Best wood for painted adirondack chairs

[John Craig Brown]

I am building the woodplans Adirondack settee which is a double seater with a table in between, a unique design. The bottom structure is painted and the seat spalts, table top, and seat bottom is natural wood. I would like to do the bottom in cheaper wood than ceder and use ceder for the wood parts, protecting them with clear deck treatment or UV protected poly or varnish.

What do you think is best for the painted wood parts - the chair will be outside for the summer but inside for the winter.

[Frank Drew]

John

If by "outside" you mean sitting on the lawn all summer, I'd make the whole chair, certainly the legs, out of the most weather resistant wood you can find -- mahogany, cedar, teak, redwood... whatever. Even if painted, the sun and rain and sitting on the ground will all take a toll on woods with no natural resistance, IMO.

Years ago, a local woodworker made some painted Adirondack chairs out of cherry for a local inn; I questioned his choice of cherry and he told me (to my surprise) that cherry was actually pretty good outdoors.

Not.

[whit richardson]

Agree with Frank go with a wood that is suited to outdoor use. Paint should be a tough outdoor enamel or acrylic. Other option is if you want a old look is use some of the pre formulated milk paints. They are intended for indoor use but can be pretty tough for general use.

[Dave Lehnert]

Nothing wrong with treated lumber.

I built some outdoor chairs that were on a porch year round. I made them out of regular construction lumber (non-treated) Keep them painted and they lasted 20 years. Just put them out to the trash last night.

[Joe Scharle]

Down here; we're partial to cypress.

[Cody Colston]

I think White Oak was the traditional wood used for painted Adirondack chairs. It's also naturally weather resistant so a clear varnish on the parts you mentioned should hold up pretty well if kept maintained. You may have to sand and renew each season. Epifanes varnish would be (is) my choice for outdoor furniture.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Here is an image of one of my interpretations of the A.C. in birch with satin Imprevo (intended to live on a covered porch). I have used reclaimed Red Wood and chunky live edge slabs as well. I hope those have not been painted yet.

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[Stan Calow]

western red cedar is the cheapest of all those mentioned, around here.

Cherry outside? Anyone agree?

[Mel Fulks]

I looked this up years ago. Originals were just something cheap , I think it was hemlock. Seats and backs need to have “ bark side” of pieces
toward people to eliminate razor-blade -like pop up grain.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Oak doesn't grow in a lot of the Adirondacks, so I would be surprised if that was the original wood. Black cherry heartwood is quite rot resistant but the sapwood rots fast. I have cut trees at the sawmill on the farm where I used to live that were dead where the bark and sapwood had rotted away but the heart was still perfectly solid.

[Bruce Mack]

Here is an image of one of my interpretations of the A.C. in birch with satin Imprevo (intended to live on a covered porch). I have used reclaimed Red Wood and chunky live edge slabs as well. I hope those have not been painted yet.

486118I like the chairs a lot. They have gracious and welcoming curves. The photo echoes those curves with the wheel reflections.

[Richard Coers]

One of the best ideas I ever saw for outdoor furniture longevity was a guy made little forms around the bottom of the legs and poured a 1/2" cap of epoxy. He drove in a couple screws before the pour to add a little rebar effect to increase shear strength. Prevents all the moisture in the ground from wicking into the legs.

[Steve Demuth]

I use white oak, usually quarter sawn, and paint it with a high quality marine enamel such Total Boat Wet Edge, or Rustoleum Topside, after priming with the recommended primer for the paint I'm using. I use white enamel, and color to taste with clay-based earth pigments. Nothing is foreever in the sun, of course, but as long as you don't allow water to sit on them, this combination will hold up beautifully years.

[Doug Garson]

One of the best ideas I ever saw for outdoor furniture longevity was a guy made little forms around the bottom of the legs and poured a 1/2" cap of epoxy. He drove in a couple screws before the pour to add a little rebar effect to increase shear strength. Prevents all the moisture in the ground from wicking into the legs.
Agree sealing ground contact surfaces with epoxy is an excellent way to extend an outdoor chair or table's life. Another idea, in addition to the epoxy, is to make feet for the bottom of the legs from UHMW (eg old plastic cutting boards) and attach them with countersunk deck or SS screws. Protects from rot and also makes them easier to move on concrete patios.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I like the chairs a lot. They have gracious and welcoming curves. The photo echoes those curves with the wheel reflections.

Thanks! It's not a very good image. I feel better about the reclaimed Redwood version which live outdoors and would hold paint well. I have read a good deal about the wonderful woods of upstate NY and have been to the Blue Mountain Lake Adirondack museum. I think the originals are hardwood.

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[Mark Rainey]

Oak doesn't grow in a lot of the Adirondacks, so I would be surprised if that was the original wood. Black cherry heartwood is quite rot resistant but the sapwood rots fast. I have cut trees at the sawmill on the farm where I used to live that were dead where the bark and sapwood had rotted away but the heart was still perfectly solid.

I have heard that about heartwood cherry Zach. I have built several adirondack chairs out of heartwood cherry - the local sawmill gives me a good deal on it, and they are holding up after two seasons. Of course, being finished with oil, they need refreshing at least twice a year.

[fred woltersdorf]

Cypress didn't work for me, lasted 5 years and they were done, rot big time.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I've had great success with Doug fir outside.

[Alex Zeller]

I'm not sure about other locations but around here if one wants to save money by not buying cedar they wouldn't choose white oak. If you want it to last I would look into one of the cheaper hardwood decking options. Ipe will be priced too high but I did see some Red Balau at a local supplier for a little over $3 a linear foot for decking (so less than $6.50 a bdft. It should last 30 years with minimal upkeep.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I did not notice that this thread started in 2009. I will keep waffling on anyway. I have learned that woods that are traditionally thought of as rot resistant (Redwood, Cedar, Cypress, etc.) got their reputation from wonderful old growth with as much 100 growth rings per inch. The Western Red Cedar and Redwood available around the Midwest is not rot resistant at all. Most 2x4's and 6's will have the pith and only 4 or 5 growth rings in the entire board. I use Jasco copper green wood preservative sometimes but sure would not want that stinky stuff on a chair and it can bleed through some paint's.

[Bill Dufour]

Reclaimed.. any from pickle or wine vats?
Bill D

[Alan Lightstone]

It would be nice to know how well his chair lasted outdoors since 2009 and which wood he used. I'm making a bench now out of QS White Oak. Definitely pricey. Hope it lasts.

[Curt Harms]

One of the best ideas I ever saw for outdoor furniture longevity was a guy made little forms around the bottom of the legs and poured a 1/2" cap of epoxy. He drove in a couple screws before the pour to add a little rebar effect to increase shear strength. Prevents all the moisture in the ground from wicking into the legs.

I did something similar with solid surface scraps. I cut a a piece the size of the leg. Remove the gloss with sand paper and drill holes for brass screws. Epoxy between the solid surface and wood surface with brass screws countersunk. These sit on a deck, I assume sitting on grass or soil would be okay as long as the surface was large enough to not sink. I think the oldest structure has been outdoors 24/7 for about 10 years.

[Zachary Hoyt]

For an adirondack chair I don't see that QS white oak is better than plain sawn, and I imagine it must cost more since all the furniture replicators want it.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Quarter sawn is the most stable type of board. Warping and cupping due to exposure to water is greatly reduced if not eliminated. It is also more rot resistant because less of the summer wood in the growth rings is exposed.