If you’re researching to find the best options for your establishments’ new outdoor furniture you will quickly learn that there are a lot of different materials to choose from. Each with their own unique qualities.
Softwood such the popular Northern European Redwood is a robust and sturdy option for furniture pieces such as picnic benches.
There are many benefits of using softwood furniture. However, there are also some disadvantages you may want to keep in mind when considering which material is best for your establishments’ outdoor area.
In this blog post we are sharing with you the perks and the downfalls of this beautiful wood so that you can make the most informed decision possible when it comes to your new outdoor furniture.
Cost
Softwood tends to be cheaper than woods like teak. The main reason for this price difference is that Pine and Spruce are much faster growing than the Tectona gaddis, or the ‘teak tree’. This means it is easier and cheaper to sustainably source. It is also easier to work with which helps to keep production times and costs to the minimum.
This is a great alternative to hardwood if you are particularly concerned about keeping costs low. However, softwood is more likely to bend, warp and split sooner than the hardwood furniture.
Chunky softwood products like our Castle range tables and benches are going to last longer than our budget range picnic table. For this reason we offer a 10 year structural guarantee on the castle range set. Whereas, the budget picnic bench only receives a 1 year structural guarantee. So, you’re looking for the durability of hardwood furniture at a lower cost, we would suggest going for a chunkier softwood product.
Easy to Clean & Maintain
Softwood is easy to clean and maintain. As it has naturally occurring antibacterial properties all it takes it a quick wipe down between uses to keep softwood tables fit for use.
We typically recommend that you do maintenance on your softwood furniture at least once every 12-months. This would typically be a good clean and treatment on a warm, sunny day.
This will help ensure that your softwood furniture will remain long lasting and weather resistant.
Versatile
Softwood is an incredibly versatile material due to its sturdy structure and easy to maintain design.
Although it is mostly recognised within picnic benches it can also be used for a range of other furniture items, shelters and accessories.
We use softwood for a vast range of our products:
Lightweight But Robust
Softwood furniture is a lighter option which makes it a great option if you need to move your furniture around. Although lightweight, it is heavy enough to resist strong winds.
Softwood is often used to construct furniture that will stay in good condition through frequent use and extreme weather conditions. However, Spruce (or whitewood) is more likely to distort than pine (redwood) furniture is, as the grain isn’t as close, making it less rigid.
We like to ensure that we are offering our customers the best quality furniture possible. For this reason we use FSC certified redwood timber that has been treated in Woodberry’s unique spirit-based immersion treatment to maximise its lifespan and make it more hardwearing to the elements.
Sustainability
While all of the wood sourced at Woodberry is FSC certified, we also acknowledge that some wood is more sustainable than others.
When in comparison to teak, softwood is a much more sustainable option. This is due to trees such as pine and spruce being much faster growing. This makes it a more sustainable option as it is able to be cut down and re-grown quickly enough to handle how much it is being sourced.
This hasn’t been the case for materials like teak which is slow growing and has faced the impacts of over sourcing.
Get Advice From an Expert
Get more advice from one of our friendly outdoor furniture experts. They can help guide you on which product or material is best for your establishment and budget.
Call us on 01926 889922
Email us at [email protected]
Or, get in touch via the webchat.
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