# Picnic table.........what type of wood?



## t4d (Sep 11, 2014)

I'm new here..........if I violate the forum etiquette, please don't hesitate to let me know.

I want to build an outdoor picnic table, using 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 lumber, but the 2 x 4's that I've been getting from the local Home Depot seem to warp very quickly after I get them home, even after I painstakingly sort through 20 - 30 of them to get the straightest I can find.

So, I'm looking for advice about lumber for my picnic table, and here are the things I am concerned about:


minimum warping
minimum sagging
outdoor use
minimum splintering
I am considering using kiln dried Douglas fir lumber from Home Depot, but I was also thinking of using cedar. Also, I think that I would prefer to use lumber that has not been chemically treated.......unless it is used only for the legs.......I don't want to have chemical treatment on the eating or sitting surfaces.

All comments are most appreciated.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

If cedar is available go with it, I agree about not using pressure treated lumber. Not a fan of Douglas fir for outside furniture, used it to replace wood on a park style bench, as it ages there are splinters that catch on clothes when you sit on it so it has to be sanded and refinished frequently.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

If you can handle the price, I would consider using composite lumber for the surfaces of the table and benches. 

It can sag, so you will need light support every 12-16", no big deal IMO, and it will never warp, crack, or rot. 

You could use pressure treated lumber for the structure beneath, or go with cedar for a few bucks more.


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## Bill White 2 (Jun 23, 2012)

+1 on the composite material. Build it, paint it if you wish, and forget it.
Check out the stuff on google. Look up Composite decking material.
Bill


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## PhilBa (Jun 30, 2014)

Cedar is definitely the best wood that you mentioned. That said, there are better woods, just not from HD. I'd consider redwood - very stable and lasts longer than cedar. Cypress is also a good wood for outdoor furniture. A lot depends on where you are.

One thing though, HD carries mostly crap cedar. Try to find a specialty provider.


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Im not a big fan of composite especially on a WOOD working forum, but for longevity and maintenance free you just cant beat it. For something like a simple picnic table thats going to stay outdoors Id frame it with PT Pine and do the benches table with composite.

Aside from the two things I mentioned great about the composite above, youll also never have to worry about splinters where youre sitting or putting your hands.


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## EdS (Mar 21, 2013)

It's not cheap, but Cypress will never rot and you don't need to paint or stain it. It is easy to work with as well.


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## asevereid (Apr 15, 2012)

The woods mentioned for outdoor use are all excellent suggestions, but I'm going to be the one guy that say do NOT use the composite for your surfaces (even though I really like composite).
It just gets too friggin' hot in the sun. Way too hot for a picnic table.


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Uhhh, put the table in the shade.


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## unclefester (Aug 23, 2013)

asevereid said:


> The woods mentioned for outdoor use are all excellent suggestions, but I'm going to be the one guy that say do NOT use the composite for your surfaces (even though I really like composite). It just gets too friggin' hot in the sun. Way too hot for a picnic table.


That's why they invented picnic table umbrellas -for composite picnic tables


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

why would composite get any hotter than wood?


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

bauerbach said:


> why would composite get any hotter than wood?


Little bit of reading for you:
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/14448521/list/choosing-a-deck-plastic-or-wood


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## shortbus (Aug 21, 2014)

I was gonna mention the composite decking getting hot, but someone beat me to it.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I built a picnic table 25 years ago out of treated wood and it's still in good condition and where it's located sits directly on the ground. It was made at a time when they still put arsenic in the wood. Once finished with a spar varnish it provides a barrier coat against any chemicals that might be in the wood so I never worried about it. Today’s treated wood has a lot less chemicals in it and I'm sure it wouldn't survive ground contact but I believe if it were placed on concrete pads would hold up as well. The trick with the warpage and shrinkage is to let the wood dry before building the table.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

if the wood is so well sealed to keep the chemicals in, it should keep water out and become a moot point.

In any case, to each his own about what they worry will kill them first in this world. I have surely eaten off many a treated outdoor table and Im still alive as well. In order of lifestyle risk factors, pressure treated lumber must be well down the list, sandwiched between cell phone radiation and exotic wood cutting boards perhaps lol. 

Interesting about it getting hot, still uncertain if thats fact or myth, I mean... there could be substance to the specific heat of the material, but plastic is an insulator and composite might be more dense? Ive definitely been uncomfortable with hot wood, and my parents composite deck in the GA sun is hot, but no worse so than the concrete patio... The benefits are still winning out in my mind.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

If you can stomach the price I'd recommend going with cedar. That said, I've build more that a few outdoor tables and the like from fir framing lumber and I haven't had an issues yet. The twisting you mentioned would be an issue, and I'm assuming its caused by your local home depot and your house having doffering humidity issues. I'd recommend buying and using the wood in the same day if you can. Building fine furniture like that is generally a recipe for disaster, but given that a picnic table is generally an outdoor furnishing anyway and not built with quite the same level of precision as a kitchen cabinet, you should be fine. The frame on a picnic table is generally heavy enough to keep warping in check. Last note, I've found that fo outdoor furniture deck sealant is your friend. Easy to apply, cheap, and does a good job for me at any rate.

Can't blame you for avoiding pressure treated. Its pretty safe when its just sitting there, but working it causes all that crap to be essentially aerosolized. I do not want to breathe that crap in


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## t4d (Sep 11, 2014)

I've found a plan for a picnic table on a web site, and that is what I intend to build.

Here a couple images of what I want to build:

















The whole thing is built from 2x4 and 2x6 lumber.

I'm considering using 8 foot lumber for the length, but of course must consider warpage and especially sagging of the seats and the top boards. I think that if I place the legs about 12 - 18 inches in from the ends, that should result in a 5 to 6 foot span between the seat supports and also the table top supports.

Please note that the plans do not call for the usual 45 degree bracing between the legs and the top. The design relies on the double leg system to prevent the whole thing racking.

If 8 foot is too long, I can cut the length to 7 foot, but I would prefer not to waste the lumber in that manner. (I have looked for 7 foot 2x4 and 2x6, but they are not as common to find as the 8 footers.

Again...........all comments most appreciated.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

I dont think you'll have serious issues with that design using wood. I mean... you put big uncle bob at 350lbs in the middle of the bench and that suckers gonna dip lol. but regular use, itll be minor. theres no way to eliminate the sag without some apron type supports under the bench. The table top wont see that kind of weight to worry about either.

Composite would be out of the question for that span but doesnt sound like you are looking to go that route anyway.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

There are many other free plans for picnic tables available, I would look for one with diagonal bracing for the legs. There is a lot of stress put on the tables as people move on them and I don't think that style will hold up over time.
Several designs here:
http://absolutelyfreeplans.com/OUTDOOR PROJECTS/outdoor_projects.htm#M - R


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## t4d (Sep 11, 2014)

FrankC said:


> There are many other free plans for picnic tables available, I would look for one with diagonal bracing for the legs. There is a lot of stress put on the tables as people move on them and I don't think that style will hold up over time.


FrankC, I specifically selected this design because there are no diagonal braces...........sounds like you think that it is a poor design that will fail over time. I was hoping that the double legs would offer enough support to eliminate the cross bracing.........??


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