I am planning on building a picnic table, and to build it with my son. I have been looking for plans for one that I like for quite some time. All have similar problems, in that they are too small, or I do not trust, or require lumber of dimensions which require building out of pressure treated materials¹. I was looking at some octagonal models, which are pretty nice, then the latest issue of Wood Magazine arrived with, a picnic table, made with dimensional lumber. It is huge, with a near 5′ square top, seats 8 large adults comfortably, is easy to build, and looks.. well look at it. The problem is, I live in the northeast US and there is a lack of wood suitable for outdoor furniture. Anyone have any suggestions?

The plan used KD grade western red cedar (not the smelly kind.) I have read quite a bit about this wood and was already planning on using it for any out door projects. It is naturally bug and rot resistant, lasts for ever, and is insanely easy to work with. I had seen quotes of $0.40 per board foot for the cheap stuff, and with a project like this needed 228 board feet, it just made sense. The thing I didn’t realize is that those prices were for upper state Washington, and British Columbia Canada. Around here in the north east, it is more like $9.00 a board foot (for select) which is the only grade I can seem to find. Online suppliers have prices around $7.50 a board foot before milling and shipping. Ouch. My $300 project just became a $2,000 project? I think not.

I have contacted some lumber suppliers in British Columbia directly where I can get select grade S4S heartwood for $1.50 a board foot, but shipping is the issue. So it’s time to try substitutes. Douglas Fir would be appropriate, but is also from the northwest. As such prices fluctuate greatly, and is generally hard to find in the northeast. Redwood, Teak and IPE are out of the question as they are insanely expensive everywhere. This means looking to the south. I have used Cypress and Sasparilla before, but Katrina seems to have driven up the prices of those if you can find them. Yellow pine is a standard, but is best of being ‘treated’ if you want it to last. Most pressure treated wood¹ is yellow pine, which is out of the question. I have a bead on some Sasparilla for around $3.00 a board foot, or $700 (still too much.) This drove me to looking at the engineered boards now so loved, which are (for the dimensions I need) $4.00 a board foot. WTF.

So what can I do? Does anyone out there know of a good material for outside furniture? One option is to go with the elcheapo untreated white pine of the northeast and use tons of sealant. Most of the picnic tables people build around here are made out of this. It is quite cheap, $99.00 cheap, but will not last. It is mostly sapwood, and the warping and cupping will cause problems after just a few years. This is why you can pick up a small one on th eside of the road for $150, it only contains $50 of wood. Furniture grade is $1.50 a board foot, which might be workable.

So what wood does the northeast have for outdoor projects? It’s all pressure treated pine. What the northeast has is the indoor furniture makers love, Oak. Tons of beautiful White and Red Oak. What I pay $2.00 a board foot for, FAS Select 4/4 quarter sawn Red Oak, Californians are paying $23. At least I have that.