Woodworking advice needed: Adirondack Chairs
 

Hey Handypersons:

I have purchased plans to build a couple of adirondack chairs for some friends of mine (wedding gift), but am now at the "choosing the wood" stage. Most of the plans call for 1x6 boards (not fenceboards, mind you), but I wanted something that would be durable and naturally rot-resistent without too much maintenance.

Keep in mind, I'm up in Nova Scotia (wayyyyy eastern Canada), so obtaining exotic species is not going to be an easy or cheap task.

Anybody had particular success with certain wood types for outdoor furniture? I'm looking into hemlock, but not sure I can procure it at a reasonable price.

Thoughts?

A good ceader should work, as long as it's taken care of properly. I've got a ceader deck (except for the treated pine framing) and it looks just as good as the day it was new. The biggest thing is just taking care of it. Use a good oudoor stain/water repellant/paint and it should last for a long time.

what Cableguy said.

And you can buy fenceboards if you have access to a thickness planer to smooth down the rough side. (Cedar can be a bit hard on planer blades I find.)

I built a picnic table set last year and wanted about the same as you. (long lasting and easy maintenance) I have built the same yet years ago out of cedar and was pleased in the begining but thru time they greyed and mildewed. Even after an annual coat of sealer and waterproofer(my spelling sucks). So I decided on the man made "lumber+plastic" type of material. There are several types and grades. The one I picked cuts, sands, shapes and stains just like regular wood but is bug proof and weather resistant. Some are also pre-colored and the color goes all the way through. The only drawback I found is that the composit is more flexible than natural wood. I had to add a couple of stiffiners to the legs and back uprights. As for the seats and backs I left as is. When you sit in them they are kinda springy on your back and butt. Seems more comfortable to me..Anyway thats my experience and my opinion

Teak is ideal, but it's not very cost effective.

Go with cedar, if it's available in your area.

Thanks, everyone.. I'll be checking on the availability of cedar tonight. The main reason fence boards aren't called for is because the thickness is slightly less than a 1x6, but the chairs can be built with fenceboards just the same, with a few mods on screw depth.

Anyway... if they turn out well, i'll post some pics :)

Go with Cedar but you can also go with pine... just make sure you use a few coats of varathane or good quality paints...

I just did two Muskoka Chair's this weekend. There were from a kit that was given to me so I had no choice on the wood. It was pine.

My relatives have some very nice cedar one's though.

I'd go with cedar like already mentioned. It's light, easy to work with, relatively cheap and very rot resistant.

I was going to build some very soon as well, i was originally planning on using 1 1/4" decking material and assumed I was gonna build the chairs out of pressure treated pine for the cost.

Is there any issues with building a chair out of pressure treated materials? Is it dangerous?

Failing that I will use Cedar, but Cedar is bloody expensive.

Most of the harmful pressure treatements (like with Chromium Copper Arsenate) have been outlawed at this point, so the treatment methods might be different. I was informed that treated spruce is only around $1.50 for an 8' length (1x6x8'), but that the treatment method is now different due to the new health regulations (cancer risks) in Canada. I believe the same regs were adopted in the United States, but don't quote me on that.

When you start shopping for wood, avoid buying from a home center. They won't have near the range that a real lumberyard can provide. A lumberyard will have a much wider selection of species and always have dimensional lumber. You should be able to score the 5/4 x 6 stuff you need with no problem at all.

CCA was banned in the US as well.

If you use a wood, I would stain it rather than paint it. Stained wood looks soo much better than painted wood. Since it's outdoor furnature, make sure you add a few extra layers of clear varnish to the top after staining it so that it will hold up to the elements better.