There are many reasons that teak is treasured as a hardwood for furniture, indoors and out. The grain is dense, giving it both a beautiful appearance and extremely high quality. Teak's strength has been known for centuries, and was often used as a primary material in shipbuilding because of its unique and long lasting quality. This quality comes from the grain, strength, and unique oils which are naturally inside the teak wood itself.

Benefits of the dense grain of teak

The dense grain develops as the tree grows, taking as long as one hundred years to mature fully. The dense grain gives the wood its strength as well as makes teak a wood that does not splinter. The fact that wood does not splinter makes it very attractive as chairs and benches, for there is no worry of getting splinters in one's dignity when sitting on a bench or chaise lounge!

Special qualities of natural teak oils to the wood

The oils that are infused into the teak as it matures give teak some qualities which are unique to teak as compared to other woods. The oils help prevent the wood from rotting and aid in becoming insect resistant, without needing to add any additional materials to the wood. Teak, when coming into contact with metal, will not promote rust as many other woods do.

Maintaining your outdoor furniture

The natural teak oils also make teak a wood that is completely maintenance free, even when teak patio furniture is left outdoors throughout the year, and even in the harshest climates. These oils can help to preserve the wood, even after harvesting. Fresh teak is a light honey shade of brown and will change color as it ages, depending on whether it is kept indoors or out and whether or not it is oiled.

Teak that is not treated with teak oil (initially as well as a bi-annual application of teak oil) will develop a lovely patina, changing into a soft silvery gray color. This shade is one that many teak owners prefer because of the aesthetic shade and its blending into natural surroundings, and the maintenance free natural patina of the wood. After the patina develops, the wood remains durable, splinter free, and rot and insect resistant.

On the other hand, some furniture owners love the honey shade of teak and want to maintain this coloring for their outdoor furniture. Rather than leave this special wood furniture to develop the patina, they apply a special oil to their furniture twice per year and it maintains the beauty of the light brown shade for as long as the regular application of oil is continued.