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About Teak Wood
Let's make one thing clear. NO other wood compares to Teak when it comes to elegance, durability and low maintenance. You might have seen companies offering furniture made of a variety of different wood sorts described as "Family of Teak", "Teak-like", "As good as Teak or even better than Teak". Let's nail it: IT JUST DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN TEAK!
Teak wood has been the mainstay of shipbuilding due to it's capability to survive in any climate for centuries. It's soft feel makes contact with teak wood a joy. Whether the Teak wood is newly installed or 150 years old you will truly enjoy its look and feel.
Teak wood's origins in the south-east Asia. Burma and Indonesia are well known for their supply of Teak wood. The Teak tree (Tectona Grandis) is a very slow growing tree which takes around 50 years of growth to "mature". These trees will grow as high as 150ft with a diameter of 4-5ft.
Some people think that Teak wood is taken from the rain forest and therefore damaging the environment, but they are wrong. Teak wood forest are mostly found in dry, hilly desert like areas on the Island of Java, Indonesia. Indonesia has been successful in managing teak wood forestry. All the way back in the 1800's, the Dutch started regulating the farming of teak wood in large plantations. When the Indonesian government took over, they introduced the system 1tree down and 2 trees planted. This has made Indonesia the largest supplier of "A-Grade" Teak wood all of which is managed by Perum Perhutani (a government operated agency).
This agency operates under strict rules in regards to provide only mature teak, and also how many trees can be felled and how many replanted in order to maintain the teak industry for future generations. The teak furniture and timber industry is by far dominating on the Island of Java, and provides employment to hundreds of thousands of people.
Mature Teak or A-Grade Teak is timber from trees that have grown for at least 45 years. In order for teak to obtain a very high concentrate of oil, the tree has to grow for at least 45 years before being harvested. In that period of time, the oil will spread to all parts of the wood, bonding the wood, making sure that nothing penetrates the wood. Oil content is why Teak is mostly quoted for its durability. However, teak is also extremely dense (40lbs. Pr. Cu. Ft. when dry) which, combined with oil, makes it very resistant to rot caused by fungal decay, but also acts as a natural repellant, giving the teak very high resistance towards termites and other insects.
Unfortunately, not everybody waits 45 years or more for the teak to mature. Especially Brazil and Costa Rica have large plantations of teak trees, and they often harvest the trees just after 7-15 years of growth. This results in a lack of oil in the wood, which will give the timber a much shorter lifetime in the outdoor elements. This is known as "B" or "C" grade teak. Because of the lack of oil, water will penetrate into the wood and it will simply fall apart in as little as 2 years. Most manufacturers of B or C grade furniture will not inform the consumers about this fact, which is pretty un-known. People believe if they buy Teak, they will be set for life. So be careful.
If left in the sun, the Teak will turn to a graceful silver appearance, which looks stunning. However, you can at any time bring it back to natural just by using a Teak cleanser or by power washing it. If you choose to power wash, please use less than 2000psi. Further, you also do have the option of "white-washing" it. Once it has turned to the silver appearance, simply mix a bucket of bleach and water, 50/50, and slash it on the furniture. After 30 mins, just hose off and you will have a sparkling silver/white-washed look. If you do not care for the aged look, you can opt to oil the Teak. However, this requires periodic application. This will give the teak the look known from boat decks and railings. Oil can be sprayed on (with an empty Windex bottle) and left to dry without wiping.
Identifying Patio Teak Furniture
Identifying upscale teak furniture is not that difficult, one just needs to be careful especially when you are shopping online. There are 3 things one should look for when buying upscale teak furniture.
First and foremost, upscale teak furniture should be grade A teak. If the store or salesperson can't tell you the grade of teak, it is probably isn't. Anything less then grade A is considered low quality teak and should be avoided.
Second, upscale teak furniture should use mortise and tenon joints and minimize the use of screws. Mortise and tenon joints are the best way to secure joints in upscale teak furniture because one they are in place the only way to remove them is to drill them out. Screws will be used on occasion however they should be avoided if it a piece that will be moved a lot. This can cause the screws to losen.
Third, upscale teak furniture should be fully machine made. This assures the teak furniture will have straight clean edges that allow for a perfect fit. Hand crafted furniture all though sounds fancy, can not hold up to the standards of machines, thus making machine made the best for upscale teak furniture.
Buying upscale teak patio furniture is normally a big investment that should be considered carefully. Keep these tips in mind when making your purchase.
The great thing is that if you buy upscale teak patio furniture it will most likely give you years or use and even last a lifetime.
Check Out Our Blog For Additional Information on Teak Patio Furniture
You can find more info on Teak Click Here
For more information on how to take care of Teak Furniture Click Here
Check out our other Blogs on Teak FurnitureClick Herefor information on Buying Teak Chairs
Great Info on Buying Teak Patio Furniture: Click Here
Teak wood has been the mainstay of shipbuilding due to it's capability to survive in any climate for centuries. It's soft feel makes contact with teak wood a joy. Whether the Teak wood is newly installed or 150 years old you will truly enjoy its look and feel.
Teak wood's origins in the south-east Asia. Burma and Indonesia are well known for their supply of Teak wood. The Teak tree (Tectona Grandis) is a very slow growing tree which takes around 50 years of growth to "mature". These trees will grow as high as 150ft with a diameter of 4-5ft.
Some people think that Teak wood is taken from the rain forest and therefore damaging the environment, but they are wrong. Teak wood forest are mostly found in dry, hilly desert like areas on the Island of Java, Indonesia. Indonesia has been successful in managing teak wood forestry. All the way back in the 1800's, the Dutch started regulating the farming of teak wood in large plantations. When the Indonesian government took over, they introduced the system 1tree down and 2 trees planted. This has made Indonesia the largest supplier of "A-Grade" Teak wood all of which is managed by Perum Perhutani (a government operated agency).
This agency operates under strict rules in regards to provide only mature teak, and also how many trees can be felled and how many replanted in order to maintain the teak industry for future generations. The teak furniture and timber industry is by far dominating on the Island of Java, and provides employment to hundreds of thousands of people.
Mature Teak or A-Grade Teak is timber from trees that have grown for at least 45 years. In order for teak to obtain a very high concentrate of oil, the tree has to grow for at least 45 years before being harvested. In that period of time, the oil will spread to all parts of the wood, bonding the wood, making sure that nothing penetrates the wood. Oil content is why Teak is mostly quoted for its durability. However, teak is also extremely dense (40lbs. Pr. Cu. Ft. when dry) which, combined with oil, makes it very resistant to rot caused by fungal decay, but also acts as a natural repellant, giving the teak very high resistance towards termites and other insects.
Unfortunately, not everybody waits 45 years or more for the teak to mature. Especially Brazil and Costa Rica have large plantations of teak trees, and they often harvest the trees just after 7-15 years of growth. This results in a lack of oil in the wood, which will give the timber a much shorter lifetime in the outdoor elements. This is known as "B" or "C" grade teak. Because of the lack of oil, water will penetrate into the wood and it will simply fall apart in as little as 2 years. Most manufacturers of B or C grade furniture will not inform the consumers about this fact, which is pretty un-known. People believe if they buy Teak, they will be set for life. So be careful.
If left in the sun, the Teak will turn to a graceful silver appearance, which looks stunning. However, you can at any time bring it back to natural just by using a Teak cleanser or by power washing it. If you choose to power wash, please use less than 2000psi. Further, you also do have the option of "white-washing" it. Once it has turned to the silver appearance, simply mix a bucket of bleach and water, 50/50, and slash it on the furniture. After 30 mins, just hose off and you will have a sparkling silver/white-washed look. If you do not care for the aged look, you can opt to oil the Teak. However, this requires periodic application. This will give the teak the look known from boat decks and railings. Oil can be sprayed on (with an empty Windex bottle) and left to dry without wiping.
Identifying Patio Teak Furniture
Identifying upscale teak furniture is not that difficult, one just needs to be careful especially when you are shopping online. There are 3 things one should look for when buying upscale teak furniture.
First and foremost, upscale teak furniture should be grade A teak. If the store or salesperson can't tell you the grade of teak, it is probably isn't. Anything less then grade A is considered low quality teak and should be avoided.
Second, upscale teak furniture should use mortise and tenon joints and minimize the use of screws. Mortise and tenon joints are the best way to secure joints in upscale teak furniture because one they are in place the only way to remove them is to drill them out. Screws will be used on occasion however they should be avoided if it a piece that will be moved a lot. This can cause the screws to losen.
Third, upscale teak furniture should be fully machine made. This assures the teak furniture will have straight clean edges that allow for a perfect fit. Hand crafted furniture all though sounds fancy, can not hold up to the standards of machines, thus making machine made the best for upscale teak furniture.
Buying upscale teak patio furniture is normally a big investment that should be considered carefully. Keep these tips in mind when making your purchase.
The great thing is that if you buy upscale teak patio furniture it will most likely give you years or use and even last a lifetime.
Check Out Our Blog For Additional Information on Teak Patio Furniture
You can find more info on Teak Click Here
For more information on how to take care of Teak Furniture Click Here
Check out our other Blogs on Teak FurnitureClick Herefor information on Buying Teak Chairs
Great Info on Buying Teak Patio Furniture: Click Here
