Teak wood for outdoor furniture

Teak wood (Tectona grandis) is expensive wood, but it has very good quality. It can be used for many purposes in the woodworking industry. In the furniture industry, teak wood is most used as a substrate for outdoor furniture. It is durable, strong, and easy to be machined, drilled, and handled in the woodworking. With proper treatment, it can produce furniture with very good performance. Various types of outdoor furniture, such as chairs, garden tables, and benches, can be made with teak wood and marketed at a high price. The teak wood furniture is well known as a premium product with excellent quality. Teak wood has a beautiful grain pattern. It has a light brown base color, which is liked by many people. The teak wood also contains oils inside that preserve it from the insect attack. The teak wood actually is available in several quality grades. The A-grade teak, which is the most expensive, is the wood with no knot, no defect, uniform color, and regular grain pattern. The cheaper grade is the wood with some knots, defects, or uneven color.

Teak wood round table

In Indonesia, the teak wood with the best quality is produced by PT Perhutani, the teak plantation company owned by the Indonesian government. PT Perhutani, which has been planting teak since hundreds of years ago, is a well-organized teak plantation. It has the knowledge, technology, and experience to produce teak wood with the best quality. The teak wood can also be obtained from the resident plantation. There are many people in Java and Sumatra who plant the teak wood on their own land. The teak from the resident plantation usually has a cheaper price, but the quality is not as good as the teak wood from PT Perhutani.

Teak wood square table

Finishing teak outdoor furniture. 

Most of the teak outdoor furniture is marketed in unfinished condition. This wood has a golden brown base color with a very nice-looking grain pattern. Naturally, the unfinished wood has already given a nice, elegant-looking furniture product. The improper finish even may ruin the beauty of the wood. The recommended finishing to the teak wood is the transparent color finish or wood color finish. Avoid too thick a film layer since it may be against its natural beauty. For the outdoor furniture, then you have to use the finishing materials that are designed for outdoor uses. Spar varnish, teak oil finish, and PU outdoor or outdoor water-based paint are the proper materials to finish the teak wood furniture.

Paint finish or solid color should be avoided, as well as the wash finish. The teak oil inside the wood will come out and interfere with the color and appearance of the finish. The oil finish is also good for the teak wood. It is simple and be able to produce a beautiful and naturally wood look. If you want a more complicated finish, then you have to use the special pigment and clear coating for outdoor uses. Spar varnish, outdoor PU, or outdoor water-based coating are recommended to finish the teak outdoor furniture.

teak wood sitting chair

The wood moisture content.

As the other wood product, the teak wood has to meet the moisture standard of wood products. The wet wood is high-risk for many problems, such as fungi, cracks, or other construction problems. The wet wood also makes the oil problem worse. 

The drying process for the teak wood is quite difficult. It needs quite a long time and good control. Too fast drying could change the base color of the wood and ruin the appearance of the wood.

 teak wood bar chair