Teak Furniture DealYour Ultimate guide to buying teak furniture

Because teak wood is so popular and sometimes hard to find there are many imitations of teak wood out there.  When going to a furniture store it may be very hard to tell if the piece of teak furniture you are about to buy is a quality piece or not.  How do you know a good piece of teak wood furniture?  Here are a few tips to select real quality teak and not be fooled by imitators.

After reading this article you should be well versed with teak wood terms and teak history.  The first thing to do is ask where the piece of furniture came from.  If the piece came from south america or was even made here in the good old U.S.A, make sure the wood is from south east asia or india as this is where real teak wood is available.  The next thing to do is ask the salesperson what the moisture level rating is of the wood. Quality teak has a moisture level of 8-12% where as low quality teak has a much higher moisture level.  With too much moisture in a piece of low quality teak wood it will decay in a very short space of time.  One of the main teak wood imitators is called “sap wood” and contains only a fraction of the amount of natural oil and rubber of real quality teak.  Without these properties sap wood simply does not last and keep an ageless look like real teak wood.

Another easy way to know if you have a real teak piece of furniture is to simply use your eye.  What should you look for?  If the furniture looks natural it most likely is real teak.  What is natural you may ask?  Natural means that the teak furniture should not be stained or look oiled up to give you a different color.  The natural color of teak wood is kind of a graceful silver grey color.  A common method used by manufacturers is to stain the wood to cover up its low quality and poor grade of the teak wood.  If the furniture piece looks un oiled or un stained than you can feel good about it being a real quality piece of teak furniture.

Hopefully by using these tips you will avoid buying poor quality pieces of wood furniture and ensure that only quality pieces of teak wood furniture are purchased.

If you have done any research on teak you have probably come across a common word, “strong.”  Not only is teak strong but it has many properties that naturally repel aging and natural damage and weathering of other furniture pieces made of different woods.  Lets go over some of the unique properties teak wood has that makes it so superior to other furniture woods.

Natural Oils.  Teak produces natural oils and special resins that repel pests such as termites and other wood damaging insects.  This in turn keeps the wood solid and improves it’s strength quality and extends the life of the wood.  Because of these resins it is unnecessary to put a protective chemical finish on the wood like you do with most other wood furniture.

Teak is ageless.  Did you know that teak furniture can last up to and over 100 years?  Teak holds up very well to natural weathering and its resins and oils also prevents rotting.  The really nice thing about teak is that is does not split or warp like other woods do.  Because of this one property, teak was the main building material of ships in the past and is continued being used in modern boats and yachts.

Teak is easy to alter.  Many people like to alter the color of woods.  Teak wood is excellent to stain as it is easy to contract staining color and keep the color for a very long time without fading.  Although teak wood has a very beautiful golden look, you can rest assured that if you want your teak a little more red or darker brown that you can achieve this project with ease.

Teak is easy to clean.  Patio furniture always seems to be the most abused furniture pieces of a home.  When you have yard parties people spill drinks and food all over your patio furniture.  Unlike cloth pieces that never let go of stains, teak is easy to clean.  When a teak piece of furniture needs cleaning one can clean it with these everyday house supplies; hose, mild soap, and a gentle scrub brush.  Just combine the water and soap and use the brush to lightly scrub off the mess.  Simple use the garden hose and spray off the chair and your all done!

To conclude a teak chair can survive years upon years of frequent use without any special care.  This alone makes teak wood furniture one of the most sought after types of furniture in the world!