Teak or Eucalyptus Outdoor Furniture - Which is Better?

Both teak and eucalyptus provide excellent woods for both indoor and outdoor, patio, and garden furniture. While they have a few similarities, these woods are vastly different in appearance, cost, and availability. Deciding which to choose comes down to several factors - including your own personal preference.

Both teak indoor and outdoor furniture are made of wood from the teak tree. Teak is a somewhat dense, coarse-textured wood with a warm yellowish-brown neutral color and a very high oil content. Most teak outdoor furniture has a life span of well over 100 years and teak is well known for its weather-resistance. Moreover, teak naturally deters termites whether used in your home, or outdoors on your patio, or in your yard, or garden.

Eucalyptus furniture is made of wood from the eucalyptus tree. It is somewhat pinkish-brown to redish-brown in color and has a life span of about 15 to 25 years if the furniture is left outdoors and untreated, and up to 100 years if the furniture has been treated and is properly maintained. Eucalyptus is also extremely resistant to all weather conditions.

Both teak and eucalyptus wood are derived from strong, beautiful trees. That strength is why outdoor and patio furniture made from either wood is strong and extremely durable, with great resistance to harsh exterior conditions. Both teak and eucalyptus show cracks during the outdoor weathering process, which is actually a positive cosmetic characteristic because these cracks are just a result of the expansion and contraction of the wood and it never affects the structure of the furniture.

No other wood beats the reliability of teak or eucalyptus furniture - especially when used in outdoor conditions. However, both teak and eucalyptus have their own individual benefits. Eucalyptus furniture is hard and it weathers outdoors as well as (or possibly better than) teak. However, teak is more naturally durable and highly water-resistant, which makes it more beneficial for most outdoor purposes.

Deciding between teak and eucalyptus outdoor, garden, and patio furniture comes down to choosing which features of these woods are most important. It is more beneficial to have teak outdoor furniture if you want pieces that are durable, water resistant and able to withstand the  harshest of conditions. Meanwhile, eucalyptus furniture is sometimes more visually appealing, with many of the same durability features.

Maintaining both teak and eucalyptus outdoor, garden and patio furniture is fairly simple with routine cleaning. Also, power washing and/or lightly sanding the surface of both furniture types helps to keep them from turning gray. When the cleaning is done, simply apply a light coat of teak oil. For quick maintenance, use warm water, a neutral soap, and a soft cloth to clean off dust and dirt.

Rubbing teak oil onto eucalyptus furniture can give it a deep sheen and preserve the stain of the furniture (if there is one). Otherwise, the furniture will turn gray during the weathering process, similar to teak.
   
Teak furniture is expensive because the teak tree is very slow growing, yet it is one of the best natural woods for use outdoors, because teak furniture will last for generations, even when not properly maintained.

Eucalyptus furniture, on the other hand, is usually much less expensive than genuine teak furniture because the eucalyptus tree is fast growing and more easily replaced, which makes this a great choice for those that might not have an abundance of money to spend on their outdoor furniiture needs, yet want outdoor furniture that will last.

Special Note: All teak and eucalyptus products can vary a little in color from manufacturer to manufacturer, depending where the wood is harvested. On our Patio Port website, we have been very careful to make certain that all of our sets match perfectly.

However, if you are interested in designing your own outdoor furniture set, we will check to make certain that all of your selected furniture products will match perfectly prior to processing your order.

If you have any other questions about the differences between teak and eucalyptus outdoor, patio, or garden furniture, please feel free to contact us at any time.

----The Patio Port Team----

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