Best Outdoor Woods for Colorado's Mountain Weather

Why “Outdoor Safe” Doesn’t Always Mean “Colorado Safe”

You buy a beautiful outdoor bench. It says it’s rated for weather, you apply the recommended finish, and place it on your deck in Golden, Colorado. One winter, a dry summer, and a few surprise hailstorms later—it’s splitting, warping, and looking years older than it should.

Sound familiar?

Most outdoor furniture isn't designed for Colorado’s mountain climate. What works at sea level in Portland or Charleston simply doesn’t cut it up here. Between the elevation, UV exposure, sudden temperature swings, and ultra-dry air, our environment puts serious stress on outdoor wood.

At Shaking Quakie Woodworks, we’ve spent years testing and building furniture that actually lasts in this landscape. In this post, we’ll break down the best woods for Colorado’s conditions, what makes them hold up, and how to make your next outdoor project a long-term win.

What Makes Colorado So Tough on Wood?

To build outdoor furniture that truly lasts here, you need to understand what it's up against:

• High Altitude = Intense UV Exposure
  At elevations like Boulder or Breckenridge, the sun is stronger. Finishes break down faster, and unprotected wood can gray, check, or become brittle quickly.
• Dry Air = Shrinking & Splitting
  Colorado's low humidity pulls moisture from wood, especially during winter. That shrinkage can cause end-grain cracks, warped boards, or even broken joints if the wood wasn’t stable to begin with.
• Wild Temperature Swings
  It’s not uncommon to have a 40° temperature change in a day. These freeze-thaw cycles create expansion and contraction stress that can split even high-end lumber—if it's not properly selected and treated.
• Abrupt Storms & Snow Loads
  Snow melts, freezes, piles up, and soaks in. And fast-moving summer storms can dump hail and rain in under an hour. Your wood needs both resilience and strength to survive.

The Best Woods for Colorado’s Climate

Here’s a rundown of the woods we trust most for high-altitude durability and long-term outdoor performance.

1. Ipe (Ironwood)

This South American hardwood is famously tough—it’s so dense it barely floats. Naturally resistant to rot, insects, and UV rays, ipe needs no finish to survive outdoors (though oiling can preserve its rich brown tone). It’s ideal for decks, benches, and furniture that takes a beating. It’s heavy and expensive, but nearly indestructible.

2. Teak

The classic luxury choice. Teak is naturally oily, which makes it superb at resisting moisture and sun. It performs beautifully in Colorado’s dryness and doesn’t warp easily. It does gray over time unless oiled, but even the patina looks sophisticated. If you want a legacy piece that holds up for decades, teak is your wood.

3. Western Red Cedar

Lightweight, aromatic, and a favorite for fences and pergolas. Cedar is naturally rot-resistant but requires more maintenance in Colorado’s climate, especially for horizontal surfaces like tabletops or seating. Without a penetrating oil finish, it may check or fade faster than other options.

4. Thermally Modified Ash

This eco-friendly option is heat-treated (no chemicals) to enhance its durability, moisture resistance, and stability. It’s a favorite of ours for projects that need both style and strength—great grain, customizable tones, and strong enough for full sun and storm exposure.

5. Black Locust

An underrated North American hardwood, black locust is incredibly dense and naturally rot-resistant. It’s also one of the few native trees suitable for harsh climates without heavy processing. Rustic in appearance, it’s a perfect match for mountain homes and ranch-style builds.

6. Reclaimed Redwood

If sourced properly, old-growth redwood salvaged from deconstructed barns or fencing is stable, richly toned, and surprisingly resilient. We love using it for clients who want sustainability with a story—especially when paired with steel or stone.

More Than Just the Right Wood

Choosing a climate-ready wood is a great first step—but to truly weatherproof your piece, it’s also about how it’s designed and finished.

1. Use the Right Finish
Penetrating oils (like tung or hardwax blends) let wood breathe while adding moisture protection. Avoid film finishes like varnish or polyurethane, which crack and peel in dry, fluctuating climates.

2. Design for Drainage
Flat surfaces should slope slightly. Spacers allow airflow. And sharp corners should be eased to avoid checking. These small details make a big difference over time.

3. Protect Your Investment with Care
A once-a-season clean and re-oil will go a long way. We send a seasonal care guide with every outdoor order to make it easy.

How We Build for the Mountains

At Shaking Quakie, we don’t guess. We test. Every wood we use outdoors has been selected through experience—ours and our clients’.

Here’s what we do differently:

• We source wood proven to perform at altitude, including reclaimed or native species
• We only use outdoor-rated joinery and stainless steel fasteners that won’t rust or pull apart
• We apply finishes in optimal moisture conditions, allowing deep penetration and proper curing
• We custom-design each piece with mountain weather in mind—from snow load to sun fade

Real Results from the Rockies

One of our clients in Evergreen wanted a large dining table for their uncovered deck. They were tired of replacing budget pieces every two years. We built a 10-foot table out of thermally modified ash with steel pin legs and an oiled finish.

Three years later, it’s still on that deck—no warping, no flaking, no regrets.

As the client put it, “It’s the one thing on the patio that still looks like new.”

Build Once. Enjoy for Decades.

Living in Colorado means learning to work with the wild. And when it comes to outdoor furniture, working with the climate—rather than against it—starts with choosing the right materials.

With the right wood, the right finish, and the right design, you don’t have to settle for short-lived patio sets. You can have pieces that survive the storm, stand up to the sun, and still look amazing season after season.