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Teak is the most precious and prestigious tropical hardwood and has been used in the ship industry for decades. Key facts about Teak Wood: Important Knowledge Fact: Teak was planted in Indonesia by the Dutch Colonists at the beginning of the eighteenth century and contrary to popular belief, Teak is not an indigenous species to Indonesia. |
The 101 about Teak
Tectona grandis is a deciduous hardwood tree with extremely dense-grained wood, and due to its natural oil content highly resistant
to rot, warping, shrinkage and swelling. Its high natural oil content furthermore acts as a natural
preservative to the wood so it can be left outdoors for decades. The first outdoor teak
furniture was made of recycled decking from old sailing ships.
A few more key characteristics of Teak wood are:
- Temperature neutral. Even if exposed to full sun, Teak wood remains to at low temperatures compared to stone, tile, composite materials or even other woods.
- Not slippery even when wet. This characteristic makes Teak a preferred wood around pools, walkways exposed to water/rain etc.
- Teak does not splinter: A key characteristic for any area you want to use barefeet.
- Mildew and mold resistant: Even in very humid surroundings, Teak will not develop mildew.
Teak - Perfect Comfort and Beauty
Teak wood ages gracefully and acquires over a time a silvery gray patina that can
be left in its natural state or revived to a warm honey glow with a light sanding and
the application of teak oil / teak sealer. Teak is very smooth to the touch and does
not splinter. It remains very neutral in temperature compared to plastic or metal
furniture and has a faint, pleasant aromatic smell. Well made teak outdoor furniture
is of timeless architectural design and style. This is an important attribute for
something you could expect to have on your patio for the next decade.
Teak Grade Scheme
Teak wood is classified in the following grade scheme:
- Grade A
- Grade B
- Grade C
Grade A is the best quality and shows in a very high granule wood structure that
results an even coloring of the furniture. Rule of thumb is the more equal the coloring
of a furniture piece, the higher the quality of the wood. Certainly Grade A is by far
the most expensive wood.
For many pieces of a furniture model Grade B is a very good compromise to
still have a great looking product for a more economical price. Value Teak is usually
of Grade B or a mix of B and C.
Grade C teak is normally used for handmade furniture as it is the least granule wood
structure and therefore not very well suited for machine manufacturing.
Best Quality is Machine-Made
Teak furniture manufacturing in Indonesia is generally categorized as either handmade,
semi-machine made, or fully machine-made. Contrary to intuition, the words "handmade"
and "furniture" do not go well together when it comes to teak outdoor furniture.
Handmade means hand tools are used for manufacturing and the result is that no two
same type of chairs, tables or loungers will look precisely alike. They are also the
cheapest furniture you can buy since labor is relatively inexpensive in Indonesia.
Semi-machine made furniture is produced using power tools in a factory. Cuts and bores
are more precise although pieces are ultimately fitted by hand. A skilled, experienced
worker with proper training and resources can produce very fine semi-machine products
with a high degree of uniformity. Of course, semi-machine made furniture is more
expensive to produce than handmade furniture but is almost always worth the difference.
Full machine factories exclusively use power equipment, tooling, dies and processes
intended to take the variability out of manufacture. Two chairs from a full machine
factory will be indistinguishable from one another.
Our Teak Quality
Our suppliers use only the highest grade of solid, kiln dried Indonesian Plantation Teak,
well known for its strength, durability and long lasting beauty. We ensure that our suppliers
of teak wood furniture follow the directions of local government, purchase their timber
from government approved plantations only and engage in generative propagation and
natural regeneration of plantation timber.
All our furniture is machine-made, very well constructed with classic flush/doweled mortise
and joins made of marine quality solid brass or stainless steel fittings. Only exception are
a few items that require semi-machine build due to design constraints.
All our teak furniture products are either pre-assembled or very easy to assemble and
packed with clear instructions. They are carefully packaged and shipped in heavy duty
cardboard cartons and styropor inside the box protectors for maximum protection while
in transit.