Teak wood: characteristics, uses, finishing variants

It all started with a request from Rodica Radu from Râșnov. The lady bought an old teak table although it had a dark color that she didn't like, thinking that she would change its color. In the meantime, she found out that teak wood naturally contains oils, which makes paints and varnishes less adhesive. She decided to ask us for help, but the solution we suggested at the time turned out to be the wrong one. I knew about teak that it is rich in oils and for this reason it is very suitable for outdoor furniture, but for indoor furniture I was not familiar with it. As a result, I started my research trying to find out how to finish this exotic wood and thus be able to offer the support I requested. I found a solution, even two, but first let me tell you about teak.

Area of origin and tree characteristics

Let's first clarify the name. In Romanian it is called teakwood, according to the DEX. But there are many people who write teak, so it's a good idea to include this name in your searches. You will find many Romanian sources where teak is mentioned. In our country the English version - teak - is less often used, but if you decide to search for information on foreign sites, you should use this name.

The teak's scientific name is Tectona Grandis and is also known as Burmese Teack. It is native to south and south-east Asia, i.e. India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia. Myanmar is home to almost half of the world's natural teak forests.

After the value of this wood was discovered by the Dutch, teak forests were intensively exploited, as was the case with other exotic wood species. Fortunately, teak is now also being cultivated in other areas - Africa, Latin America - and the forests in the countries of origin are now state-owned.

Teak is a tropical hardwood that belongs to the hardwood category. Trees can reach 30-40 m in height and 1-1.5 m in diameter. Quality wood comes from trees that are between 40 and 80 years old, so it's no wonder why it's an expensive wood.

Teak wood

In cross-section you can clearly see the demarcation between sapwood and heartwood. The sapwood is whitish to very pale yellow-brown, while the heartwood is yellow-brown and darkens in color as the tree 'ages'.

The fiber is straight, sometimes wavy or twisted. The texture is coarse, uneven with a moderate natural gloss. Unfinished wood has a greasy, slightly oily appearance due to the high natural oil content.

It has conspicuous and distinct annual rings and can form interesting designs depending on the cut. The pores are round or semi-round, large and rarer in the earlywood zone, medium and rarer in the latewood zone. The medullary rays are visible to the naked eye.

When cut, teak gives off a slight leathery odor.

Main characteristics of teak wood

Teak is very hard and durable. Its high oil content makes it very suitable for outdoor use as it becomes water resistant, rot resistant and resistant to insect attack, even termites. It is considered the most rot-resistant wood. Outdoors it can also be used unfinished, but over time it changes color to a silvery gray.

Although it's not a hard working wood it sometimes manages to chip cutting blades. This happens because of the silica (silicon oxide) content. But this content also has a good side as it greatly increases its fire resistance.

It does not crack or twist when dry. Due to these qualities it performs very well in areas with large variations in humidity. Before being cut into planks it is left to dry for 2 years in log form.

Uses of teak

These special characteristics have been discovered since ancient times, with teak being used for boat building as far back as 2000 years ago. It continues to be used today for boat building or for covering decks and making furniture inside luxury boats.

It is used in the manufacture of garden furniture, around swimming pools, decks or garden landscaping where humidity is high.

It is used to make furniture (very suitable for the one in the bathroom) floors, for carved or turned objects, the manufacture of veneer or decorative objects. In the countries of origin it is also used to make doors and windows or of the resistance structures and roofing for houses.

Teak furniture for interior

For a long time wood was considered to be more suitable for garden furniture because of its properties. In the 1950s and 1960s teak furniture became very popular and was called Danish Modern. At that time everyone wanted a piece of teak furniture in their home. In the meantime the fashion has faded, but the value of that teak furniture has not diminished; on the contrary, it has become more and more valuable.

Experts believe teak furniture has a number of qualities that makes it truly special:

• the natural beauty of design and color;
• hardness;
• resistance to insects (termites, termites, cockroaches);
• resistance to fungi and mold;
• natural oil impregnation with the best rot resistance;
• very good moisture resistance;
• burning resistance.

When manufacturing furniture, problems of sticking may occur due to the oil contained. For this reason it is recommended to wipe the area to be glued with thinner. To increase adhesion, the same is recommended for the finish.

Maintenance of teak furniture

Teak furniture is usually finished with oil. The most commonly used are flax and tung oil. Note that commercial teak oil is not extracted from teak wood. No oil of any kind is extracted from teak wood and the reference to teak wood is related to the color of the oil or impregnant. Usually that oil is a mixture of several oils, predominantly linseed.

Over time the oil applied to the wood disappears and the surface wood changes color or stains. Sanding is necessary to remove the oxidized surface layer and get to sound wood. The wood is then sanded. To avoid staining, it is best to refinish furniture every 2-3 years.

As far as painting teak is concerned, it is not recommended because of its high oil content, which reduces the adhesion of the paint to the substrate.

Solutions for staining teak wood

As the finish is done with oil, colored oil can be applied to the furniture. The oil is colored with mineral pigments. The operation requires labor and care. The powdered pigment is soaked in a small amount of oil and rubbed until it becomes a homogeneous paste. To make sure there are no lumps, it is recommended to mix on a flat surface, not in a glass (directly on a stainless steel or glass table). After homogenizing, dilute with oil to the desired intensity. Before application, sand the surface and wipe it with thinner.

Another solution is to use alkyd (oil-based) paints. Furniture is prepared beforehand as above. It is best to dilute the paint with white spirit or turpentine to penetrate more deeply into the wood.

To those who want to start such a project, I wish success, and I thank Rodica Radu for her inspiration.