The Benefits of Cedar Wood for Outdoor Swings

The wood you pick for your porch swing matters more than you'd think. It affects how long the swing lasts, how often you're out there maintaining it, and honestly, whether it'll still be around in 20 years. When people ask about the best material for outdoor swings, Northern white cedar keeps coming up, especially for yard swings for adults.

What Makes Cedar Different

Cedar has something most woods don't. It's got natural oils baked right into the wood that fight off weather damage. These aren't sprayed-on chemicals that wash away after a few rainstorms. They're part of the wood itself.

White cedar fights moisture naturally, which works great whether you live somewhere dry or somewhere that gets a lot of rain. It also keeps out rot, decay, and bugs like termites. Your swing gets this protection from day one.

Handling Weather Without Falling Apart

Your porch swing sits outside through everything. Morning dew soaks it. Thunderstorms pound it. Winter freezes it solid, then summer heat bakes it. Most woods crack or rot under this treatment. Northern white cedar just keeps going.

The natural oils in cedar make water bead up and roll off instead of soaking in deep. That's what stops rot before it starts.

What this means for you:

• Water doesn't soak in and cause rot
• Temperature swings don't crack the wood
• Structure stays solid through seasons
• No sealer needed

Most woods expand when wet and shrink when dry, which cracks joints and loosens screws. Cedar stays stable through all that, keeping your swing solid year after year.

Keeping Bugs Out Naturally

Carpenter bees, wood-boring beetles, and termites wreck outdoor furniture fast. Cedar's got compounds in it called sesquiterpenes (basically, stuff bugs hate). The main one is thujone, and insects avoid it naturally.

A 2021 study in the Journal of Wood Science confirmed that cedar heartwood significantly outlasts sapwood in outdoor durability tests, with heartwood stakes lasting 2.5 years compared to 2.2 years for sapwood before deterioration.

Your swing gets bug protection without pesticides or chemical treatments. This matters a lot for furniture hanging on a covered porch where bugs like to hang out.

Actually Comfortable in All Weather

Cedar doesn't get burning hot in summer or freezing cold in winter like metal does. The wood keeps a comfortable temperature year-round.

On hot July afternoons, your cedar swing won't scorch your legs. On cool October evenings, it doesn't feel like ice when you sit down. The wood naturally insulates both ways.

Cedar also doesn't splinter easily, which matters when you're swinging back and forth. You can relax without checking for rough spots that'll snag your clothes.

 

Light Enough to Hang, Strong Enough to Trust

Cedar weighs less than most hardwoods but still holds up strong. This combination works great for swings.

Less weight means:

• Easier to hang with regular hardware
• Less stress on your porch ceiling
• Swings smoothly without feeling heavy
• You can actually lift it during setup

But it's still plenty strong to safely hold adults with room to spare.

Maintenance That Doesn't Eat Your Weekends

You've got two ways to finish cedar swings, both pretty easy.

Let It Weather Just let your swing turn that nice silver-gray color over time. Clean it with soap and water once in a while. That's it. For anyone wondering about maintaining outdoor swings long-term, this is the easiest route.

Keep the Original Color Rub on some clear oil once a year to keep that fresh cedar look. The oil soaks in instead of sitting on top, so it won't peel like paint does.

Either way beats the constant staining, sealing, and repainting other woods need.

 

How Cedar Stacks Up

Cedar hits a good middle ground. You get great performance without paying teak prices or dealing with teak weight. And it outlasts treated pine by a mile. Same logic applies when picking material for outdoor furniture, like patio benches and swing sets.

 

What 20+ Years Actually Means

 

Cedar swings last 20+ years outside without any protective coatings. That's not marketing talk. We've seen it happen over and over.

Compare that to other materials that need replacing every 5-8 years. Over 25 years, you'll buy three or four replacement swings while someone with cedar is still using their original one. Many people find the best time to buy outdoor furniture is during off-season sales, but with cedar lasting this long, you're good whenever you buy.

The time you save not maintaining or replacing the thing adds up too.

 

The Environmental Angle

 

Cedar comes from forests where they plant new trees to replace the ones they cut. The wood grows fairly quickly, ready to harvest in 40-60 years.

No chemical preservatives needed. When your swing finally gives out decades from now, the wood breaks down naturally without leaching chemicals into the ground.

 

The Stuff You Notice

 

Cedar smells good. That subtle cedar scent mixes with fresh air and makes sitting on the porch more pleasant. Synthetic materials can't do that.

The color looks good too. Those warm cedar tones work with just about any house style, whether you're going for traditional, modern, or rustic.

 

What to Look For When Shopping

 

Not all cedar is the same. Good swings use heartwood instead of sapwood because heartwood has more of those protective oils.

Check how it's built. Look for mortise and tenon joints (the old-school carpentry way that actually holds together). Each board should look like someone checked it for quality instead of just throwing it together.

Your porch swing becomes the spot where the family gathers over the years. The benefits of adding outdoor swings go way beyond just having somewhere to sit. It creates a space where memories happen naturally. Cedar makes sure that spot lasts long enough to see those memories pile up, without you spending every weekend trying to keep it from falling apart.