Teak Furniture An Enduring And Beautiful Choice
A hardwood variety like no other, teak wood has been used for centuries. A tightly grained wood, teak grows wild primarily in India and Indonesia. The worldwide demand for teak has created a growing business in the cultivation of teak trees. Large plantations have sprung up where teak is grown entirely for harvesting.
Teak has physical properties that make it among the most popular of all the hardwoods. The hardness of teak makes it an easy wood to machine and finish. In addition to its tight grain pattern, the composition of the wood has other important advantages. The naturally occurring oils present in the wood gives teak the ability to withstand exposure to moisture. These properties make teak wood an excellent choice for outdoor and patio furniture.
Teak has been used for hundreds of years in shipbuilding. As late as the mid twentieth century, the decks of some of the worlds great ships were made of teak. The famous battleship, the USS Arizona, among many others, had teak wood decks. Sailors were assigned on an almost daily basis, to scrub and maintain the deck. Part of the work included the process of stoning the deck.
Holystoning, as it was referred in the old rocks and shoals British Navy, would require a piece of sandstone, rubbed briskly along the deck parallel with the grain. In the days of sail, a deck hand might do the work on his hands and knees. Other stone types might be used in conjunction with sand. The process of stoning would prevent the grain of the wood from raising or fraying. Though the use of teal oil is recommended by some, most shipboard teak decking was left to dry after being rinsed off.
Today teak is still used as a deck surface for boats and ships, though not necessarily for the same purpose. The days of the great wooden sailing ships, teak was the first and only choice for use in decks. Steel decks would not start appearing until the days of steam ships. Teak was often placed over a steel deck as a way to reduce the absorption of heat from the sun. Early steel hulled ships did not have air conditioning below the weather decks and a layer of teak wood would act to reflect the heat of the sun.
On small boats and pleasure craft, teak is still used for decorative trim and in applications where metal is not very practical. It is common to treat teak with teak oil or other coating. This is done mostly for aesthetic reasons. The application of teak oil and other finishes help to reduce the amount of maintenance while imparting a beauty glow to the wood. Left unfinished, teak wood will turn to the color of grey ash, not unlike unfinished cedar.
There is a limited amount of naturally grown teak in the world. Burma, Laos, Thailand, and India account for virtually all of the natural teak. The demand for teak has caused prices to rise. Because of the growing demand for teak worldwide, there are attempts to grow teak trees elsewhere, especially South America. There is some disagreement over whether plantation grown teak wood has the same qualities as trees growing and harvested in the wild. With many species of plantation grown plants, attempts sometimes made to speed up the maturation process. Fooling with Mother Nature is not always advisable.
Teak wood is an excellent choice for any type of furniture application. Outdoor and patio furniture makers often opt for teak over other wood species such as cedar. The natural beauties of teak wood combined with its other unique properties make it a perfect material for outdoor furniture. Whether the wood is left to age naturally of is finished with oils or stains, teak furniture is renewable. With proper care, teak furniture can last a lifetime.
Mitch Endick is a staff writer for the internet shopping site http://www.finewebstores.com. Fine Web Stores offers an eclectic collection of unique home furnishings, teak furniture, accent furniture and jewelry. http://www.finewebstores.com/Teak-Furniture_c_216.html
Related Articles:
Teak Patio Furniture Is The Perfect Choice For Your Terrace
You have spent hours of time and quite a lot of money on getting your back yard just right. The trees are lush and green, the flowers are blooming and everything looks beautiful.
Shabby Chic D?cor ? Where Do You Find Shabby Chic D?cor and Furniture?Customer Feedback
Shabby chic d?cor is a decorating style that combines beautiful, elegant items with those that are aged and worn. Shabby chic furniture and accessories are reminiscent of the 1900 to 1950 eras. When Grandmother decorated her home she didn?t buy new furnishings, she used hand-me-downs and made accent pieces by hand.
Dinettes and More, LLC Takes a Larger Furniture Showroom & Warehouse and Expands its Online Furniture Sales
Dinettes and More, of High Point, North Carolina, is growing at a time when most area furniture companies are struggling to stay in business. Dinettes and More's secret? Good prices on high quality furniture with customer service that can't be beat.
Boost Your Businesses Productivity With The Proper Office Furniture
Believe it or not there are some people who think that all you need in the way of office furniture is a desk and a chair. Oh, that it were that simple. If all you had in your office was a desk and a chair, your desk would be so cramped and crowded that you would never get anything done! This is an article on how to boost your business productivity with the proper office furniture.
Knowledge Nuggets about Office Systems Furniture
Modular office systems furniture dates from 1968 when designer Robert Propst , dubbed the man behind the cubicle in the November 1998 issue of Metropolis, invented a counterpoint to the sixties era offices huge, open spaces filled with rows of desks and chairs and surrounded by closed-in rooms.
Cabinets Should Complement Your Furniture
Many people choose to update their cabinets when going in for a home improvement project. There are several considerations when it comes to the designs that are most appropriate for your project. As an integral part of the room makeup, any furniture must serve the dual purpose of function and decoration. Factors that play into the decision making process include the material to be used in the construction of the cabinets, your own personal style and the decor of the rest of the room, and the upgrading.
Crazy and Colorful New Kids Furniture Collections Available at Best Priced Furniture
Best Priced Furniture introduces the SKETCHoRAMA and SWITCHAroo kid's furniture series from Powell Company.
HomePlace Group Introduces New Sleep Lab Adjustable Bed™ Models at Furniture Market
Homeplace Group, a leading innovator in adjustable beds, introduces new sleep lab bed models at Furniture Market in High Point. The Sleep Lab Adjustable Bed™ is available now as 3 distinct models to meet the needs of Sleep Labs in North America. Because these beds are designed to not look like hospital bed fortresses, they can be part of the home-like decor to soothe your clients' senses. And because of forward thinking designs, these adjustable beds are well suited for home use as well.
Cast Aluminum Furniture
In days gone by, outdoor furniture was cast from iron. Today, cast aluminum furniture is used more often.
How To Find Discount Patio Furniture
Teak wood patio furniture is renowned for its beauty and elegance. For many people, teak furniture transforms their outdoor patio in to a lavish getaway. Teak wood has qualities that are unlike any other wood. It is dense, rich in oil, almost immune to splitting, buckling, and rotting, thus making it termite proof. Teak wood has been prized for centuries as one of the worlds most durable and stable woods for outdoor usage. For centuries, teak wood has been used for shipbuilding because of its durability. When amortized over the years, taking into consideration its quality and durability, teak wood is truly a worthwhile investment.
Interior Design Trends & Autumn Furniture Fashions
As the last rays of this year's dismal summer fade into the new autumn season, interiors will be themed around contrasts of materials, colours and textures. Linda Hindle, Granddaughter of Plumbs founder Thomas Plumb explains how to create this autumn's hottest looks in your home?
Tips for Furniture Cleaning and Care
Beautiful house is of no use until there are nice and suitable furniture. House without proper furniture is of no use, it will remain just four walls. It is the furniture which adds beauty to the house. Proper furniture is a must. It's better to know the dimensions of a room before buying any furniture. Furniture should be according to the rooms. Large furniture should be avoided. One should preferably purchase furniture that are easy to maintain, as cleaning of furniture is needed regularly. However, once in a week or at least month they should be placed in sunlight.
Understanding The Right Systems Furniture Configuration For Your Company
While a facility, on its own, cant make a firm successful, a short sighted or unhealthy work environment can hinder productivity. Systems furniture was introduced to give corporations the ability to positively impact their productivity and profitability through the use of well designed products that successfully target office planning issues.
Antique Wood Furniture Still In Demand?
There is a great variety of antique wood furniture at my grandparents house. Much of it is actually in very good shape although some of it shows its age. This furniture has been around for as long as I can remember, and has weathered three children and ten grandchildren. Because it was very well made and was meant to last, it's stood up rather well. There are many things you can do to save it even though not all antique wood furniture this age look good.
Canadian Dollar Means Price Drop for Online Furniture Store
Wholesale Furniture Brokers has announced a price decrease on their Canadian website in response to the appreciation of the Loonie. Online furniture shoppers will find a 5 - 10% price decrease on bedroom (http://www.gowfb.ca/Bedroom-Furniture-c-1.php?cPath=1), dining (http://www.gowfb.ca/Dining-Room-Furniture-c-9.php?cPath=9), and living room (http://www.gowfb.ca/Living-Room-Furniture-c...