In all honesty, premium teak furniture is not cheap. It is not as though you need to take out another mortgage on your home to buy furniture made from teak. However, compared with mahogany, oak, and other popular hardwoods, teak wood is consistently more expensive. But why is teak more expensive than other quality woods and why is it actually worth the added expense?

Quality teak furniture did not originate in the West. Although teak was made famous by the British who made their beautiful garden furniture from it, the wood actually originates in Asia. Both India and southeast nations like Malaysia were making premium teak furniture for centuries before the British. This is because teak wood grows in the dense, humid jungle conditions of this region of the world. It takes 30-40 years for the tree to mature before it can be used to make quality teak furniture. Originally, however, teak was not used to make furniture at all.

Centuries before teak wood was ever used to make garden or deck furniture, it was being used to build ocean-going vessels. Even today, many ships have teak rails and decks. What makes teak wood so useful when making outdoor furniture or ships is the fact that it is water-resistant. Teak wood has a high concentration of natural oils. Because oil naturally repels water, teak is resistant to rotting.

Aside from its high oil concentration, teak wood also has very tight grain which makes it hard to splinter and break. Woods that are porous are prone to splitting—especially when they become dry. This is not a worry with premium teak furniture and it can be stored outdoors year after year without worry. Although the teak wood will begin to take on a rustic look (tends to develop a gray patina) when left outdoors, the furniture will still be around for many years to come with no maintenance at all (however, it will last MUCH longer when properly cared for).

So, is premium teak furniture worth the added expense? Consider the following: The British government instituted a program of recycling during the late 19th century where teak was salvaged from old ships and used to build benches for the city. Some of those same benches survive today and are over a century old---and that is after the teak wood survived the entire life of the ship! Indeed, you just can't go wrong with quality teak furniture and it is more likely to become a family heirloom than something that needs replaced in a few years!