10 Facts About Teak Wood You Might Want to Know

Teak wood is well known for its durability, water resistance and stunning grain appearance, make it a great choice for a wide variety of projects. Typically for outdoor furniture, fine furniture, railings, flooring, decking, doors & frames, as well as boat decking.

The scientific name of teak wood is Tectona grandis, it grows up to 40 meters tall.


Teak wood furniture components being exposed to direct sunlight.

Here are some interesting facts about Teak wood we think you want to know:

1. Where did teak wood originate?
Teak is native to Burma (now Myanmar), Laos, India, and Thailand. And it continuous flourish the plantations throughout South and Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa, and South America.

2. How fast a teak tree grows?
Teak tree has a slower growth rate compared to other hardwoods or tropical wood that average take 10 - 20 years to have mature size (diameter 30-50 cm, depends on its species).

Natural forest-grown teak takes several decades to reach maturity. It can take anywhere from 60 to 80 years or even longer for teak trees to develop a desirable size (diameter over 60 cm) and quality for commercial harvest. At the man-made teak forest, it would take 30 - 40 years to reach diameter 20 to 30 cm.

3. Can teak wood got rotten?
Teak wood has a high oil content. These natural oils make it highly resistant to rotting, warping or splitting as a result of moisture so it’s strong, durable, and virtually impervious to all extreme weather.

4. How many years my teak furniture can last?
Teak wood is widely considered to be one of the most durable woods. You can expect your teak furniture to last 50-70 years, perhaps even longer in the right environment and with proper care.

5. Where does teak grows best?
The tree grows best in sub-tropical conditions within 15% of the Equator, the environment with temperatures ranging between 17 – 43 Celsius and with high level of annual rain fall about 1250 – 3750mm. The elevation also plays important role, under 500 metres, with rich soil and a bit sandy.


6. Do I need to apply chemical treatments?
Teak requires no protective chemical treatments. You can just leave teak wood furniture unfinished (no chemical treatments) with smoothly sanded. It can be left outside all year round without any treatments as its own natural oil content will help to protect. If you wish, you can treat it using teak-oil, but it must be regularly applied like every 3 months or so.

7. Why they expose teak wood to direct sunlight?
Teak wood color change by the sun tanning. After freshly cut in the sawn timber or even after out of kiln dry, some part of teak wood board has really dark grain. Exposure to the sunlight will change the board from a dark Teak color to light and golden color within a few hours or days.

8. Is teak wood sustainable and environmentally friendly?
Due to excessive exploitation, unsustainable logging over the past century, natural teak forests have practically disappeared except for Burma (now Myanmar). Most of other country have managed to build plantations.
The sourcing of teak wood can vary, look for teak wood certified by organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which promotes responsible forestry practices and sustainable sourcing.

9. How can you tell if it is teak wood?
In terms of appearance, there are a few key indicators of high-quality teak too, which are:
Color - Teak color should almost glow, with brown hues, a bit more golden color with very little dark grain.
Grain - Grain direction should be straight with natural lines, no sign of knots.
Odor - Teak wood has a unique leather-like smell that is not shared in other woods.
Weight - Teak wood has density above 600kg/m3, it should feel dense and heavy.

10. What is reclaimed teak wood?
Reclaimed teak wood is teak wood that has been retrieved from old buildings and other structures. The wood is usually from teak trees that are around a hundred years old and has been handcrafted by skilled carpenters.

By using reclaimed teak wood, we support to reduce tree harvesting, ensure that the world's forests can recover, and the price of using reclaimed teak wood won't break your bank account compared to fresh cut teak wood from plantation.

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Aboutwood

Because wood is sustainable and more eco-friendly

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