The outdoor wood to use for things such as furniture. We're going to start off with the obvious wood, oak. Oak is thick and heavy however it is sustainable and fairly cost effective considering it's life. If you leave it outdoors it can retain heat in the summer which can lead to expansion and cracking may occur. The cheapest kind of furniture is pine, this is not the better wood for out doors however, simply because its a lot lighter than most wood is not as structurally sound. No no the best wood in my opinion for outdoor material is cedar. This is a strong hardwood resistant to cracks and weathering. It is lightweight, resistant to rot and decay and better than this the aroma it gives off puts off moths and insects. At first however the wood seems expensive but it lasts a long time and has the added benefits that other woods do not have. Other hardwood's are available to do the same thing like redwood or cedar.
As there are thousands of different types of wood indoor and outdoor we'll go through the common ones as they are easiest to acquire. So I'm going to begin with oak again. Oak well known for furniture makes with that classic style of antique. It is tough stuff resistant to rotting and insects. Because oak is quite a heavy wood it is better to be used for things that need be able to withstand pressure and not get moved around that much. Next up I'm thinking of pine, structurally sound pine is one of the most commonly used wood for indoor furniture. Finally I'm thinking of plywood, this is a composite wood made up of recycled old wood. This is a cheap way to make furniture however it does not look that great, paint is in most cases needed.
It's important to bare in mind how the wood you've chosen for bigger projects is processed. I'm going to look into air dried, kiln dried and pressure treated wood. Dried wood color : such Kiln color : as oak is great for a now-a-days home. Kiln drying is only part of the process and Usually starts with air drying, kiln drying is great for the changing temperatures of the 'new homes' of today. Air drying can take up to 5 years or more and usually has the wood cut length ways and separated with the grooves. This means that any natural stress found in wood is released through time as it is left outside throughout the seasons. Unlike kiln dried wood air drying is a natural process meaning it is much more effective than the artificial methods. A finish that is used is pressure treatment. This uses pressure and chemical to kill any bugs and prolong the life of the wood.