Teak wood

Teak wood comes from the "Tectona Grandis" tree. In Indonesia, teak wood is called "Jati". This is the only tree that produces real teak. Our teak wood comes from Indonesia (Java). The teak plantation grows to an average of 20 to 30 meters high and the diameters vary from 50 cm to 90 cm. The teak tree is a slow-growing tree, so the longer and especially the wider the wood, the more expensive. The tree has large bright green leaves and gets flowers at regular intervals, producing large clusters of seeds. The back of the leaves are rough and were used as sandpaper in the past.

For many years, teak wood was mined in a non-sustainable manner with all the harmful consequences for nature. Fortunately, there has been a sharp increase in awareness about this in recent years and a strong regulatory framework is also applicable. We ensure that all our suppliers always deliver the V-label "Legal wood" certificate, which means that the wood has been harvested in a sustainable legal manner according to the rules of The European Timber Trade Federation. All our teak furniture is imported by us with a FLEGT certificate that is registered and validated by the EU administration.

A first distinction in quality can be made based on old teak, also called colonial teak, versus new teak or plantation teak.

Plantation teak is in principle of good quality, depending on the quality type (see below). Old teak, on the other hand, is teak that is recovered from old homes, ships, etc. So, one piece of wood is certainly not the other and often the bad pieces, holes of nails or wood taps etc. are eliminated by inserting or sticking in repair pieces. Often, thinner slats are glued together to make a thick bar. This can cause problems after a certain time. There is of course also good quality furniture made from old teak, but these "good" pieces of teak naturally have their price tag. So, don't get caught by just comparing the price!

Teak wood is classified according to quality, indicated by a letter. The best quality is given the letter A. This is often referred to as premium quality. It does not need explanation that the price varies greatly depending on this quality.

In addition to the quality of the wood, the fineness of sanding is also very important. Quality furniture feels smooth to almost "soft" and can even shine giving the impression they have been given a varnish layer. Yes, one piece of furniture is certainly not the other…. And if you know how many hours and days of sanding it takes to make teak so beautiful, then you also understand the price differences on the market.

Without specific maintenance, teak furniture ages with time: “gets grey”. This is a natural process, typical of teak. The original appearance can be maintained by treating the wood with special teak oil (no varnish).

If teak is left in a wet environment for a longer period (eg outside during the winter), then a green deposit may appear on the wood. If desired, the wood can be washed with a stiff brush, warm water and black soap. Then simply rinse with water and let it dry.

It is strongly advised not to "gray out" teak or to clean with a high-pressure cleaner. As a result, the wood is damaged and the "hairs" of the wood stand up, the smooth appearance disappears, and the furniture gets dirty faster year after year.

If there are stains, you can easily remove this by sanding the wood with fine sandpaper.

Although teak wood comes from a very humid climate, the wood can still slowly rot if it remains in water for a longer period.

Under the influence of (bright) sunlight, humidity and temperature fluctuations, the teak can and will shrink and / or expand. This typically creates (smaller) cracks in the wood. This is a natural process and is okay. Such cracks and tears can even close again under changing circumstances. If the cracks are experienced as a nuisance, there is of course the possibility to fill them with wood paste. This can be carried out perfectly by the customer himself as part of the normal maintenance of the furniture.

For indoor teak furniture, it is important that a sufficiently high and preferably stable humidity level is maintained. Large fluctuations in temperature and humidity, certainly in the short term, will make the wood “work” strongly and possibly start to show cracks. In other words, maintaining a stable and sufficiently high humidity and temperature in the home is important to enjoy this long-lasting type of wood.