Archive for the ‘Cedar Furniture’ Category
What is Cedar?
Cedar is not a very dense wood, making it one of the lightest softwoods available. Cedar also boasts an incredible thermal co-efficient. That means that the little tiny “air pockets” between the cells of the wood end up acting as an insulator when the wood is dry. If it is hot outside, for example, cedar will remain at a lower temperature than most other materials that conduct heat with more efficiency. The result is a cooler chair to sit on. And don’t forget, because it is a lightweight wood it will be easier for you to move it around than a heavy hardwood chair.Even though cedar is a lightweight wood you will not be sacrificing strength. It is a full 80% the strength of mighty OAK! That’s tough!
Cedar also has amazing dimensional stability. More simply put, cedar naturally tries to equalize its moisture content to match that of the air around it, like all woods. However, unlike many other woods, cedar does not expand or contract very much when it is absorbing or evaporating moisture. This is very important because while other harder, denser woods will tend to crack or warp from season to season, cedar tends not to crack or warp. If you live in an area where humidity levels can vary wildly between seasons, cedar is a must for you.
Cedar has a very low flame-spreading ratio and is low on the “smoke developed” scale when burning as well. This means that it doesn’t spread fire as fast nor produce as much smoke as some other types of wood.
Finally, cedar is very decay and weather resistant, which makes it ideal for cedar garden furniture. If you leave the furniture outside you have the option of either staining it every year or two if you want to maintain its fresh new look, or allowing it to age gracefully into a beautiful silvery gray color. If you choose to leave cedar permanently outside through all of the seasons, every day, every month, every year, we highly recommend treating it to protect the furniture properly and greatly extend its natural life. After all, cedar is resistant to decay but is not impervious to it. No wood is impervious to natural aging. Staining cedar just gives it an extra durability edge against Mother Nature, especially if it is left in constant contact with the ground.
Taking Some Time to Relax
Like most high-powered corporate executives, I’m obligated to handle lots of responsibility on a daily basis. Some people in my position might have trouble sleeping at night – instead tossing and turning while thinking about the stressful days ahead. I’ve found that taking a break from the daily grind to do some introspecting can be a great source of stress relief. While some co-workers I know head to the golf course or a fancy restaurant, I prefer to head home to enjoy some time on the wooden porch swing with my wife.
Every now and then we’ll bring some books out on the deck and read in silence. Other times we’ll share an intimate conversation or make plans for the weekend. Still other times, it’s enough to just sit and relax while taking in the view of the woods in the distance. After a half hour or so, my batteries are completely recharged and I’m completely at peace with the world.
It’s Always Sunny in California
After living in towns on the Eastern seaboard for most of our lives, my wife and I finally retired and moved permanently to our vacation home in sunny California. While it was a bit tough leaving so many of our old friends and acquaintances back home in Philadelphia, the warm weather certainly helped to cure any sense of homesickness we might have had.
With the temperatures staying pleasant for most of the year in our neck of the woods, it would be a shame to waste the whole day inside. We’ve already hosted a number of garden parties in our backyard, for which the wood folding chairs came in handy. Their sturdy construction stands up to the elements, and it’s nice to be able to fold them up and bring them inside on occasion.
Finding New Uses for Outdoor Furniture
Now that the harsh October winds are blowing across much of the Midwest and the East Coast, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to bring their patio furniture indoors for the season. A few weeks ago I set about transforming my screen room into its functional winter equivalent – a sun porch. Basically this process requires that I remove all of the screens from the windows and replace them with a pane of glass. Then I keep the sliding door to the rest of the house open, allowing the room to be heated.
In this way, I still get plenty of use out of my cedar patio furniture – even when the snow begins to fall and being outside for any lengthy period of time is simply out of the question. I like to retire to the sun porch to read a good book or to chat with family members. No matter what leisurely activity I might pursue, it’s heightened and improved by the stunning view out those windows.
Making Your Garden a Livable Space
Some gardeners lavish so much attention on the health of their plants and flowers that they forget about the needs of those who will be visiting the space. Gardens are above all a place for people to feast their eyes on the foliage while putting the stress of the day behind them. As such, a garden should be accessible and interactive to a certain degree. As nice as it is to admire some brilliant blooms from afar, it’s better to be up close and personal.
Practical outdoor décor – such as a cedar garden bridge – can transform the garden from an austere plant museum into a livable exterior space. The bridge is both pleasing to the eye and navigable by foot. It can be used as a means to organize the flower beds and lead the eye from one distinct part of the garden to another.
Garden Seating
Oftentimes a backyard garden is associated with hard work. It takes a lot of effort to construct a garden bed, make the soil viable, pick all the weeds out, plant new flowers and vegetable, water everything, and make sure animals and birds don’t eat all the seeds. But once the work pays off, the garden is beautiful and should be enjoyed often. That’s where garden seating comes into play.
You can install garden benches or chairs around your garden to create a peaceful escape in your very own backyard. Imagine coming home from a long day at work and curling up on a bench to read a book with birds and butterflies fluttering around the flowers in your garden. You can even add an inscription to a bench to memorialize the day you installed it or to remember a loved one that you lost. In any case, garden benches help you enjoy your hard work and the beautiful fruits of your labor.
Prepare for the Unexpected
If entertaining is your forte, you may have amassed a large list of friends to invite to every soiree. You also may know that big problems occur when there is not enough of something for everyone at the party – this can be food, drinks, utensils, plates, or seating. Don’t make anyone feel like a second-class partygoer – be extra prepared for more guests than you’re expecting. How many times has your cousin’s wife’s aunt’s son decided that he wanted to bring his new girlfriend to an event? Exactly.
The point is that you should be absolutely sure to have extra chairs on hand. These don’t have to be super fancy chairs that perfectly match your patio furniture. In fact, the most convenient chairs are folding lawn chairs. You can store extras in your garage and then magically pull them out as extra guests show up. No one will care if the extra chairs don’t exactly match the rest; the stragglers will just be happy to have a drink in hand and a place to sit.
Outdoor Funiture
When you spend a lot of time in your yard you may spend a lot of money on cedar outdoor furniture. While many people may prefer to redecorate their kitchens or bedrooms, outdoor enthusiasts love nothing better than shopping for new outdoor furniture. But once you invest in yard furniture you’ll want it to last for a while. It’s important to understand how exposure to the elements can affect your yard furniture.
Here are some things to consider when purchasing your outdoor furniture; is it waterproof? Is it treated with oils (like linseed oil) that will promote fungus growth? Will your furniture be close to a pool (chlorine can damage wood)? And, will the furniture be situated on the grass or cement? Once you have figured out the answers to these questions you can start your shopping.