These characteristics make it the ideal wood for outdoor furniture as it can be left outside uncovered all 12 months of the year, even in the UK!
The first plantations on the island of Java were planted by the Dutch and are now owned by the Indonesian government. Only a limited number of trees each year are allowed to be felled and an equal amount of reforestation ensures there is no detrimental effect to the country's natural resources. Faraway Furniture only use Teak from PERUM PERHUTANI forestry plantation and we hold a re-forestation certificate directly from the Indonesian government.
For example at Faraway Furniture, we source only the best quality heartwood Grade A teak for our products, made of trees of not less than 80 years of age. We only use teak which has been kiln dried to 8 - 12% moisture levels and we urge you to compare our quality of wood with other manufacturers who often use lower quality Teak with a much higher water content. Please be aware that low quality Teak (also known as sapwood) contains only a fraction of the amount of natural oil and rubber. This will mean that all of the necessary attributes of good quality Teak will be absent and the wood is likely to decay and rot within a short space of time. Our furniture can be left outside and with little care will be with you and your family for generations to enjoy.
When you receive your furniture, it will be in its natural state. Unless specifically requested, we do not oil our teak as many people prefer the natural colour of teak wood. Please be aware that pre-oiled teak is a common method used by less ethical manufacturers to hide the low quality and inferior grade of the teak wood.
Taking care of your new Teak Furniture:
Teak is a unique and durable hardwood which requires little or no care.
If you prefer your teak, like many do, in its natural state which is a graceful silver grey colour, then you literally have to do nothing. Teak, unlike other hardwoods, does not need any oiling, staining, lacquering or painting to keep healthy and maintain its durability. Treating the teak is only recommended if you prefer the golden yellow colour of the wood. Whether to oil or not, is purely a personal choice, doing either will not harm or detract from the strength or durability of the wood and will not affect our warranty.
The only maintenance we recommend for your teak furniture is occasional cleaning. This should be done with a mild soap (such as gentle hand cleaning soap) and warm water to preserve its natural elements.
For more stubborn stains such as red wine, a teak cleaner can be used or the stain area can be lightly sanded with fine sandpaper. You can order teak cleaner from our online store. History of teak/about teak:
Teak (Tectona grandis), is one of the most valued woods in the world, and grows in areas between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Teak trees can grow up to 150 feet tall and have large, leathery, reddish green leaves that are shed in the drier months of the year. Teak's sap has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that make it resistant to parasites and disease. Teak also contains rubber and silica, which repel water. The wood also has great pliability, making it better able to withstand high pressure without cracking. This, combined with the fact that it is an extremely heavy wood, with dense fibres that make it relatively easy to cut and graft, make it one of the finest woods from which to construct outdoor furniture.
All teak from Indonesia must be certified by the government to verify that it comes from an approved source.
These strict environmental laws are saving many natural Teak forests.
The Teak plantations provide economic and environmental relief. They are the major source of income for many villages in tropical areas. Teak is increasing in value by up to 6% every year and has revenue of up to $30,000 US per trunk, which makes it a very resourceful cash crop.
Interesting facts about teak:
In the old cave temples of Salsette and elsewhere in Western India, pieces of teak more than 2000 years old have been found in good condition.
Teak was most sought after for building war ships in the 18 th century. Apart from being extremely tough and water resistant, it also does not splinter under gunfire. Splintering wood was the main cause of casualties in 18 th century naval warfare.
Teak is very dense and cannot float when first cut down. Thus loggers have to girdle the tree and let it dry for up to three years before they can float it to the mill.
Teak leafs are used as sandpaper by locals in the Javanese jungle due to its rough and extremely tough surface.
?Caveat Emptor? is Latin for ?Let the buyer beware?.
We all want to pay as little as possible for the most product we can buy. The challenge we have is to pay enough attention to what it is we are actually purchasing so as not to become let down later when we find out we did not really get what we thought we would be getting.
When it comes to outdoor furniture, Teak wood is still the standard that all other woods are compared to. Because it is in such high demand, consumers want to purchase this best quality product or something even better, for less money. If marketers can help the buyer to perceive they are getting something better for less money the buyer tends to jump on it. And therein lies the problem: Perception.
There is outdoor wood furniture being advertised as teak like, better than teak, or stronger than teak for a fraction of the cost. When you look further into the advertisements, you find the product to be made of woods like Shorea or Eucalyptus. But is this wood as good as or better than teak? Does this wood weather the elements year in and year out like Teak? Do you do very little to maintain it like you do Teak? It sure sounds like it could be, don't it?
Shorea wood.
Here is how Wikipedia defines Shorea wood: Shorea is a genus of 360 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. They are native to Southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malesia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
There are marketers that are marketing Shorea wood as being closely related cousins to Teak. Teak is Tectona Grandis: It is a genus of tropical hardwood trees in the family Verbenaceae. To say they are closely related is kind of like saying all spruces are evergreens but not all evergreens are spruces. It doesn't make sense. And because there are more than 360 species of trees that make up Shorea, some being good and some being not so good, which type are you really getting that ?good deal? on?
Here are some common names being used by marketers to be ?like Teak?, but are really Shorea:
Balau. This is a heavy hardwood. It comes from up to 15 different species of Shorea genus.
Almon. Also known as white luan. This wood comes from up to 5 different species of Shorea genus.
White Meranti. This is a light hardwood. It comes from up to 8 different species of Shorea genus.
Dark Red Meranti. This is also a light hardwood. It comes from up to 11 different species of Shorea genus.
Yellow Meranti. This is also a light hardwood. It comes from up to 5 different species of Shorea genus.
We can go on and on. After all, there are up to 360 different species of Shorea genus to go through. These are beautiful woods that can be used for indoor furniture as well as decorative artifacts, doors, drawers, joints and even outdoor furniture. But let us not be confused: they are not Teak wood. And the fact that marketers are trying to pass them off as Teak tells us squarely: Teak is still the best. Teak is still the wood that all others try to compare to.
Eucalyptus Genus.
There are over 300 species of Eucalyptus genus. This is a very fine wood that has been put to many good uses through the years from windbreaks, to fuel, to building supplies, to food sources in some countries. It is cautioned that this wood needs to be seasoned properly prior to manufacturing otherwise it will split, crack and chip. Since it holds such a heavy volume of water in order to sustain its very fast growth, it is reported to shrink as much as 34% when kiln dried.
In doing research on Eucalyptus, here is what one company had to say: ?When finished with a high quality penetrating oil, mixed with the stain of your choice, Eucalyptus takes on a teak-like appearance. To maintain a new look, the buyer will need to occasionally clean and reseal the furniture. This furniture can be painted as well?. Teak once again is being used as the standard.
When you are shopping for outdoor furniture this year, make sure you know what type of wood it is that you are purchasing. Don't be fooled. Read the fine print. Thinking your purchase is Teak wood because you want the beauty of Teak, the ability for your furniture to weather the elements including termites, beetles, fungus, and wood rot, you could be sorely disappointed. In order to maintain sales volume, manufactures and marketers are offering alternative wood outdoor furniture to the consumers as prices for Teak are steep and supply is limited. Although these listed woods look beautiful and may hold up for a short period of time, they do not have the staying power of Teak wood outdoor furniture.
Both Roberto Bell & Michael Ochoa are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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