Why Thai Teak Furniture is the Best for Outdoor Living?

premium teak furniture from Thailand

Thai teak furniture is considered to be the highest quality of wood furniture for outdoor use in the world.  Thailand has a very unique climate pattern. The pattern is categorized by two extremes. Summers can be very hot and dry, while the winter months can bring extreme cold to the region. Thailand is also a very mountainous country, and it is not uncommon for the higher altitudes to experience droughts during the extreme summer heat. To sum it up, the area does not receive a lot of rainfall throughout the year.

Quality teakwood can only be found in a few spots worldwide, as explained by Finto Antony, Assistant Research Scientist at Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia:

    “The location and climatic conditions where the tree grows makes a drastic difference    in the proportion and formation of heartwood.  Teak, scientifically known as Tectna grandis Lf., is a tropical hardwood species native to southeast Asia (India, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma).  This species grows in moist tropical climate having rainfall of 1500-2000 mm with a marked 3-5 months dry season.  Though teak can withstand high moisture than above, the quality of wood might be poor (color, texture and density) due to fast growth rate.”

It is important to note that most of the teak furniture in the American marketplace is from countries other than those listed above.

How the Weather Affects Thai Teak Wood

The weather is so extreme and the country is so mountainous that the roots of the teak trees drive through the rocky terrain in order to reach water below the surface. As a result of this phenomenon, Thai teak trees are very resilient and durable. These trees had to become strong to survive, and this is the wood that is used to create Thai teak furniture.

Antony from UGA continues:

“If you have a piece of wood that has leathery odor to it, most probably you are holding a piece of teak wood.  The leathery scent originates from the natural oil content in the wood which attributes to the special properties of teak wood such as low swelling and shrinkage, resistance to mechanical and chemical attacks, natural durability etc.  The natural oil in the wood primarily deposited during the formation of heartwood (dark colored wood formed in the center of tree due to deposition of various extractives) and will be high in oil content compared to sapwood (light colored wood formed outside with less or no extractives).  Heartwood of teak, due to its high oil content, is stronger and more durable than the softwood.  Rotation age is a factor that drives the proportion of heartwood in teak trees and is usually 40-50 years.  It was reported that the heartwood content of a 51-52 year old teak tree was around 77 percent, where as it was only 30 percent for an eight year old tree.  Compared to short-rotation plantation grown teak trees comes fromo other parts of the world, this makes natural grown teak wood more durable and stronger.”

The Benefit of Using Thai Teak Wood for Outdoor Furniture

The reason why Thai teak wood is suitable for outdoor furniture is attributed to the growth process of the teak trees. The harsh climate conditions the trees endure means that the furniture that is created from these trees can also handle some of the worst weather conditions imaginable.

It does not matter whether you live in a desert climate or in a wet and tropical climate, Thai teak furniture will add beauty to your outdoor space and will last for a very long time. Make a statement with this rare and high quality teak furniture in your garden.

Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment to find out more about this amazing and high quality furniture.

Read our other blogs and visit our teak furniture website to learn why teak from Thailand is the best and how not all teak furniture is created equally.

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