If you’re having your outdoor stairs designed, you must ensure the material used is of excellent quality. Ideally, it would help if you had wood incorporated into the stairs as it’s generally sturdier than any other material. Most people prefer wood precisely because of this reason.
If you decide to go with wood, you’ll come across numerous types. The type you choose will depend majorly on the style of your stairs. Also, your budget will play a significant role when looking at different wood types. However, please ensure you put thought into picking the right kind of wood as you can’t have weak stairs.
This article will take you through the best wood types for building the sturdiest stairs.
Acacia
The first wood type we suggest is acacia. This piece of wood has become pretty popular recently due to its excellent finishing properties and overall appearance. It offers plenty of strength, so your stairs won’t develop cracks. You must carefully pick out a wood type for constructing your stairs as you cannot afford to have weak stairs.
It’ll be rather dangerous as someone can severely get hurt if the stairs fall apart, not to mention the money that’ll go down the drain. If you want to avoid spending heaps of money on the remodeling again, we recommend using acacia in the first place. This wood type will undoubtedly benefit you as it’s sturdy and durable.
Black Locust
You may or may not have heard about this piece of wood before, but black locust is known to provide significant value to anything made from it. Using black locust in constructing your stairs will benefit you plenty as your stairs will be as sturdy as possible, and the wood won’t decay as quickly as others.
Also, the black locust has an aesthetic appearance, adding more to its appeal and charm. We assure you; that you won’t regret having your stairs made from this wood type as the black locust is incredibly rot-resistant. Rot resistance is undoubtedly one of the best qualities any wood can have.
Cedar
If you don’t have a flexible budget, we suggest using cedarwood to construct your outdoor stairs. Cedar won’t affect your wallet as much as other wood types, which is significant for its popularity. But being inexpensive isn’t cedarwood’s only positive trait.
This wood is effortless to work with since it’s from the softwood family. Your carpenter won’t face difficulty cutting through it, which is very time-saving. So, using cedar will cost you less money and time while offering you sturdiness and durability. Doesn’t that sound like an offer you can’t refuse?
Cypress
The most alluring quality any wood can have is rot-resistance, and cypress is such a piece of wood. Many people prefer getting their stairs made from cypress due to its insect-killing ability. It comes with a natural oil called “cypressene oil” that protects the wood from decay and rot.
The best part about cypress is that even though it’s softwood, it has the properties of hardwood, making it a valuable piece of wood. Also, cypress offers other benefits such as sturdiness and durability. If you haven’t yet invested in cypress, you should do it right away without wasting time.
Douglas Fir
Douglas fir is one of the most used wood types due to its strength and versatility. Ask any professional woodworker, and they’ll tell how significant this wood is to them. Douglas fir is used to make many objects (mostly furniture) as it’s one of the most durable pieces of wood you’ll find.
This wood won’t cost you as much as other wood might, so investing in it will benefit you. Douglas fir is a stain-absorbing wood, making it versatile in its appearance. You can stain it with different colors if you want your wood to have a unique color.
Ipe
If you’re looking for rustic-looing wood with excellent features, Ipe is what you’re looking for. This beautiful piece of wood hails from South America and is also known as “Brazilian walnut.” It comes in dark brown shades, resembling mahogany wood, but has different properties. Ipe is naturally rot-resistant, not letting insects and termites feast on it.
Besides its rot-resistance, it’s weather-resistant, protecting itself from unpredictable weather changes. This wood type is five times denser and harder than most wood types, making it a significant reason you should invest in it. Overall, Ipe will undoubtedly not disappoint you as it has unique features that will serve you well.
Redwood
Redwood is undoubtedly for you if you’re in the market for expensive yet classy wood. People who choose redwood as their choice of wood are primarily extravagant and aren’t shy to spend as much as possible. Redwood may be expensive, but once you invest in it, you’ll realize purchasing it was worth every penny.
This piece of wood has a stunning finish and polish, making the final product (in this case, stairs) look as extraordinary as ever. Sturdiness and durability are two of its key features, making it a popular piece of wood in the market. However, please know that you will have to maintain it thoroughly if you want its quality to be persistent.
Teak
Teakwood belongs to the hardwood family providing all the best features. If you’re looking for significant density and hardness, using teak to build your stairs will be a good option. This piece of wood provides top-notch quality, and you will undoubtedly be delighted with the final result.
Many people incorporate teakwood in their furniture as they know it’ll offer nothing but sturdiness. The best part about teakwood is that you can have it for several years, but it’ll still look new. You won’t have to worry about replacing it soon, as its longevity is unmatched.
Our Final Thoughts
It would be best to keep in mind the importance of the wood’s quality before starting your outdoor stair’s construction. The sturdier the wood type is, the stronger your stairs. Please know that the quality of the stairs can impact your health as you’ll be using them all the time, so please do not think about cutting costs. All of the wood types mentioned above have unique features, so feel free to use any of them.
