Where Does Teak Wood Come From?
Ask any patio furniture owner and he will tell you that teak is THE best material for making outdoor furniture. Aside from being downright beautiful, teak is strong and has natural properties that will keep mold, pests, and moisture away. Teak furniture is available almost anywhere and even if this is one of the most expensive, these furniture pieces are an investment.
Origins of teak wood
Teak is a prized wood material. Teak trees come from, Tectona grandis, and are native to tropical countries. Around the 7th century, it was used to adorn the residences of wealthy and powerful and powerful families and clans in Indonesia. Teak wood’s amazing reputation has made its way to the Dutch, who colonized Indonesia. They used teak wood for building ships because of its excellent ability to ward off rotting.
Teak trees are found in Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand, Burma and Malaysia and of course the country where people take their teak forests very seriously, Indonesia. Since the country’s post-colonial era in the mid-20th century, the Indonesian government has designated a corporation that manages the nation’s most valuable natural resources.
The PT Perhutani is in charge of maintaining the official teak plantations found along the lovely Indonesian island of Java. In this place, there are a predetermined number of trees that can be cut each year. Each tree is replaced with a new tree that’s planted in its place in the plantation.
It can take around 80 years for teak trees to mature and be ready for cutting. Which is why it’s important to reclaim teak furniture as well as teak accessories in homes.
Teak is prized for its wood as well as its natural oils and rubber. There is an abundance of natural oils and rubber inside the tight grain of the teak wood. All woods have oils that protect the tree like maple and tea tree oil but teak retains its oil and sap even after the tree is felled. Because of this, teak has better naturally weather-resistant properties than any other type of wood.
When teak wood is dried to a proper moisture level which is around 10 percent of its original content the oils and rubber begin to weatherproof the wood. The natural oils provide protection for the wood from dry rot, which is a common problem in old furniture. Oils and rubber protect the heart of the wood from fungi and parasites that can destroy wood.
Other characteristics of teak
Teak is good for outdoor furniture. As time goes by teak wood goes from a honey brown color to a lovely silvery gray hue. Teak is indeed expensive but you can take the money you would have paid on annual waterproofing and use it to buy beautiful and durable teak furniture.
Teak is also an extremely durable and resilient wood; complete teak patio furniture set could last for many many years. These can even become a priceless family heirloom. The value in teak furniture also offsets the initial costs of teak, especially considering replacement costs.
But not all teak wood is the same. Some teak wood furniture is better than others and some are also inferior. One type of teak, called sapwood is not as robust as other types of teak. Sapwood is named for the outer layer of any tree; the inner layers of the tree are known as the heart.
Trees grow outward from the center, therefore, the natural oils are found in more abundance in the heart. This makes the teak heart more valuable compared to sapwood. This also makes the teak heart more expensive than other parts of the tree.
Conclusion
If you would like to purchase teak furniture then you made a good choice. Original teak heartwood furniture has low water content and is sustainably harvested from the PT Perhutani forestry reserve. You might end up paying for a high price for your furniture, but no doubt that you’ll be satisfied with your purchase over the next years or even decades of using and enjoying your furniture. So don’t just buy teak furniture from any dealer or distributor; do your homework and look for authentic teak furniture.
