Patio Furniture That is Eco-Friendly

Patio furniture is made out of many materials today.
What material can take the changing weather conditions from sun to rain, from snow to freezing temperatures and still look beautiful while being good for the environment? Wood is the classic patio furniture material that has been around for decades.
Wood adds warmth and beauty to any décor.
The best wood for outdoor furniture is teak.
Make sure your teak furniture is plantation-grown and not old-growth wood.
The dealer should be able to certify that no old-growth trees were used to make your furniture.
If they cannot, you might want to look for another reputable dealer.
Teak is an extremely hard wood that will not decay.
It withstands the heat as well as the cold.
Since teak does not decay, it can last much longer than you.
Teak also has the advantage of low maintenance.
Since teak is a naturally oily wood, no wood preservatives are needed.
Allow the furniture to naturally turn a nice silvery gray.
The wood will change color but the integrity of the wood will last.
Coming in second place in the wood category is shorea wood.
Shorea wood is very similar to teak.
It is extremely hard wood that will not decay.
As it ages, the wood turns a silvery gray.
Shorea has one main advantage over teak; it is cheaper.
The one disadvantage of shorea wood to teak wood is that shorea wood tends to split at the ends over a period of time.
The splitting of the wood is small and will not affect the integrity of the wood.
Despite its wider availability than teak, the harvesting of shorea wood is regulated in order to conserve this grand wood species.
Shorea trees are not allowed to be harvested for wood until they reach a certain size, allowing the younger trees to grow and reproduce.
There are more than 360 wood species of shorea wood so be sure that you are getting one of the hardwood species for your outdoor furniture.
Make sure you are dealing with a reputable maker of wood furnishings.
The salesperson should not only be knowledgeable about shorea wood in general but the specific species of shorea wood that is used in the making of their outdoor furniture.
Another earth-friendly material for patio furniture is plastic.
I know many people will not believe plastic is good for the environment but a lot of plastic patio furniture is made out of old milk cartons.
Instead of going to a landfill, the old milk cartons can be used to create beautiful plastic patio furniture.
This plastic patio furniture can be made in any color to match your patio décor.
Check with your dealer to determine if their patio furniture is made from recyclable plastic.
Patio furniture that is eco-friendly is good for you and the environment.