There are two different types of woods available to manufacture fold up tables and chairs. Within these two categories there are multiple species available.

Softwoods are from coniferous trees. These trees tend to have a yellow or reddish tint to them. Some coniferous trees are as follows cedar, fir and pine.

Let us look at some of the species of softwood available and their characteristics. First we have cedar. Cedar is a fairly soft wood with a hardness of 1 on a scale of one to four. Cedar is readily available, moderately priced and is a fantastic choice for making outdoor furniture due to its resistance to rotting when out in the weather. Next we have fir. Fir is the hardest of the softwoods with a hardness of one on a scale of one to four. Furniture made out of fir will need to be painted as fir doesn’t stain very well. Next, let us look at pine. Pine is an easy wood to work with. It will be easy to stain if it is sealed first as Ponderosa Pine has a tendency to ooze sap. Lastly, let us look at redwood. Redwood, like cedar is very easy to work with and would be best used for outdoor projects.

Hardwoods seem to be much more expensive than their softwoods counterparts. Hardwoods come in a multitude of species which leads to a multitude of colors, textures and grain patterns. Let us take a look at some of the hardwoods available to manufacture fold up tables and chairs.

Ash has a hardness of 4 on a scale of one to five. Ash is very easy to stain and very easy to work with but hard to find making it relatively expensive.

Birch is one of the most readily available hardwoods. In turn, birch is less expensive than some of its hardwood counterparts. However, if you make furniture out of birch prepare to paint it as staining it leaves a blotchy look behind.

Cherry is a very popular versatile wood which is easily stained with oil. Cherry has a hardness of 2 on a scale of one to five. Cherry is a little higher priced than some of the other hardwoods.

Mahogany is a hard to find expensive piece of wood. However, if you can find a good supply of mahogany then you can make some beautiful furniture.

There are two kinds of maple hard and soft. Hard maple has a hardness of 5 on a scale of one to five. This hardness makes it difficult to work with. Soft maple on the other hand is easier to work with and less expensive.

There are a few other hardwoods available to make furniture out of. White Oak withstands the elements very well. Some others are poplar, teak and walnut. Teak and walnut are very expensive due to the scarcity of product available.

From softwoods to hardwoods, many different types of materials are available to manufacture fold up tables and chairs. Choosing the right material must be done carefully and diligently. If you make a mistake in choosing the material you want to use it may cost you dearly in the end. So choose wisely.