Teakwood Furniture

Teak has always been a prized material. The tree that teak comes from, Tectona grandis, is native to the tropics. Since around the 7th century, it has been used to outfit and adorn the residences of the wealthy and powerful. The wood’s reputation made its way out of the region through the Dutch, who colonized Indonesia. They used the wood for shipbuilding; teak makes for an excellent ship wood due to its ability to ward off dry rot.

Teak is found in Southeast Asian nations like Thailand, Burma and Malaysia, but perhaps no central government takes its teak quite as seriously as Indonesia’s. Since the country’s post-colonial era began in the mid-20th century, the Indonesian government has had a corporation in place dedicated to managing one of the nation’s most valuable natural resources. The company, PT Perhutani, maintains the official teak plantations on the Indonesian island of Java. Here, a predetermined number of trees that can be felled each year. Each tree is replaced with a new one that’s planted on the plantation.

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Since the best wood furniture made from teak comes from mature trees, it can take around 80 years before a teak tree planted today is harvested for wood. Because of this, and because teak is such an excellent wood material, old teak is often reclaimed—for example, from old structures slated to be torn down—and given new life as furniture.

It’s pretty clear that people prize teak wood above your average length of pine or oak. But why is that, exactly? The answer lies in the natural oils and rubber found within teak.

You’ll find an abundance of natural oils and rubber locked right into the tight grain of the wood. All woods contain oils that protect the tree—think maple sap or tea tree oil. Teak, however, can retain these oils and its rubber even after being felled and processed. Because of this, teak has greater naturally weather-resistant properties than just about any other type of wood. When dried to a proper moisture level—around 8-10 MC—the oils and rubber weatherproof the wood. The oils also protect the wood from dry rot, which is a common problem in older wooden furniture. What’s more, the oils and rubber protect the heart of the wood from invaders like fungi and parasites that can destroy other woods. Protecting wooden furniture from such intruders requires applications of weatherproof oils and treatments; not so with teak.

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All of this makes teak a perfect material for outdoor furniture. As it weathers over time, the wood goes from a honey brown color to a slivery gray. Since teak is also an extremely durable and strong wood, a teak patio set owner can expect his or her purchase to last for many years. In caves in Western India, objects made from teak more than 2,000 years ago have been found intact—astonishing for untreated, uncared-for wood. This also offsets the initial costs of teak, especially once you consider furniture replacement costs.

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If you decide to take the plunge and spring for well-made teak heart wood furniture with low water content and that’s certified to have been sustainably harvested from the PT Perhutani forestry reserve, there’s not much you’ll have to do—except sit back and enjoy it. You are also ensured that you are using legally harvested wood that is SVLK certified and complies to EUTR (European Union Timber Regulation), Lacey Act, and other legality requirements.

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