New wooden slats: which wood to use for the garden bench?

Numerous types of wood from all over the world are available in Europe. But the large selection does not make the purchase decision for garden bench wooden slats any easier. Some are not suitable at all, others are more sensitive and others are characterized by special properties. Ultimately, however, it comes down to individual requirements. The do-it-yourself guide explains which wood is suitable and what properties can be expected.

Individual requirements

If you want to equip your garden bench with new wooden slats, you should first answer a few questions in order to find the right type of wood for your wooden bench. These questions provide information about the conditions to which the wood is exposed and which individual requirements it should meet.

The questions are:

• Is the garden bench covered or not protected from the weather?
• Does the garden bench stay outdoors all year round or does it move into a dry winter quarters?
• Do you prefer a particular color or grain?
• What is the maximum care requirement?
• Will the bank be heavily and heavily used?
• Should the price be cheap or mediocre, or should the wooden slats cost something?
• Do you only want a type of wood from the region, from somewhere in Germany or may it come from overseas?

acacia

The true acacia (Acacieae) is native to the tropics and subtropics. It is often imported from Australia, Asia and Africa. The acacia is not to be confused with that which is grown in Europe and is available as a false acacia called black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). This is mostly imported from Hungary. The wood of the real acacia is extremely robust and 1.7 times stronger than oak, but much more flexible. This has the advantage that the wood only warps a little and there are hardly any cracks. It is very resistant to fungi and pests. With a lifespan of up to 40 years (untreated acacia wood), it is one of the most durable types of wood. For your garden bench, acacia wood slats are an excellent choice for any weather and any season. In terms of price, it is in the upper middle range and is cheaper than teak.

Bankirai

Bankirai is a type of wood that is mainly used as decking. As wooden slats, they are more difficult to obtain. This wood, which comes from Indonesia, can be recognized by its dark reddish color and mostly longitudinal grooves or grains on the surface. It often darkens to dark olive. It convinces with a very high resistance to weathering and rot. This actually makes it an ideal type of wood for your garden bench. However, the heavy wood has only moderate strength properties. In addition, it reacts on contact with ferrous metals and forms grey-blue discolorations. It has a tendency to cracks and slight deformations. However, the wood is not cheap. Depending on the provider, it oscillates in the middle price range.

douglas fir

As a cheap alternative to teak, oak, acacia and eucalyptus, you can use Douglas fir wood slats for your garden bench. This type of wood originated in North America. However, the cultivation of the Douglas fir is now widespread. The wood is a softwood that has the properties of hardness, dryness and easy to work with. The heartwood is yellowish-brown to reddish-yellow. Depending on the light intensity, it darkens to a reddish-brown hue. It has a very decorative effect due to its strong stripes and flakes, but it is not widespread in the manufacture of garden furniture. Regular impregnation is required. However, it is not very weather-resistant in the long term, like teak or acacia wood. Therefore, this type of wood is recommended for garden benches that are under a canopy and move to a frost-free, dry winter quarters.

Oak

Oak wood has a good reputation to this day. This is not least due to the high durability and hardness that it has. The latter in particular makes it a suitable wood for garden benches. However, compared to the wooden slats made of acacia, teak and eucalyptus, cracks can appear if the dryness is too long and intense. However, these affect neither the quality nor the statics. When it gets wet again, the cracks contract again. Wooden slats made of solid wood are almost indestructible and made to last. A special oil impregnation reinforces the noble grain and at the same time protects the surface from external influences. It also requires regular treatment with care products.

eucalyptus

The eucalyptus wood offers more than 600 species. It comes from Australia and is now also cultivated in the central region. Eucalyptus is very popular in garden furniture manufacture. The tree, which belongs to the myrtle family, impresses with its extremely high degree of hardness. The formation of cracks is almost impossible. The eucalyptus wood has a light reddish to dark brown color and an interesting grain. It is quite resistant to pests and weather conditions of any season.

However, it tends to become brittle. Appropriate care is required to keep the wood supple. Overwintering outdoors can encourage brittleness, making it better suited to your garden bench if it spends the winter frost-free. Depending on the type and quality, it is priced well below the wooden slats made of acacia or teak.

Jaw

As probably the cheapest option you get wooden slats made of pine. It impresses with good processing properties and can be seen a lot in inexpensive garden furniture. New pine wood has a yellowish to slightly reddish colour. Over time, it partially darkens. It has a slightly higher durability than spruce wood. It is quite greasy and resinous and many knots may show up. This has the disadvantage for your garden bench that rough wood can have a negative impact on seating comfort. If it is not regularly impregnated at relatively short intervals, moisture will penetrate, which is why it is only less suitable for an open-air garden bench. Decay is then not uncommon, nor is a short lifespan. In addition, it is a softwood that only gains stability with a correspondingly narrow substructure.

larch

The heartwood of the native larch appears red-brown and darkens over time. A yellowish-white sapwood provides a decorative contrast. It has a low risk of rotting due to a relatively high resin content. Among other things, this makes it a durable type of wood that is also weather-resistant and therefore suitable for outdoor garden benches. In the case of very long garden benches, there should be cross braces at regular intervals under the wooden slats. Although larch is a hard material, it tends to break when oversized and subjected to high loads. Regular care with wood products is recommended to keep it beautiful in the long term.

Robinia wood slats are less hard and strong than acacia wood slats, but more so than oak slats. A long durability as well as a very high weather resistance in connection with a low maintenance requirement The absence of impregnation makes wooden slats made from robine a slightly cheaper alternative to real ones Acacia.

Sipo

Sipo is a type of wood that comes from a deciduous tree in Africa and is not yet widespread in local areas. It is considered to be weather-resistant and has a high degree of hardness. It gets darker and darker with age. However, the strength is well below that of wooden slats made of acacia, oak or teak and it can break faster than you would like. This type of wood is definitely suitable for a garden bench that is purely decorative or provided for children. For heavier people who will sit on the garden bench, you should opt for a firmer type of wood.

teak

A real classic among wooden garden furniture is teak. This is a hardwood that is characterized by a very high level of weather resistance and visual elegance. In addition, this type of wood is extremely resistant to pests, has a long life expectancy even with heavy use and does not require much care. Teak wood comes from Southeast Asia and is obtained from the teak tree (Tectona grandis). It belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae). Wooden slats made of teak are one of the best for your garden bench, especially if it is outdoors all year round and is exposed to sun, rain, snow, heat and cold.

Social and ecological compatibility

In addition to choosing the ideal type of wood for the wooden slats of your garden bench, social and ecological aspects should not be neglected.
You can recognize corresponding products, for example, from various eco and environmental seals, such as:

• FSC(R) Fairtrade certification
• Blue Angel
• PEFC

Find out more about other garden furniture