Is It Really Teak Wood? What’s the Difference? (Part Two)
This is a continuation of my last article to complete our look at “Is it real Teak? How can I tell the difference?”
We all want to pay as little as possible for the best product we can buy. The challenge is to know what it is you are actually purchasing. You don’t want to be let down when you find out later you did not really get what you thought you were buying do you?
When it comes to outdoor furniture, Teak wood is “the standard” that all other woods are compared to. Because if you have Teak wood outdoor furniture, there is very little you will need to do to keep it ready for your summer gatherings. Teak also will stand up to the weather well and last 75-100 years even left outdoors. It is because of this that it is in such high demand. But consumers want to purchase this best quality product for less money. That is why marketers try to get the buyer to perceive they are getting something better for less money so the buyer tends to jump on it. And therein lays the problem: Perception.
There is outdoor wood furniture being advertised as teak like, better than teak, or stronger than teak for a fraction of the cost. When you look further into the advertisements, you find the product to be made of woods like Shorea or Eucalyptus. But is this wood as good as or better than teak? No. Does this wood weather the elements year in and year out like Teak? No. Do you do very little to maintain it like you do Teak? No.
Here is a look at Shorea wood.
Wikipedia defines Shorea wood: Shorea is a genus of 360 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. They are native to Southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malesia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Shorea wood is being marketed by some as being a closely related cousin to Teak. Yet Teak is Tectona Grandis: It is in a completely different family of trees. And because there are more than 360 species of trees that make up Shorea, some being ok and some being not so good, there is little way of telling which type you are really getting that “good deal” on.
Here are some common names being used by marketers to be “like Teak”, but are really Shorea: Balau. This is a heavy hardwood. Almon. Also known as white luan. White Meranti. This is a light hardwood. Dark Red Meranti. This is also a light hardwood. Yellow Meranti. This is also a light hardwood. Each of these comes in several different species of Shorea genus and we can go on and on. After all, there are up to 360 different species of Shorea genus to go through.
These are beautiful woods that can be used for indoor furniture as well as decorative artifacts, doors, drawers, joints and even outdoor furniture. But let us not be confused: they are not Teak wood. And the fact that marketers are trying to pass them off as Teak tells us squarely: Teak is still the best. Teak is still the wood that all others try to compare to.
Now let us look at the Eucalyptus Genus.
There are over 300 species of Eucalyptus genus. This is a very fine wood that has been put to many good uses through the years. People have used it for things like windbreaks, fuel, building supplies, and even food sources in some countries. This wood though needs to be seasoned properly prior to manufacturing otherwise it will split, crack and chip. Because it holds such a large volume of water in order to sustain its very fast growth, it is reported to shrink as much as 34% when kiln dried.
When doing research on Eucalyptus, here is what one company had to say: “When finished with a high quality penetrating oil, mixed with the stain of your choice, Eucalyptus takes on a teak-like appearance. Teak once again is being used as the standard. But to maintain a new look the buyer will need to occasionally clean and reseal the furniture. This furniture can be painted as well”.
When you are shopping for outdoor furniture this year, make sure you know the type of wood you are purchasing. Don’t be fooled. Read the fine print. If you are looking to purchase outdoor furniture that has the natural beauty of Teak, the ability for your furniture to weather the elements including termites, beetles, fungus, and wood rot. Make sure you buy genuine Teak wood. Don’t be fooled by manufactures and marketers offering alternative wood outdoor furniture at attractive prices. Teak may cost a little more but it is worth it. Nothing else has the staying power and beauty of Teak wood outdoor furniture.
Remember, Knowledge is power. Let the buyer beware!
Continually developing “ideas for outdoor living”
November 8th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
This is a reall big problem isn’t it.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Took me ages to find this post, this time I’ll bookmark it.
April 3rd, 2010 at 11:50 am
[...] garden furniture? If you are, you will find that you have a number of different options. Lawn andIs It Really Teak Wood? What's the Difference? (Part Two …This is a continuation of my last article to complete our look at Is it real Teak? How can I tell [...]
June 7th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
This really is what I have been finding all day. I should have found your blog post faster.
July 3rd, 2010 at 10:00 pm
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