Benefits of Teak Wood
The Benefits of Teak
Teak (tectona grandis) is a close-grained hardwood with naturally high oil and rubber contents. It is one of the hardest, strongest, and most durable of all timbers. It is highly resistant to rotting and other effects of sun, rain, frost, snow or insects. Teak is inherently tight grained, which gives a smooth surface and appearance. These characteristics make it the ideal timber for all outdoor furniture applications. Teak is simply the best hardwood in the world for outdoor patio furniture!
JAVANESE TEAK
We use Javanese teak to manufacture our outdoor teak furniture. The Javanese teak plantations were planted by the Dutch in the mid-1800s and are now owned and controlled by Perum Perhutani, an Indonesian government agency. We only use legally harvested teak from a legally harvested source. Other sources of teak exist, but the forests are not protected by reforestation projects, and child labor is not controlled in the factories.
Teak is fast growing, and may reach 130 to 150 feet in height with trunks reaching 3 to 5 feet in diameter. Trees are a minimum of 40 years old when harvested.
AESTHETICS
Teak furniture is very smooth to the touch and does not splinter. It has a warm appearance and stays very neutral in temperature when exposed to heat or cold unlike plastic or metal furniture.
Teak beautifies with age as it develops a silvery grey patina if left untreated. This weathered teak blends in naturally with the environment in which it is placed. If used indoors, the woodgrain tones even out and stay a very rich golden brown.
ENVIRONMENTALLY WISE
Real teak (tectona grandis) is a hardwood and does not grow in tropical rain forests. It is a deciduous tree, which grows in the dry, hilly terrains of forests in southeast Asia. The teak outdoor furniture sold in the United States is grown in government-controlled plantations, a renewable resource.
The manufacture of natural teak products, such as outdoor teak furniture and teak accessories, is very energy efficient compared to aluminum, metal or plastic fabrication. For example, the raw material for plastic furniture must be built from synthetic resins made by heating various chemical compounds and then processed. Once plastic, they must be further manufactured into the finished product. Teak wood simply needs refinement once it has been harvested from the renewable plantation.
Some teak manufacturers go the extra mile in conservation. Small scraps of teak normally discarded are used to fuel boilers in the kiln drying step. Manufacturers with integrated wood product plants salvage larger wood scraps for use in manufacturing other wood products such as parquet flooring.
The durability of teak allows for a lifetime of use, thus preventing the purchase of replacement furniture. When it is time to replace teak furniture, it causes no harm to the earth or to landfills unlike plastic, metal or aluminum furniture. Because teak furniture can reasonably last 100 years, it can be used by several generations, and our timeless designs will not go out of style!
BASIC DESIGN
Outdoor patio furniture made from teak is typically very classic and simple in design. More contemporary styles have become available in recent years. It is best to select styles that will suite your needs for many years, as teak furniture can last a lifetime if proper care is given.
When choosing teak furniture, choose styles that will complement and not overpower your outdoor setting. Large outdoor spaces require benches and dining groups that are substantial in dimension and weight. Smaller, more delicate architecture needs lighter furniture. At Teak Furniture Outlet, we offer a variety of outdoor teak furniture to suite every application. Our sister site, Umbrella Source, can meet your needs with our custom teak umbrellas.
WORKMANSHIP
Teak furniture manufactured in Indonesia is generally categorized as handmade, semi-machine made or fully machine made.
Contrary to intuition, "handmade" and "furniture" are not complementary words in outdoor patio teak furniture. "Handmade" refers to hand tools in Indonesia. While possessing character and unique details, handmade furniture is inexpensive since labor is cheap in Indonesia. Even slight imperfections render the furniture unsuitable for most applications.
Semi-machine made furniture is manufactured using power tools in a factory. The fittings are more precise but are fitted by hand. It takes a very skilled, experienced craftsman to produce very fine, semi-machine products.
Full-machine factories use power equipment, tooling, dies and processes designed to take variability out of the manufacturing process. Two chairs from a full-machine factory should be indistinguishable from one another.
Most outdoor teak furniture is manufactured with mortise and tenon joinery. This provides a sturdy finish and tight-fitting joint. Mortise and tenon joinery may be recognized as a square fitting in a square hole. They should fit securely without obvious gaps or fillings of glue. Dowels may be used to secure mortise and tenon joinery, which adds strength without using hardware. The dowels should be made from teak, which blends perfectly with the teak furniture.
Outdoor teak furniture should be fine-sanded and extremely smooth to the touch. This detail can separate the mass-produced pieces from the handcrafted pieces. At Teak Furniture Outlet, our teak furniture pieces are fine-sanded by hand.
QUALITY & VALUE
At Teak Furniture Outlet, we provide the highest quality outdoor teak furniture available. While the initial cost of teak may seem higher than metal and plastic choices, the value is much higher due to the quality, durability and usefulness of the pieces. Teak furniture is highly prized for outdoor furniture applications due to its durability, quality and beauty.
