Many different types of wood features can be outdoors in your landscaping, which includes, fencing, arbors and open structures like gazebos. When installing these features in landscaping, choosing the right type of materials is just as important as the maintenance that the wood will need. Here are some tips to help with choosing the right materials for outdoor wood features and how to care for them.

1. Choices of Lumber and Resistance to Outdoor Conditions

There are many different choices of lumber that can be used for outdoor woodwork, which include:

• Treated pine materials —This is the most affordable choice of outdoor lumber, but it is also the least durable and will need the most maintenance.
• Tropical Lumbers (Brazilian Cherry, Teak, Ipe, etc.) —These are some of the most expensive lumber materials available, which can be difficult to work with due to their hardness, which is why they are rarely used for woodworking projects other than outdoor features like decking or fencing materials.
• Domestic Cedar Materials (Red and White Cedar) —These materials are the most affordable choice of natural wood materials, are commonly used for indoor and outdoor woodworking projects.

These are some of the different choices to choose from for your outdoor woodworking projects. Cedar lumber gives you the most benefits of all the choices when it comes to durability, natural wood grain, and affordability.

2. Allowing Lumber to Dry Before Sealing After Installation

Many of the different choices of lumber will be green or wet when you buy them. The treated pine materials are often swollen with chemical treatments and need time to dry before they can be treated with a sealant to protect against weathering. Cedar can sometimes be green, and it may be a good idea to allow time for it to dry before use. Usually, cedar lumber suppliers will have kiln-dried materials, which can be sealed and stain during or right after their installation.

3. Solutions for Keeping Outdoor Lumber Clean and Free of Fungus

One of the biggest enemies of outdoor lumber is fungus, which starts with dirt and debris. To protect outdoor materials from damage, use features like gravel coverings near wood features to prevent dirt from splashing up onto the wood. In addition, make sure to routinely clean the wood materials to keep grime from getting embedded in wood grains.

4. Routine Staining and Sealing to Protect Outdoor Lumber from Weathering

Staining and sealing lumber is an important part of maintenance, which should be done after installation, as well as every few years after the last time the materials were painted. Sealing the wood materials will help protect them from wear and weathering and ensure they last for years.

These are some tips to help with the outdoor wood features and how to care for them. If you need materials for outdoor woodworking projects, contact a cedar lumber supplier like Liese  Lumber Co Inc to get the materials you need.