Teak is an extremely dense course grained hardwood used for thousands of years for ship building and furniture making. Natural teak is found primarily in India, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and Java. Tectona grandis is the Latin name for teak, and Jati is the Indonesian name for teak.
Teak Longevity
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.
This attribute allows the wood to last many years without any treatment or finishing.
Teak has withstood the test of time as demonstrated by the boat building industry, and the common knowledge that many municipal parks and conservatories use teak wood to make their outdoor furniture last.
Do I Need To Finish Teak Patio Furniture?
Teak is of itself naturally oily and requires no treatment to be used indoors or outdoors. Applying oil won't increase the life of the timber.
When teak furniture is left outdoors, the effects of the suns rays will 'bleach out' the timbers natural color.
Gradually over time the teak will turn a soft silvery grey color.
Many consider this distinctive 'bleached' color to be very attractive and allows the furniture to blend in well with many outdoor environments.
Teak patio furniture left in this state is easily maintained, and needs no treatment whatsoever to give many years of service. This is about as easy as a maintenance schedule as you can possibly get! |
