When Lordship Chairs first started making Adirondack chairs, we harvested larch wood out of our own woodlands, right here in East Sussex, England. While this worked very well, the business grew so fast that we soon needed more wood than our forestry management plan could offer. So we researched other sources of wood.
We began with an empty drawing board and a fresh pencil, to find the perfect wood for our chairs. As we weighed up the pros and cons of each wood species, we found that the only wood that did not end up on the chopping block was - you guessed it - Larch! Here is a comprehensive list of why we think larch is such a wonderful wood:
Natural tannins protect the wooden chairs against rot, insects and mould. No further treatment is necessary.
Larch is lighter than many hardwoods, yet just as durable. You will not have a problem lifting these around the garden!
Both the honey-gold colour of the fresh wood, and the stately silver-grey after the wind and rain have done their part is asthetically pleasing. Thank you, mother nature.
Tropical woods are also used for outdoor furniture, but larch has the distinct ecological advantage of being geographically much closer to us.
As good as Larch is and as much as we like it, we do have to recognise the downsides of it as well. These are the main issues we have encountered:
Larch expands and contracts quite a bit, which can cause the wood to split when it gets wet and then dries out. However, this is a normal part of the weathering process, and will not affect the structural integrity of your garden chairs.
During the aging process, dark patches may appear, that can look quite dramatic. Although this may be an alarming change to your chairs, this is simply the tannins in the wood beginning the aging process that will ultimately help preserve your chairs for years to come, and will eventually disappear.
What is your experience with Larch wood furniture? Let us know in the comments below! Which Adirondack Chair Set will be the right one for you?
If you have any further questions about our products and the wood we use, don't hesitate to call: 07546 256411.