The Ultimate Guide to Teak Wood Patio Furniture and its Advantages

Introduction: What is Teak Wood?

Native to the plantations of Southeast Asia, teak trees can reach a height of 150 feet and are renowned for their unique properties. The combination of an oil-rich heartwood and thick fibers in the dense hardwood allows it to be resistant to water, protects the wood from decay, insects, and bacteria, and is especially noted for its ability to withstand drastic weather changes and high winds of Southeast Asia. Unsurprisingly, due to its properties, teak wood (also called sagwan wood in certain coutries) provides exceptional features to any product, such as excellent stability, weather resistance, and durability to last a lifetime. These unique characteristics of the wood also allow the tree to be cut and sculpted as the wood is strong, pliable, and is the preferred hardwood to work with for crafting a wide array of products. This trifecta of quality, durability, and high demand has allowed other tropical nations (such as Brazil and some African nations) to produce and cultivate teak trees.

Teak is the only hardwood that contains these characteristics. Since the fourth century, it has set the hardwood apart as the choice in timber for the construction of furniture, flooring, ships, and decking. Not limited to only outdoor use, teak has captured the heart of many design enthusiasts. It's used for items as small as dishracks or bathmats and as large as entire outdoor studio sheds. The golden-brown tone of teak is pleasing to the eye and easy to incorporate into a wide array of design aesthetics. Its tensile strength is unparalleled compared to other woods, making it a popular choice for indoor and outdoor patio furniture. Teak works perfectly for spa decor, home design, door frames, window frames, cruise ship decking, and wooden boats. There really is no limit to what you can create with teak. It's the standard that all other hardwoods are compared.

Teak Wood Patio Furniture Facts

Contrary to common belief, it's unnecessary to apply conservation and maintenance treatments to teak wood products. Teak can be outdoors without the need to treat the material. This allows its surface to age naturally through oxidation and acquires the classic silvery-gray patina typically associated with this wood. If desired, on an aesthetic level, oils can be applied to prolong the golden tone of the pieces, but this is not an essential requirement for the conservation of the product. Strong and durable, teak holds its form over many years as the heartwood oils create a natural glimmer and protectant on the wood. This makes any teak product a beautiful yet low-maintenance item to upkeep.

While teak requires little upkeep, there are a few things to note; it's a porous material because teak is still a wood product. As such, teak is not entirely impervious to cracks, splits, or stains. If the product is an outdoor item left in the rain, you might notice dark spots or watermarks; this is a natural occurrence. These dark spots or water marks will fade over time, but you could give the teak a light sanding if it's bothersome. Furthermore, suppose the natural teak material should split or crack (commonly referred to as end graining) due to humidity or temperature change. In that case, it's not likely that the product will be negatively affected or that the end graining will compromise your product's durability, strength, and structural integrity.

This incredible strength makes teak the choice for furniture designers. They can produce a range of products that are not viable when using other woods as they are often softer and not as easy to sculpt.

Although teak wood was well renowned for its strength and was often used for ship decking, it was not until the late 1800s that teak became the focal source of outdoor furniture. During the Victorian Era, teak wood traveled to England. The English people used this new strong wood to create their public park benches. Today, many of these same benches are still located throughout England, some over a century old!

The Benefits of Teak Outdoor Furniture

When a product is built of teakwood, the inherent properties of the wood provide the necessary strength and resistance to withstand changes, temperature, and inclement weather. When in contact with rainwater, teak has natural oils that generate a film protecting the furniture. Teak has been ranked as the best performing wood to resist heat and humidity-related cracking or warping, which prevents colonization by insects and the presence of fungi.

Bottom line: premium teak outdoor furniture is created to last a lifetime. Plastics, wicker, and other hardwoods pale in comparison to the superior quality teak provides. Purchase a natural teak wood patio set. It will likely be the last exterior furnishing you may ever need.

Teak Wood For Patio Furniture - Buying Guide & Tips

Premium products often correspond with premium pricing. While teak wood price may scare off someone looking for temporary furniture, genuine teak is highly durable. It can handle most weather conditions and has remained structurally sound for decades. Authentic teak wood products are designed to be a one-off purchase that lasts 70 years or more in outdoor conditions and has a virtually indefinite lifetime with indoor use.

We understand that pricing is always one of the top factors when considering a purchase. Still, we encourage buyers to also consider the value of the benefits of such a high-quality product. As mentioned, premium teak outdoor furniture is not designed to be replaced after a few seasons. They are crafted to ensure quality and structure last to ensure it's the last product you may purchase.

We all want to get the most bang for our buck - make it easier on ourselves and pay as little as possible for products. Sometimes we lose sight of other aspects of a product that can help us make more informed purchases. One downside of buying items while being uninformed leads to feeling let down when the product turns out to be different from what you expected. This can also be the case when you buy teak outdoor furniture.

Since teak is widely used and well-known, many know what it looks like, so they often refer to furniture that looks like it or is in the same family as teak as "teak-like" or "teak-strong." Many advertisements make these woods seem like something new or innovative. However, the furniture pieces listed as "Great Deals" or "Unbelievable Prices" are not made from teak but are just shorea, eucalyptus, or nyatoh wood. While these are, in fact, exotic hardwoods, they aren't very durable or high quality like teak. The lumber used in the furniture you see advertised at "Great Prices" is usually made from new growth rings of the tree called the sapwood and not from old-growth rings (the heartwood). Heartwood gives most wood species durability and richness. Unlike most wood species, teak sapwood has the same strength and durability as its heartwood, making it easier to use without worrying about strength issues.

Conclusion - Why Use The Best Quality Teaks For Your Home?

The teak wood we use to make our furniture comes from Indonesian forests. The highest quality teak with the best properties is grown in that area. Teak wood characteristics can vary due to the dynamic changes of the tropical climate where it's developed. The tree's location, maturity, and the prolonged drying time to which we subject our pieces create a robust and quality product. Teak wood provides self-protection to any products constructed and adds an elegant touch to any home.