What is the best type of wood to use for building a picnic table?
I am building 2 picnic tables for an eagle scout project and was wondering what the cheapest good wood is?
Redwood is too expensive... I need something cheaper.
It is an outdoor picnic table.
I was wondering if treated lumber is really that bad? because if i paint or stain it, i will be covering up the "poisonous" stuff... it is also by far the cheapest i think.
If you know the average price of the wood you recommend, could you please tell me that.
Pressure treated lumber for outdoor use would be the best pick. And it is not too expensive.
Another idea would be to mix the species of wood by using pressure treated for the structure and a natural rot resistant lumber such as cedar, redwood or cypress for the seat and top. The added cost would then not be so drastic.
As far as painting or staining the picnic table, it is recommended to let the wood leach out any moisture or chemicals first. You could get around this problem by going to a lumber yard and ask to hand pick the pressure treated and/or cedar lumber from a stack that has been exposed to the sun for a while.
I would recommend a tinted stain or solid pigment stain followed by a lacquer finish.
One more detail: Pressure treated lumber no longer is made with "poison". They quit selling wood made with arsenic called CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) on Dec. 31st, 2003.
Good luck with your picnic table project!
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