If you’re asking your friends for advice about buying high-quality and beautiful outdoor furniture, one little four-letter word is likely to keep cropping up – teak.
Sure, if you stroll through a showroom and ask to be shown the best teak products, there’s no way you can’t be struck by the aesthetic beauty and effortless elegance of teak wood.
But what you’ll also notice is that teak furniture also comes with a price tag. So is teak outdoor furniture really worth the spend?
We say yes. And here’s why:
1. The history
Teak comes from the Tectona grandis tree, and ever since it was discovered in the tropics centuries ago, it has been selected by those with extra pennies to spend on their elegant furniture and lifestyle.
2. The quality
The Dutch were among the first to realise just how good teak is, exporting it from Indonesia to build sturdy exploring ships that don’t rot in the water.
3. The durability
A quality wood that can make sturdy ships will also make quality furniture. Teak is among the only woods on earth that contains an oil that naturally resists warping, degrading or cracking when exposed to weather and water. And that’s exactly what you need for quality outdoor furniture that lasts.
4. The sustainability
It is a sustainability industry, governments – like Indonesia’s – ensure that when a tree is felled in the teak plantations, another is planted in its place.
And reclaimed teak is also now widespread, which means that when an old teak structure is torn down, a new crop of sustainable furniture can get a new lease of life.
5. The outdoors
It’s not just rain, cold and heat that teak furniture will resist. The same natural qualities that keep out the effects of bad weather also guard teak furniture against termites and other pests.
Why buy teak? Some will tell you it’s because they bought quality teak once and never thought about outdoor furniture again. That’s because you don’t need to protect it with paint or varnish, any fading effect will be consistent and actually beautiful, and because it will last forever. Indeed, if you wander old England long enough, you’ll soon be resting your tired legs thanks to a hundred year old park bench that was once a grand teak ship.