# Oak table & bench outdoors



## les chicken (19 Jun 2006)

I have been asked to make a table and bench out of local grown oak for a friend. The wood has been kiln dried and is rough sawn, but it will be planed and sanded smooth.

What is the best finish to use to keep the natural colour with low maintenance.

Or is best to leave it to mother nature, but there is the worry about splitting causing splinters in tender areas :roll: 

As a matter of interest I have been quoted £22 per cubic foot is this reasonable. :?: 

Les


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## Sgian Dubh (19 Jun 2006)

The price for the oak is about par for the course for native oak but it does depend a bit on the quality. Kiln dried wouldn't be my first choice for outdoor furniture as it will have been kilned to 10%MC here in the UK-- in the US their white oak would have been kilned down to as low as 6%MC. In its exterior location it will achieve a low point of about 15% and could easily go up to 22%MC in very damp conditions. I'd prefer air dried material in the first place as it would be no lower than 15%MC and, more likely 16 or 17%MC when you buy it.

The best finish for exterior locations always causes debate. Clear finishes deteriorate very quickly if they're not maintained on a regular basis. Yacht/spar varnishes are good but they must be sanded down and recoated every couple of years at the most. Oil finishes are easy to apply but don't offer much protection from anything.

Sikkens make products for exterior use such as decking and these contain light blocking pigments. They might be worth investigating but, again, they're not maintenance free. In truth the best protective film for exterior use is one that blocks out all light and excludes air, ie, paint, but paint needs maintenance too.

Frankly, I think the maintenance of exterior hardwood furniture is more of a pain in the pants than just leaving the stuff bare. I've never yet met an owner of outdoor furniture that is willing to keep up with a proper maintenance and repair routine-- the job typically gets put off until next year, and the year after by which time it's always too late. So, in my opinion, unfinished and maintenance free is as good an option as any other-- this lets the oak develop its own natural silvery grey patina, and bare oak is very durable. Slainte.


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## RogerS (13 Oct 2006)

Sgian Dubh":3l0m3sph said:


> this lets the oak develop its own natural silvery grey patina, and bare oak is very durable. Slainte.



How long does it take for untreated oak to develop this patina?


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## Sgian Dubh (13 Oct 2006)

Gosh Roger. You've revived a long dormant thread! About four months since I responded to the original question.

Between nine months and a year should see the beginning of the silvering effect. It should be well in place by two years. I find it very attractive, but it depends on what you like. It's certainly low maintenance.

However, if you live in a particularly polluted atmosphere (certain parts of industrial cities for example) the timber could turn black rather than silver. Slainte.


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