When it comes to outdoor furniture, teak is one of the best! The wood is popular worldwide due to its great qualities.
For that, you can easily find lots of teak outdoor furniture pieces, as well as teak patio furniture items.
Teak or Tectona is a tropical deciduous hardwood tree that grows as tall as 40 meters, and sheds its leaves annually during the dry season.
It has reddish-green foliage, rough skin, and brown to dark gold heartwood that is ideal for making teak outdoor furniture.
Its name is derived from the Malayalan word, Thekku.
It belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae (formerly Verbenaceae).
All three species originated in Southeast Asia, particularly India, Indochina, Burma, and the Philippines.
Its abundance in Indonesia may be the workings of the Hindu cultivation around the 7th century.
Ancient civilizations were already aware that teak wood is easy to work with, resistant to decay, and is therefore an important source of timber to produce teak outdoor furniture, among other things.
In fact, the wood became a favorite material for shipbuilding in the middle ages because it prevents rust and corrosion when in contact with metal.
As for the popularization of teak outdoor furniture, it has been told that the first outdoor benches were actually created from teak decking of old sailing ships.
According to the story, though the vessels were shabby enough to be scrapped, the wood decking remained in good condition to be recycled.
Teak patio furniture or teak outdoor furniture is a by-product of the tree grown from seeds.
Germination begins with pretreatment to prevent dormancy.
During pretreatment, the seeds undergo alternative wetting and drying processes, wherein the seeds are soaked in water for 12 hours and dried for 12 hours for the next 10 to 14 days.
Afterwards, the seeds are sown into shallow beds to germinate in 15 to 30 days.
Once the tree matures, it may be cut and harvested.
Its yellowish brown timber with great grain and texture is used in making a wide array of products like teak outdoor furniture, boat decks, flooring materials, and teak patio furniture.
Teak's unique and thick fibers allow for easy cutting and sculpting as in the case of most teak outdoor furniture.
The dependability and durability of teak furniture is remarkable.
As a living tree, teak can last up to a hundred years.
It can withstand weather and season changes.
It can bend but not break when struck by strong winds.
In addition, the tree resin contains natural oil in its heartwood, making the wood highly water resistant.
The oil is said to protect the tree from decay, insects, and disease.
The same oil gives teak outdoor furniture a distinctive glow even it is exposed to outdoor weather for a long time.
Nevertheless, the wood can make use of some varnishing or polishing to further improve its natural elegance.
So if you have teak patio furniture at home, then it would be fine to re-apply some varnish on it.
For all these, the wood is widely used in making outdoor items, particularly teak patio furniture.
In fact, many public parks in England are furnished with teak outdoor furniture, including century-old benches.
Even today, teak remains a viable material for modern shipbuilding, as most foredeck hatches of present-day vessels are made of the tropical hardwood.
Thus, if you desire wooden furnishings that exude in beauty and stability, teak wood is your ultimate option.
So, opt for teak outdoor furniture always!