Indonesian Teak Furniture – A Brief Description of Teak Wood and Furniture

Teak furniture is highly sought after all over the world, not only because of their durability and longevity, but also because of their elegance, finesse and grandeur. Teak wood harvested from Indonesia is very popular because it is considered to be of the highest quality. Teak wood is a special kind of wood that is quite easy to work upon. It can be carved into different shapes quite easily, and is generally used for flooring (both indoor and outdoor), making furniture, table-tops, etc. The wood has many oils in it, making it naturally resistant to attack by termites and exposure to the elements for long periods of time. The wood is also exceptionally resistant to decay.

Teak wood has a lot of silica in it, as a result of which cutting instruments used to work on it become blunt very quickly. Teak trees are generally grown in large plantations controlled by the forest departments of many countries, and especially in Indonesia. Indonesian teak is used mainly for the manufacture of furniture, which is exported to all parts of the world. Teak wood can be used once the tree has reached maturity. Wood from young trees is of poor quality, and is not used for making floors or heavy furniture. Sometimes, it is used for making window and door frames after being treated with certain substances. It was initially thought that wood from old Teak trees was of better quality than wood from plantation trees, but this myth has now been disproved.

Teak wood is consumed in large quantities, and is therefore an environmental concern. Many species of animals depend on the Teak tree for survival, and the tree is considered a keystone species. This means that if the tree were to disappear, several other species of animals would become extinct. The Philippine Teak of Burma is highly endangered, owing to the fact that it has been extensively harvested for manufacture and exports. The tree grows to heights of up to 40 meters, and propagates through seeds. Leaves of the tree are used to make a special food item, commonly made in South India, Bangladesh, Thailand, China and the Philippines.

Indonesia Outdoor Furniture by Charlie Walters