Wooden
benches, stone, and plastic benches are the three most popular materials
from which benches are made. There certainly are similarities between
the three, but the differences seem to outweigh these.
If you are someone who foresees buying one of these kinds of benches
in the future, you should use this comparison to see what kind of
benches may be best for the uses that you may have in mind. Each kind
of bench will be discussed in brief detail in the following paragraphs.
There’s no way to say that one certain kind is better than another
because that is too subjective.
Therefore, the following paragraphs will merely state facts about
these and allow you to draw your own conclusions.
Wooden benches are those seats that are probably the kind that you
would think of if you wanted to include a carving, an etching or a
small plaque on it. The wood is definitely more malleable than stone.
Just calling it wooden in some ways does a disservice because there
are so many different kinds of wood available.
Every kind of wood has its own plusses and minuses, but one of the
most obvious differences between these kinds of wood is the fact that
they can vary quite a bit in how they look. Woods come in a variety
of colors and this is well-represented in the choice of outdoor furniture
available in each of these kinds.
One of the major drawbacks to having a wooden bench is the fact that
it is more apt to corrode than plastic or stone. There are a few reasons
for this. One of the biggest reasons is the fact that if it gets wet,
it begins to slowly ruin the bench. This doesn’t happen overnight,
but it doesn’t take too long for you to see that your bench
is in trouble.
Also, bugs can wreak havoc on wood. Enough termites could render your
bench worthless in only a few hours of work. Therefore, if you want
your wood to last, it would be a wise bet to treat the wood with a
stain and other kinds of protection from the elements.
Also, it probably would not hurt to get an exterminator or at least
to buy some bug spray if you fear that termites or other bugs could
ruin your investment.
Next, stone benches are another consideration that you may want to
go with. There are a few good, solid reasons why. One of the biggest
reasons is because it should last for a long time. Think about it?
How long have rocks been around? Needless to say, they aren’t
going anywhere to soon.
Secondly, these can certainly add a classic, Roman-esque feeling to
your backyard. These benches are usually the best to use in a situation
where it is surrounded by classic, awe-inspiring things.
The downside to owning one of these is the fact that you probably
wouldn’t want to sit on it for too long at a time simply because
stone is one of the most unforgiving materials available.
Honestly, could you think of yourself being comfortable sitting on
a rock for hours – or even minutes – at a time? Of course
not. Therefore these are nice to display and useful for short settings,
but anything more than that could cause problems.
Plastic benches may seem like the cheapest option because they are.
However, cheapest does not necessarily mean the worst. There are a
lot of positives associated with plastic. For example, the plastic
benches are probably the most comfortable benches available. They
certainly have a lot more give and flexibility to them than wood or
stone.
Also, they can be abused by your kids and not really show too much
obvious damage. The downside to this is the fact that they can take
the damage, but that doesn’t mean that it will stay looking
good. If you plan on making several purchases for as cheap as you
can every time, then plastic is probably what you want.
When all is said and done, it seems as if most people prefer wooden
benches over the other two varieties. However, in all actuality, each
kind of bench seems to serve its own purpose quite well.