Wooden Arbors – Cedar, Redwood, Teak and More!
Natural in origin and appearance, and easily worked, wood is an obvious choice for arbor designs. Wooden arbors aren’t as simple as just hammering together some boards though, the choice of wood, design, and intended use of the arbor will all need to coordinate together to ensure your arbor will be both beautiful and long-lasting.
Different types of wood can have very different qualities. Some types of wood just aren’t strong enough to use for construction of even lightweight structures like arbors. Others are strong structurally, but can’t stand up to the elements and so make bad choices for outdoor use.
That means when building an arbor for your gate, deck, or garden, it’s important to choose the right type of wood. You can save yourself a lot of headaches down the road by doing so, as you won’t have to deal with the constant repairs that rotting or termite infested wood can necessitate.
Types of Wood for Arbor Construction
There are a few types of wood that excell in outdoor use. The main characteristics you are looking for is resistance to water damage and insect pests like termites. Generally speaking, wood is strong enough against ultraviolet light that you don’t have to worry about that aspect. (At least not as far as structural integrity is concerned. It is important to protect your wood against UV damage if you don’t want the color to fade!) Following is a brief description of types of wood that are readily available, easily worked with, and naturally weather resistant.
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Cedar
This red/orange wood has natural oils that help repell water and insect pests. This makes cedar a great choice for outdoor construction projects like pergolas and arbors where the structural members will be exposed to the elements. It’s still important to protect the wood from UV light if you don’t want the rich reddish orange color to fade to a dull gray. Also, keeping the wood protected will help extent it’s lifespan. While Cedar does have natural resistances, it still can be degraded by weathering over time.
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Redwood
As the name would suggest, redwood has a beautiful deep red color to it. Like cedar though, this color will fade over time if not protected from ultraviolet rays. Redwood has similar weathering characteristics to cedar in most ways, though it will weather to a much darker color in most cases. Redwood is strong and the grain is beautiful, especially when stained or sealed.
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Teak
Teak is another favorite building material for outdoor use. Very popular in patio furniture, teak’s lighter yellow color makes it a good choice if you’re going for a more open look and feel. Natural oils in the wood protect teak from water damage, and from termites as well. As with any wood though, you still will see a benefit from applying a sealer or other protectant to slow down the weathering of the wood.