Amazing Facts About Teak Wood

Our teak products are made from an environmentally friendly Teak Plantation in Jakarta, Indonesia. The plantation is regulated by a government agency called Perum Perhutani who set guidelines as to the number and size of trees which can be harvested, as well as the numbers of trees which are replanted to maintain the productivity of the teak forests for future generations. Teak wood is an extremely dense, coarse-grained hardwood, found primarily in India, Burma, Thailand, Indochina and Java. Tectona grandis is the Latin name for Teak, and Jati is the Indonesian name for Teak. A common fact about the characteristic of teak is its durability. The high level of resinous oil present in the timber helps to act as a natural insect repellent, making the wood highly resistant to rot caused by fungal decay or attack by termites and other wood boring insects.  Our designs have properly spaced, generous back slats, raised seat heights, and well-proportioned components.

Our teak furniture is crafted of kiln-dried teak, pegged mortise and tenon joinery, and are constructed for optimum strength and durability.

Our teak products are finished with a single treatment of light teak oil before packaging.

Characteristics of the Teak tree and its location:

Tectona Grandis is the Latin name for TEAK, a hardwood of the family Verbenaceae Tectona Grandis is said to be indigenous to India, Burma, Thailand, Indochina and Java. It has been extensively planted for timber or as an ornamental within its natural range and throughout the tropical regions of the world, including East and West Africa, as well as Cuba and the Caribbean, and South America from Panama to Brazil.

Tectona grandis is not a timber from tropical rain forests, and indeed, teak cannot grow in rain forests - it is a deciduous tree which grows particularly well in the dry, hilly terrain typical of plantation forests in Southeast Asia.

Specifically in Java Indonesia, Perum Perhutani is the government agency which is responsible for managing Indonesia's extensive forests and plantations. Java has very large Teak plantations which were first planted by the Dutch in the early 1800's. These plantations are now well managed by Perum Perhutani.

Perum Perhutani operate a strict policy regulating the number and size of trees which can be felled, as well as the numbers of trees which are replanted to maintain the productivity of the teak forests for future generations. The teak plantations produce a high value crop that is a very valuable source of income in their local area. And the associated furniture and timber products industry provides regular local employment to many thousands of people.

When plantation grown the tree will attain a height of up to 45m [150ft] with a dia. 1 - 1.5m [3 - 5ft]. It will be ready for harvesting at around 50 - 60 years. If well maintained the tree can produce a clear stem of up to 30m in length giving a high timber yield. It produces a very large leaf, similar to a tobacco leaf, which is approximately 12" long and wide.

Characteristics of teak wood

Teak is an extremely dense [40lbs cu ft when dry] coarse grained hardwood. Teak wood is generally straight grained, but occasionally wavy. It has a coarse and uneven texture.

The wood contains a high level of silica which causes rapid blunting of cutting edges. When fresh cut, the surface of the wood is dull, and the timber has a distinctive, pleasantly aromatic odour which has been likened to the smell of leather. Fresh sawn teak has a slightly 'oily' feel due to the high oil content.

One of the most noted facts about teak is its durability. It is resistant to rot caused by fungal decay.  The high level of resinous oil present in the timber helps to act as a natural insect repellent, providing the timber with a 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 encounters metals.

Caring for teak garden furniture

You will most commonly purchase teak garden furniture either: fine sanded; or oiled with Teak Oil. The Teak products manufactured for All Things Cedar come finely sanded with 1 coat of teak oil.

Learn More