Teak Wood & Teak Furniture History

TEAK: A hardwood known to last a lifetime! Teak furniture made from quality grade A teak has qualities unlike any other wood. It is dense, rich in oil and almost impervious to splitting, buckling, and rotting, which makes teak wood termite proof. Teak has been prized for centuries as one of the world's most durable and stable woods for outdoor use. Ever since ancient times, civilization has been aware of the long-lasting benefits of teak wood. Dutch shipbuilders first employed teak wood in manufacturing their sailing fleets because of its strong structural properties and resistance to insects and decay. For shipbuilders, the most important property of teak wood is its ability to prevent rust and corrosion when it contacts metal. Teak wood is extremely easy to work with, and its resistance to decay due to its natural retained oils after being cut has made it not only a popular timber tree, but also a valuable resource.

In regards to shipbuilding, the main advantage of teak is its unique ability to prevent rust and corrosion when in contact with metal. It is said that the first outdoor teak benches were actually made of the decking from old sailing ships. The decking on these ships was in such good condition when the ships were about to be scrapped, the wood was recycled and remade into outdoor teak furniture. Public parks all over England are furnished with teak benches, some of which are nearly a century old! An outstanding material, teak continues to be a choice for boat materials even in this day and age. More and more farms, villages and communities in Indonesia, China, Puerto Rico and other smaller countries are planting teak (Tectona grandis) trees as an investment for the future.

Teak is a high-quality wood that retains its natural oils and is prized throughout the world for its beauty and durability. Premium commercial grade A teak is the most sought-after tropical hardwood for prestigious furniture, shipbuilding and decorative use in construction. Indonesian exports of teak furniture approached $800 million US dollars in 2001 and have grown every year since. Because of this demand, the market for teak in Indonesia is very well established and an important source of employment and income for the people of that country. Elephants are still used to haul teak from inland jungles to the waterways. Transporting teak has always been a difficult problem because of the wood's heavy weight. The logs are so heavy they will not float. Instead the elephants drag the teak logs through the thick undergrowth in the rain forests. These forests are usually a great distance from the coast. The elephants have even been trained to stack the logs in even piles, and when a bell sounds to end the day, the elephants know to stop their work without any human direction.

Today teak is used principally in furniture, shipbuilding and the construction of expensive boats and yachts. Currently, teak can be found on modern cruise ship decks, in parks, used as flooring and as residential outdoor furniture. Teak can be transformed into a unique or classic piece of furniture. In the United States, Teak Benches, Teak Chairs, Teak Tables, and multiple Teak Accessories can be found throughout resorts, hotels and parks. Teak Steamer Chairs can be found worldwide on almost every cruise ship and at most upscale resorts. This is an indication of the most popular uses of teak products today.

There are thousands of furniture-making enterprises in Indonesia. Jepara, one of the most important furniture-production districts on the island, had more than 3,000 legally registered establishments in 2000. Additionally, up to 3 million unregistered establishments of all sizes probably exist, employing six million people or 6 percent of the total population of Java. These establishments are engaged in a range of livelihoods with a significant number undertaking teak-related activities. The figure is further increased if we include illegal cutting of teak in the wild. On a recent 2,500 km trip through west Java, Julia Maturana, a researcher in CIFOR's program on environmental services and sustainable use of forests, found privately owned teak plantations everywhere. "We saw a lot of teak growing in gardens with other useful species, as we expected," she said. "But we also found large areas belonging to villages or communities dedicated just to teak. Several were very well managed, with good spacing and showing a considerable investment in labor and capital." The State-owned company Perum Perhutani has 3 million hectares of forests and forest plantations in Java and dominates the teak market. Before 1998, private sales of teak wood were forbidden. Even now a private agent wanting to sell the wood needs at least three special permits. "Despite these disincentives, people have planted teak in their own gardens to supply their own requirements of wood, as a ‘savings account' for their children and to use in special cases of need," said Maturana. "Most of the plantings we saw were small and recent with trees ranging from 6 months to 5 years old. This suggests a new system is developing using new areas of land, adding to the already existing areas of teak." Teak is an attractive long-term investment, with a first-class 80-cm diameter log worth $830 per cubic meter in 2001. A fourth-class log 4-7 cm in diameter brought $14 per cubic meter. "Chiefs of district forestry departments in west Java told us that the local people usually harvest teak early. The usual rotation period is 40 years or less," said Maturana. "So privately grown teak is sold in local markets at 20-50 percent below the official price. Even so, it still represents an important but sporadic source of income for rural people."

Despite constraints in market access and wood quality, the number of areas recently planted with teak show it to be an attractive option for investments. High market prices are attracting investment in teak plantations. Doors are open for rural agents because of the low capital requirements for seeds and labor that are mainly concentrated in the first 3 years. "But both of these are plentiful in rural Java areas," said Maturana. Because of its slow growth cycle and the type of final products, teak wood plays an important role in soil and water conservation and sequesters considerable amounts of carbon. Maturana, with other researchers, has started researching the location and extent of privately managed teak plantations to understand their dynamics and the factors influencing their development. "We want to analyze these systems to understand their importance in the rural economy, their potential for wood supply and the kind of incentives needed to promote such systems," said Maturana. Can these areas spread and become an important source of income for the people, as well as an extensive, financially driven reforestation effort? Is that even possible on an island with one of the highest population densities in the world? "How can we help this become a success story combining social, financial and ecological benefits?" asked Maturana. "This is the question donors, research institutions, governments and NGOs need to ask. We are working on it!"

Teak is an extremely dense, coarse-grained hardwood that is resistant to rust, rot and termites. Teak wood is generally straight grained, but occasionally wavy. There are three grades of teak: A, B and C with A being the highest quality. It has a coarse and uneven texture. Teak wood contains a high level of silica, which causes rapid blunting of cutting edges. When fresh cut, the surface of the wood is dull in appearance, and the timber has a distinctive, pleasant odor, which has been likened to the smell of leather. Fresh cut teak has a slightly 'oily' feel due to the high oil content. One of the most commonly quoted facts about the characteristics of teak is its durability. It is resistant to rot caused by fungal decay, and the high level of resinous oil present in the timber helps to act as a natural insect repellent giving the timber very high resistance to attack by termites and other wood-boring insects. The timber is said to be resistant to water and many chemical reagents, including acids. It does not have a strong reaction when it comes in contact with metals. All these statements regarding the durability of teak are born out by the fact that we can see many instances of the timber that withstood the test of time when used as key components in the boat building industry, or more sedately, when used for making municipal furniture for our parks.

Invest in your own teak furniture, and it can be passed down for generations! Mix and match our Teak Tables, Teak Chairs and Teak Benches for your outdoor areas. Some people even choose to use their teak furniture inside their homes! We even carry Teak Deep Seating Sets, which are growing in popularity. Complete your teak collection by adding a few Teak Accessories. Our teak furniture looks great with custom-made cushions from Cushion Source! Most of our teak tables come with an umbrella hole. What better complement to your outdoor teak furniture than a beautiful custom umbrella from Umbrella Source! You will enjoy your maintenance-free teak furniture all year round!