Garden Furniture

[Goofy]

The wood on my metal-framed garden seats is rotten. Does anyone know where I can get some (sustainable) teak? Or is there something else I can use?

[sddsddean]

Just a suggestion, how about using keruing? Its the timber that is used as the bed for lorry trailers and is nearly indestructable! Varnished it would look very similar to teak, but probably last longer. Its available from most builders/timber merchants.

[Hawkwalk]

Keruing is on the FOE's critical/endangered list and is highly unlikely to be from a sustainable source unless it is certified from a body such as the FSC.

Find a local timber merchant who deals with sustainable timbers and ask them what they have that is suitable for furniture.

[heathfield]

We have a local manufacturer of garden benches who supplies town councils all over the Uk, and uses iroko wood. I have such a bench, and, when new, gave it a good coat of Ronseal Outdoor Varnish (the one that says it 'outlasts yacht varnish'). I'm totally impressed by this varnish. It dries to give a rubbery feel, that gradually becomes harder over time. The bench has been sitting in the garden exposed to the elements for a full two years, and still looks absolutely brand new. I'd suggest giving any new wood a generous coat of this varnish before attaching it to the metal frame.
(And Keruing is a generic term for several tropical hardwoods, some of which are very difficult to work with, and are top of the list for blunting tools, thus adding to the cost!).

[Goofy]

thanks - I'll work on t his.