Go window shopping for furniture and you’ll come across teak wood in good time. Unlike other furniture, this particular one screams “TEAK” in bold characters on its label. Proudly. “TEAK” might even be on the storefront banner outside. It’s also a lot pricier than the other furniture.
Teak is synonymous with top-class furniture and interior design. But why’s it so popular anyway? We got you.
Here’s a list of pros and cons about Teak wood furniture to help you learn more about this iconic wood type.
1. Natural beauty
Teak is naturally beautiful, with straight grain patterns and golden brown tones. Depending on how much time its spent in direct contact with the sun, these colours may evolve over time to a silvery grey. Because of its natural beauty, there’s no need to stain the wood with finishing as all you’re doing is masking its natural colours.
2. Super strength and durability
One of the biggest reasons why Teak is so popular is its durability. It’s not just a strong hardwood – it’s actually mind-blowing how strong it is. Like your-tools-may-break strong. Like specialized-equipment-only strong.
Teak is heavy and dense. It’s Janka scale is around 1,155lbf, which makes it one of the toughest hardwoods available in the market. This means it can withstand your typical knocks and scratches from daily use.
3. Teak is water resistant
Hardwood furniture’s biggest kryptonite is moisture. That is, moisture from rain or humidity. Wood is organic. It’s porous. It absorbs moisture, which may lead to a host of problems from rotting to warping and cracking. Most modern wood furniture is treated to improve its resistance to moisture. But not Teak wood.
You see, Teak has a particular superpower – it’s water resistant. Natural oils and dense grain makes Teak resistant to moisture. That’s why it’s such a popular outdoor furniture. But outdoor furniture is just the tip of the iceberg.
Back in the day, Teak was a popular material to build boats. Just imagine the violent forces of the open sea – huge crashing waves, strong winds, corrosive salt water, and large swings in temperature. Teak’s water resistant superpower sure came in handy, but it was also dense, super durable, and it wasn’t prone to too much shrinkage, making it perfect for boat-making.
4. Teak is resistant to fungus and pests
There’s also the risk that wood furniture may experience rotting or insect damage (e.g. termites). Again, modern furniture gets additional treatment to improve its resilience against these elements, but not Teak wood. No sir.
The natural oils in Teak makes it resistant to fungus and pests like termites and other bugs. In fact, Teak produces an odour that termites hate.
5. Low maintenance
You won’t believe how easy it is to maintain Teak wood. Due to its natural resistance to almost everything that troubles your average wood furniture, Teak requires little to no maintenance. If it’s meant to survive in the ocean, you bet it can survive in your living room. The only thing we’d prescribe for Teak wood maintenance is to dust it every once in a while to remove dust particles. If left unchecked, these tiny particles may leave microscratches that may ruin the aesthetic of your Teak furniture.
6. Teak (almost) lasts forever
A typical Teak wood furniture lasts for about 80-100 years, and if it’s well-maintained, it’ll last even longer. Indeed, archeologists found 2,000-year-old tools and objects made with Teak still perfectly intact in caves.
This also means that every Teak furniture you own is here to stay for the long haul. Teak is famous for being family heirlooms, being passed down from generation to generation.
7. The only con we could think of – Teak is pricey $$$$$$$$
There’s a general shortage of Teak wood around the world. Teak grows very slowly. Because of its super strength, it’s also harder to harvest. Despite this shortage, there’s high demand for Teak precisely because of all the benefits mentioned above.
That’s why Teak is much more expensive than your average furniture. But you could think about it this way: you probably won’t have to replace it or maintain it much, and even if you had to sell it, you’ll still get good value even after a couple decades.
Wood shopping can be a very personal experience. The more you delve in, the more you find yourself geeking out over something that speaks to your soul – a great origin story, strong characteristics, and incredibly gorgeous patterns. Teak is one such wood that ticks all the boxes. It has all the right attributes, looks great, and it’ll last you a lifetime.
Speak to our wood experts if you’d like some help learning about our slab selection.