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What kind of wood should I use for outdoor shelves?

While redwood or teak certainly qualify, five more common lumber species that also stand up well to sunlight, moisture and wood-boring insects are Western red cedar, Spanish cedar, cypress, white oak and mahogany. Red cedar tends to be knotty, but it's affordable and widely available.

rockler.com - Choosing Wood for Outdoor Projects: Five Fast Facts - Rockler

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Now that it's high summer, you might have an outdoor project or two on your "short list" of things to make before the temps start to chill down again. But, whether it's a picnic table, garden bench or lounger, it pays to give some careful thought to what wood you build it from. That can make the difference between your outdoor project lasting one year or ten. Here are some things to keep in mind. 1. Let's cut right to the chase! While redwood or teak certainly qualify, five more common lumber species that also stand up well to sunlight, moisture and wood-boring insects are Western red cedar, Spanish cedar, cypress, white oak and mahogany. Red cedar tends to be knotty, but it's affordable and widely available. Cypress is easy to find in the South and works beautifully. So do mahogany and Spanish cedar, but you'll dig deeper in your wallet for them. Good old white oak is also yard-tough. 2. Oaks aren't created equal. So, what about red oak — is it an outdoor champ? Not really. Here's the skinny: white oak contains tyloses, which plug up its vessels to prevent it from wicking in water and rotting. Red oak has little to no tyloses and it sucks up water like a straw. So, a red oak kitchen table? Yes. Picnic table or planter? No. 3. If it's gotta be pine, think paint. Other common woodworking lumber species just won't stand up to wetness and ground contact like the outdoor-suitable woods mentioned above. However, one way to help "indoor" woods stand up to outdoor living is to prime and paint them, then stay on top of that paint job as soon as it starts to crack, chalk or peel. Or, shelter your pine lounger under a covered porch where it's nice and dry. 4. Treated lumber: if it's good enough for my deck, why not my porch swing? Well, the chemicals that are infused into treated lumber help it stand up to just about anything Mother Nature can dish out. But those preservatives aren’t intended for regular skin contact and definitely not for food-serving surfaces. Treated wood also causes painful, burning splinters. Enough said. 5. Don’t skimp on the screws. Black-oxide wood screws are going to rust outside. Even zinc coating won't give your hinges and bolts that much insurance against corrosion. So, for outdoor projects, think like boat and deck builders do: choose brass or stainless steel hardware, screws and fasteners. Quality outdoor lumber deserves quality metal, too.

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How do you make shelves that don't sag?

Solid hardwood has the best no-sag rating; however, some species are stiffer than others. Birch, maple, and oak are the stiffest, followed by ash, cherry, and walnut. You can increase the stiffness of a shelf by sinking screws into it through the solid back of the case.

bhg.com - How to Create Sturdy Shelves - Better Homes & Gardens

Shelves that don't sag are the goal for any kind of shelving. And whether or not that goal is met depends on the materials used and the items placed on each shelf. Each material has a different span limit—or the maximum distance it can span between supports without sagging or breaking under a load. We'll walk you through sag limits for different types of materials, plus offer a few additional shelf support options.

Built-in Bookshelf Ideas

No-Sag Spans

According to architect calculations, books represent an average load of 25 pounds per cubic foot. Listed above are the no-sag span limits under load for the most commonly used shelving materials. Solid hardwood has the best no-sag rating; however, some species are stiffer than others. Birch, maple, and oak are the stiffest, followed by ash, cherry, and walnut. You can increase the stiffness of a shelf by sinking screws into it through the solid back of the case. Or, as shown below, add more strength and maintain adjustability by attaching a cleat or molding to the front of the shelf. Aprons can also be added under the shelf. Increase a wooden shelf's span limit by fastening wood-matched 1x2 aprons underneath (top) or simply by using two plywood pieces (bottom). These supports make the shelf more sturdy without much effort. Railing is another easy way to extend the span limit of your shelf. To add railing, cut a rabbet into a piece of solid molding. Then attach it as a rail that conceals the plywood edge and adds support. Molding does double duty when supporting shelves. It adds strength, but also hides the unsightly edge of the shelf. To add molding, simply attach a 1x2 piece of molding to the shelf's front edge.