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Kids would like a picnic table for the garden so thought I'd have a go at making one.
What's the best wood to use?
The ‘best’ wood?
Solid oak, or a softwood which like oak has enough natural resin to make it suitable for outdoor use such as cedar or larch.
Though that would be jolly nice I used ordinary construction softwood to build my last bench. Gave it a coat of oil, it’ll last several years so long as I don’t leave it to suffer in the damp.
Larch from your local sawmill, sand & tung oil.
If you want to be less artisan then pressure treated soft wood will last plenty long enough
Now this might provoke debate, but I would specifically advise against pressure treated softwood for garden furniture. Plenty of it is available to buy, indeed. But it smells funny, and all it does in my experience is split. I don’t know if it’s the grade of timber that goes into pressure treatment or the process itself, but it’s always total carp for even basic garden furniture.
So bottom budget/easy availability I’d go with plain softwood. I’d use CLS timbers where possible because it has a rounded edge, is excellent quality (if you pick through the rack to avoid damaged in transit pieces) is amazing value And widely available at diy stores. It’ll probably outlast the simple joints you make in it for a bench. Next up would be larch from a sawmill in terms of higher cost and higher barrier to entry for the occasional diy’er. Finally oak, but I wouldn’t even bother with making an oak bench.