Is teak wood furniture heavy

The teak wood is known for its excellent presentation of antiqueness, resulting in a vintage aspect in modern household furniture. Teak wood furniture not only provides a beautiful beauty to our household, but with the weather resistance and excellent durability, it transmits a great sensation of peace in our outdoors.

Teak has been a top choice for wooden cottages to a contemporary look, with its roots in the soil, since it has a distinctive style unique to each home today. Since teak wood is highly priced, a question arises, is teak wood furniture heavy?

Is teak wood furniture heavy

To answer that question, let’s take a look at the details below.

Is teak wood furniture heavy

CNC Machine For Wood|| Wood CNC Machine for Beginners|| Large CNG Machine for Wood Cut

Teak wood comes in a variety of grades, each possessing a different quality. The heartwood of the teak tree comes from the core, whereas sapwood comes from the perimeter of the tree.

The inner layers of the teak tree retain more oil and rubber than the outer layers, giving teak wood a unique feel. This is why teak is a highly thick wood, which makes it a good choice for furniture. As a result, teak furniture is hefty and durable.

Real teak wood is thick and hefty so if you want to check whether the furniture you bought is real or not, simply weigh it and feel the thickness. Note that Fibrous, delicate and light materials are not likely to be teak.

Is teak an expensive wood

In Myanmar, teak wood (Tectonagrandis) is native (formerly Burma). The original teak is still known as “Burma teak” and is largely sourced from Myanmar. As of today, teak wood is imported from a variety of South-East Asian nations including Malaysia, Burma, Indonesia, and India.

Teak is one of the most sought-after woods. Large circular stems with broad leaves and short twigs allow this tree to reach a height of up to 35 m. Due to its exceptional quality in all-weather situations, this wood is selected as the best one for furniture however, it takes a lot of time to grow.

For example, Burma teak was originally brought to Malaysia in 1915 on the island of Pulau Langkawi in Kedah and since then, it’s being cultivated.

It’s a very exotic tree to the people of Malaysia and has been recognized as a commercially viable wood species for them. A relatively hard material that is easy to work with and long-lasting Wood from Malaysia lends itself to simple and sophisticated designs that fit in gently with the surrounding architecture and interiors because of its natural look and feel.

However, the strong market demand and dwindling supply of this tree cause the price of wood to always rise with each passing year.

Why is teak wood so expensive

Why is Teak Wood Valuable? - LaQua Plantations

Teak has always been a wood used by the royals and elites in the past. As per its history, teak became popular among the rich, it gained a reputation as a sturdy material for furniture and building houses in the 7th century. While in Indonesia, the Dutch helped promote this type of wood. They used it to build ships because of its resistance to decay.

Teak was also utilized by the Chinese during the Ming Dynasty around 600 years ago, and teak was used to build ships.

As a result of their efforts, they managed to round the globe numerous times! The durability of teak made it the favored material for Chinese shipbuilders.

In today’s times, teak is also a remarkable wood that can make furniture last a lot longer than any other piece of furniture made of wood. However, because of its slow development, teak wood is highly costly and can only be harvested at 20 years’ time frame.

Another reason is the dramatic drop in teak logging since the implementation of government regulations in Myanmar and other teak-producing countries. Due to its scarcity, this wood has grown costly.

Currently, the wood is rare and that’s exactly why its price keeps growing with each passing year. Even if the government takes action in the plantation of its seeds, it still will take at least 20-25 years just to fully grow. That’s why this wood is highly expensive.

Is teak wood resistant to termites

Often at times, people wonder if the quality of teak is so durable and long-lasting, and if the wood is so expensive, does it also make it termite resistant. Well, the answer is not a simple “yes” or “no”, as there are many things to understand here. You see, termites tend to target the sapwood rather than the heartwood of teak but that’s not a problem, because most of the furniture is made of the heartwood of the teak, which of course termites hate to eat.

However, if you want, there are several steps you can take to protect your teak furniture against termites but honestly speaking, termites do hate teak wood.

According to the study conducted regarding the kind of wood, termites prefer. Researchers found that consuming teak had a greater death rate than if they had no access to any kind of timber whatsoever.

Therefore, teak kill’s termites more than it merely resists them. As far as termite protection goes, you can’t do much better than that! The reason is the natural oils inside the teak wood, which act as termite killers. Those oils are like poison to termites, resulting in their death.

Can teak furniture get wet

Another great benefit of investing in teak wood is that it’s great in every weather condition (even on rainy days).

However, it does get wet but what happens is that when the wood is exposed to rain or simply dew, the threads on the surface expand and rise but after a few months when the grain lift subsidies, the surface becomes smooth again. So it’s back to being as good as new. Also, a certain type of teak wood (e.g. Type A) is great as outdoor furniture, since the teak oil makes it waterproof and impervious to termites, making it a perfect choice.

Because of this, it can endure rain, wind, and sun. Due to its high natural oil content, grade A teak wood is protected against water damage.

Teak wood furniture may be left outside in the rain and snow without rotting. Teak wood’s water resistance is also why it’s utilized for boat decks and shower furnishings.

Which teak wood is good for furniture

How to pick, and take care of high-quality teak

Honestly speaking, there are so many types of teak woods available in the market and each one of them possesses unique abilities to last longer, and offer great results. Teak wood is imported from many countries and the topmost famous countries are Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa, and India.

However, the best teak wood ever selected for furniture making till now is Burma teak wood. Teak wood from the Burma region of Southeast Asia is one of the most expensive and long-lasting solid ones in the country.

An old-growth tree endemic to Burma and Myanmar, Burma teak wood is a hardwood. A hardwood tree is always known to be the best ever tree for the development of furniture which could last longer.

For the Burma tree, there is a 50-year growth cycle in total, which means this tree takes the longest to grow and is the most expensive one in the world. It’s considered the highest grade teak wood to ever exist.

A golden brown hue, beautifully dispersed grains and a high concentration of teak natural oils characterize this teak wood. Among all teak wood types, this one is the most durable.

How to identify teak wood furniture

Was it Teak or Mahogany?

A teak tree’s sapwood is white, whereas the heartwood is yellowish or bronze in color. However, the grain can occasionally be wavy, which is more typical in Indian teak trees. When it comes to teak wood, its color varies based on where it originates from and what type of tree it is.

Teak’s grains are frequently the product of simple stitching, which results in lovely, lengthy grains. Along with the brown texture, check for the long or straight grain pattern to distinguish teak from other similar-colored timbers.

Does teak wood crack

The natural material, Teak wood settles and ages after being cut, sawed and kiln-dried before being made into outdoor furniture, which takes a lot of time, to be honest. This settling may cause some cracking on the table’s edges, but this is quite normal.

Teak furniture is prone to cracking owing to varying weather conditions in different locations. Due to abrupt changes in the weather, teak wood grinning begin to open quickly, and tiny cracks appear on the exposed surface.

I think it’s perfectly natural. Take care of minor cracks on time if in case you don’t want those cracks to enlarge with a passage of time.

How to repair cracks in teak furniture

Every now and then, people make complaints regarding teak furniture that has little cracks showing up. In the first 2 to 4 months or after the winter/rainy season finishes, the cracks begin occurring. Teak furniture is prone to cracking owing to varying weather conditions in different locations.

Due to abrupt changes in the weather, teak wood grinning begin to open quickly, and tiny cracks appear on the exposed surface. It’s quite natural. They usually close by themselves, but some cracks get more and bigger, which might cause problems with the furniture.

  1. To fill up those cracks, take a small amount of the putty and squeeze or shovel it onto one of your fingers.
  2. As you move your finger along the crack, rub it in. If required, use toothpicks to push the putty into the crack until it reaches the bottom.
  3. Add layers of putty and press them down until the crack is entirely filled in, then repeat the process.
  4. Afterward, leave it to dry.
  5. Once dried, use sandpaper to even and then paint it with whatever color it previously was and you’re done.

How to clean teak wood furniture

How To Clean Teak Furniture

Which is better teak or oak

Generally speaking, Oak is a great wood type, but Teak is the best if you’re going for quality and long-lasting results. Outdoor furniture makers use teak because it is one of the strongest and toughest hardwoods available.

Oak is not as hard as teak, therefore dents, scratches, and abrasion are possible. The wood is still robust, though, and will survive for some years if properly maintained.

Conclusion

Teak wood is highly prized in tropical climates because of its exceptional durability. Good-quality teak beams may be discovered in buildings dating back hundreds of years in India and Myanmar, and teak beams have been used in palaces and temples for more than 1,000 years. Undercover, the wood is almost indestructible.

So if you’re someone living in Malaysia and looking for the best quality and durability in wood furniture, I’ll suggest going for the teak tree as it’s perfect for tackling Malaysia’s weather conditions.

Curious to know is gmelina wood good for furniture or is acacia wood furniture heavy?

CONTACT HONG
CONTACT CHUAH