outdoor , Lawn Mower Guide - How to Prepare your Lawn Mower for the Season use, year after year, fully exposed to the elements. Apart from the failure to state what timber , Landscaping Tips species has been used, sometimes a wood , Ten Considerations Before You Buy A Bird House species is quoted which is virtually unknown outside , Some Practical Ideas For Designing Your Own Landscape its country of origin and data on its durability or other properties , Orchid Myths -The Truth is either nonexistent or extremely difficult to locate. Although we have only referred above to the durability factor, this not the only property , Online Flower Shops you should be concerned with. Many species of lumber, although very durable, are also prone to twisting, warping and cracking under adverse climatic conditions, particularly where thin wood , Who Sells Flower Bulbs? section are concerned. Again teak has proved to be a very stable species in this regard but other species are not necessarily so stable. Whilst the lower costs and attractive colour , Planning Your Garden from Scratch - the Basics of some outdoor furniture , Garden Swing for Heart and Soul can certainly be appealing, we strongly suggest you should always ask your retailer to provide the name of the lumber species used and from which country it was sourced. If this species is not familiar to you, no other data is provided, and your independent research fails to locate data on such species, you should think carefully before making your purchase.. Good quality outdoor furniture , The Basic Principles Of Landscape Design should give many, many years of service and its higher initial cost will inevitably be repaid in terms of a longer service life and a much higher quality product. , How to Choose the Best Lighting for Your Greenhouse Malcolm Kay is the CEO of Intex Pacific Pty. Ltd. an international supplier of landscape , Winterberry Holly 'Winter Red' materials including modular decking tiles. , Garden Benches For more information , How to Choose the Best Lighting for Your Greenhouse see http://www.swiftdeck.com or http://www.patiomakeover.com |
  
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