Timber Swatches
For convenience, all outdoor furniture at Peter & Son shop is available in pressure-treated tanalised pine or macrocarpa. For the more discerning customer, our outdoor furniture is also available in a range of timber species. Choosing the perfect timber for your outdoor furniture is a crucial decision. Scroll down to check your options.
Blackwood
A Luxurious Timber Choice - Blackwood, a prestigious and highly expensive timber, is sought after for table tops and furniture where impeccable visual appearance is paramount. Its elegance and sophistication are unmatched. Consider Blackwood
for tables and chairs in spaces where your investment in exceptionally
high-quality materials and craftsmanship will be safeguarded.
Colour/Appearance:
Blackwood exhibits rich, medium golden- or brown tones. Its growth rings often reveal contrasting bands of colour, and some boards showcase ribbon-like streaks.
Texture:
The grain typically runs straight to slightly interlocked, occasionally displaying gentle waves. The uniform fine to medium texture enhances its refined appeal.
Durability:
Blackwood, with its moderate durability against decay, demands the same care as any pedigreed timber. Regular maintenance ensures its protection, while adherence to Peter & Sons’ instructions will safeguard your investment’s value.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a fast-growing tree widely cultivated in New Zealand. While it is a hardwood, plantation-grown lumber tends to be slightly lighter and softer than forest-grown gum. The best quality timber is an affordable hardwood option for woodworking, so don't underestimate gum as just firewood.
Colour: The heartwood is a light yellowish-brown, while the narrow sapwood is a pale gray/white. The grain tends to be interlocked, with a uniform medium to coarse texture and low natural luster.
Rot resistance: Eucalyptus is rated as moderately durable but is susceptible to insect attack.
Eucalyptus timber is excellent for furniture. Eucalyptus outdoor furniture should be placed in a stable, dry location like a covered patio or verandah to prevent movement caused by moisture content changes. Proper care is essential to maintain timber stability. Eucalyptus finishes are very beautiful.
Kauri
New Zealand Kauri is native and rare. We have a limited quantity of unique Coromandel Kauri. This Kauri timber has a very distinctive chocolate colour.
Appearance Kauri has a straight grain and a fine texture.
Properties Kauri has a medium density, with medium strength, it is stable and has good durability. Kauri should be protected to prevent insect attack. Kauri has an beautiful finished appearance.
Macrocarpa
Alternatively called Cyprus or Monterey Cyprus it is native to coastal rocky parts of California; it is widely grown here in NZ and in Australia.
Wood Macrocarpa has a light brown-yellow colour and sometimes an orange to pinkish tint through the grain. The grain is finer than pine and it has a wonderful aroma when freshly milled.
Properties Macrocarpa is strong, stable and durable in the outdoors without being tanelised and treated.
Pine
Radiata Pine is the most popular commercial timber species in New Zealand. This softwood is beloved for its versatility. Its availability has ensured it is a popular choice for all external applications.
Properties: Peter & Son sells furniture made of pressure treated and tanelised pine, it has fantastic durability in the outdoors.
Appearance: Treated pine has a light yellow-green colour. The annual growth rings are more pronounced and spaced farther apart which give coarse-grained pine a rustic appearance.
Having a light-colour, Radiata Pine is often stained and painted to achieve a beautiful style at an affordable price.
Redwood
Redwood is the world’s tallest tree species. It grows in a limited area on the Pacific coast .
Redwood timber is soft and lightweight, with a good strength-to-weight ratio. It is also stable, with very little shrinkage or seasonal movement. Making Redwood an excellent choice for outdoor furniture.
Colour: Heartwood color can range from a light pinkish brown to a deep reddish brown. Sapwood is a pale white/yellow.
Texture: Grain is generally straight, though figured pieces may be be wavy or irregular. Coarse texture with low natural luster.
Rot Resistance: Rated as moderately durable to very durable regarding decay resistance.
Sitka Spruce
Sitka Spruce boasts an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, making it ideal for outdoor furniture. However, it is not recommended for staining due to its closed pore structure, which can result in blotchy and inconsistent finishes.
Rot Resistance: Slightly resistant to decay.
Colour: Ranges from cream/white to yellow, with sapwood not clearly distinguished from heartwood.
Grain/Texture: Fine, even texture with a consistently straight grain.
Sugi
Sugi is also known as Japanese Cedar. The wood is soft, light, aromatic, and resistant to decay, making it a valuable softwood in Japan.
Rot Resistance: Moderately durable to durable, with moderate insect/borer resistance.
Properties: The grain is straight with a medium, even texture and moderate natural luster. It has a distinct, lingering cedar-like odor.
Color/Appearance: The heartwood is typically reddish-brown, while the sapwood is straw-colored and clearly demarcated from the heartwood.
The Peter & Son Approach
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Beautiful
From design to materials and finish, we’re working to craft beautiful furniture by crafting with quality timber, exceptional oil stains and proportioned form to funtion.
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Strong
We only use timber, materials and techniques that will last a long time. Wherever we can we upgrade to timber with greater thickness and screws and bolts with a higher guage. Like using stainless steel hardware, its a win for the long term.
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Comfortable
Smooth timber surfaces, a curved radius on sharp edges, ergonomic shaped designs that have good proportions. The outdoors are enjoyable and relaxing with Peter & Son.