Most individuals love using their hands for building things. The entire process of discovering a new DIY project, getting the raw materials, using machinery to cut and trim things get the adrenaline going. When you see your DIY creation come to life and get appreciated by others, the entire experience is a very rewarding one.
The COVID-19 Pandemic saw remote working become the norm. as most of us started working from home, we found ourselves with some extra time. Many of us, including me, have always been fascinated by building things with wood. If you are someone that has always wanted to build a shed or a platform or a deck in the yard, this is probably the best time to create one.
In this article, we will help you choose the most important component of your DIY garden project- wood! If you are planning something like this in the near future, stick around till the end of the article.
Factors to Consider When Selecting the best Wood for your DIY Garden Projects
1. Choosing Wood based on your Project (External or Internal)
The first major thing you need to consider is what kind of project you are working on. For example, are you looking to build a new dining table or are you making furniture for the patio? In other words, external projects require a different kind of wood to internal ones.
This is mostly because external wood will be affected by elements of sun, rain, wind, and humidity. These factors will not affect the furniture that is placed inside the house. For external projects, the best wood options are teal, white oak, and redwood.
2. Using Treated Lumber for Projects
Wood or lumber is graded and classified into treated and untreated. This is done so that external projects comply with the building laws in the region. For example, if you are looking to build a new boat deck, you need to go for treated lumber as this would not rot by saltwater.
Treated lumber is preferred as it is very sturdy and resilient to tough weather conditions. When you are building something, you would want it to last for a very long time. This is why most building experts recommend opting for treated lumber as against ones that are not treated.
3. Take the Prices and Costs into Consideration
If you are going for the best hardwood and treated lumber, you can expect it to be expensive. While most people will say that you should try to save on the costs, this is not the correct thing to do. This is because you do not want the furniture or outdoor shed to break down soon.
You can visit different wood stores and try to get the best price quotation for the wood. If you buy in bulk quantities, you can request some kind of a discount as well. However, hardwood is more expensive than softwood and treated lumber will cost you a premium price.
4. The Grains of the Wood matter
The best furniture makers state that when it comes to buying wood, the grains need to be considered. If you walk into a woodshop, ask the salesman about the number of grains the wood has. The higher grains in the wood, the better is its quality and strength.
What you should be looking for are straight evenly spaced grains on the wood. If you see circular grains, you need to move on to the next piece. Wood with a good number of straight-line grains should be what you need to buy for your DIY garden project.
Conclusion
As someone who is looking to create a new piece for the garden, you need to mostly consider how the elements of nature will affect the wood. Normal wood has been shown to expand and contract according to the changes in the temperature.
By taking into account all the above-mentioned considerations, you will be able to select the best wood for your DIY garden project. If you have any other questions, let us know in the comments section below.
