What is teak wood?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Tropical hardwood · from our workshopTeak wood
Anyone who has seen a teak table after ten years outdoors understands why this wood has been the benchmark for centuries. No paint, no protective coating, no rot.
- Tectona grandis
- Durability class 1 · 25+ years
- The oil is in the wood itself
Teak treeTectona grandis
Teak in brief
Hard, stable, rich in oil and naturally durable — a combination you rarely find in a single species. That is the whole story of teak.
Teak naturally contains silica compounds and oils that protect the wood from within. That is not a surface coating you have to keep up — it sits in the cell structure itself. That is why teak has been the standard in shipbuilding for centuries, and why you can simply put a teak bench outside and forget about it.
Our Dordogne and Bretagne garden benches, the Boston and Tekora tables, and teak garden chairs. Heavy timber, thick legs, built to stand for decades.
- Botanical
- Tectona grandis
- Colour
- warm golden brown to deep brown
- Density
- 600–750 kg/m³ — heavy
- Hardness
- 4,000–5,000 N (Janka)
- Outdoors
- class 1 — 25+ years, untreated
- Maintenance
- none; oil only to keep the colour
- Price range
- investment
To be fair: teak is heavy to move, and the price reflects its quality — this is wood you buy once.
New: a warm golden brown
This is how teak arrives: golden brown to deep brown, with a fine, even grain. No pre-treatment is needed; the bench can go straight outside.
See our teak garden benches →Drag through time or choose the care · the bench is our 120 cm teak garden bench, simplified · teak oil here every spring as an example: the page says “periodically”.
From wild forest to plantation
Teak is native to Southeast Asia: from India and Myanmar through Thailand to Laos. But the teak you buy today almost always comes from a plantation — and that is a good thing.
Myanmar — formerly Burma — was traditionally seen as the source of the very best quality: dense forests, long growing times, exceptionally hard and stable wood. Overexploitation put an end to that. Wild teak is very scarce today and the trade is strictly regulated.
Plantation teak is grown on dedicated land, with a controlled felling cycle and replanting. The growing time is shorter — usually 20 to 25 years — but with good management it yields an excellent raw material for garden furniture. Today it is the only realistic and responsible route.
Indonesia (Java)
By far the largest producer, with a long tradition of plantation management. The quality from well-managed Javanese plantations has become the standard for high-end garden furniture.
Costa Rica and Panama
Growing plantation areas in Central America.
West Africa
Ghana and Togo: younger plantations, with quality rising fast.
What makes teak so special
It lies in the chemistry of the wood itself: silica compounds and teak oils, woven into the cell structure.
Colour and grain
Warm golden brown to deep brown, with a fine, even grain. Lighter and darker streaks bring out its character.
Water-resistant
The oily structure repels water and stops moisture from penetrating deep into the wood — the reason ship decks are laid in teak.
Rot and fungi
Even without treatment, teak keeps its structural integrity in damp conditions.
Dimensionally stable
Teak barely moves: it does not warp, crack or swell — even with large swings in temperature.
Greying is fine
Outdoors, teak weathers to a characteristic silver grey. That is not decay but a surface process: the core stays completely intact.
Natural teak and plantation teak side by side
Durability class 1 means more than 25 years outdoors without any treatment at all. That is not a marketing claim but the European standard EN 350.
| Property | Natural teak | Plantation teak |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 650–750 kg/m³ | 600–650 kg/m³ |
| Durability class | Class 1 | Class 1–2 |
| Hardness (Janka) | 4,500–5,000 N | 4,000–4,500 N |
| Shrinkage with changes in moisture | Very low | Low |
| Dimensional stability | Excellent | Very good |
| Rot resistance | Excellent | Very good |
Working teak
It works well, but it is demanding on tools: the hardness and the silica blunt them faster than softer species do.
- Sawing and routingEasy enough, but always use sharp carbide-tipped tools.
- Screwing and nailingPre-drilling is strongly recommended — teak splits if you force a fixing.
- GluingBecause of the natural oils, glue bonds less well; degrease the surface before gluing.
- FinishingOutdoors, teak can stay untreated. For a particular colour or sheen, use teak oil or another wood finish.
What teak is used for
| Field of use | Examples | Why teak |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor furniture | Garden tables, chairs, benches, lounge sets | Durable without treatment, long service life |
| Shipbuilding | Decks, panelling, interiors | Excellent water resistance and slip resistance |
| Façade joinery | Window frames, doors, cladding | Dimensional stability, negligible shrinkage |
| Luxury interiors | Furniture, floors, wall panelling | Warm look, timeless |
Teak in practice
From a classic stacking chair to a dining table for eight — teak suits every size and every style.
Looking after teak
Teak is chosen by people who do not want to sand, paint or treat every year. If you still want to keep the wood in top condition, a short routine is enough.
Feel free to do nothing
- No treatment needed — teak protects itself.
- It turns grey under UV light; that is an aesthetic choice, not damage.
- Cleaning once a year with water and mild soap removes grime and slightly slows the greying.
- Want to keep the golden brown? Then treat it with teak oil from time to time.
Just wipe it
- A soft, slightly damp cloth is all you need.
- Treat it now and then with a suitable wood conditioner.
- Do not place it right next to a radiator or other heat source — extreme drying is not ideal, even for teak.
Frequently asked questions about teak
Do I need to treat teak before putting it outside?
No. Teak can go outside without any pre-treatment; the natural oils protect it from within. Using teak oil is an aesthetic choice — it keeps or restores the warm golden-brown colour.
What is the difference between greyed and decayed teak?
Greying is purely a surface process: the top layer of cells oxidises under UV light and takes on a silver-grey patina, while the core stays completely intact. Decayed wood discolours unevenly, with soft spots or mould — extremely rare in healthy teak.
How long does teak last outdoors?
Teak is in durability class 1: more than 25 years without treatment. In practice, well-kept teak furniture is still structurally sound after 30 to 40 years.
Is plantation teak as good as wild teak?
For garden furniture and most outdoor uses, yes. Good-quality plantation teak — especially from Java — comes technically close to wild teak: slightly less dense, but still durability class 1 to 2. And today it is the only responsible choice.
Can I use teak indoors as well?
Certainly. Indoors, teak is used for floors, furniture and wall panelling. Bear in mind that the wood reacts to humidity indoors too — avoid extreme dryness, such as a spot right next to a radiator.
How does teak compare with other hardwoods?
Teak is more stable and richer in oil than most other hardwoods, and that is reflected in the price. The full comparison with iroko, merbau and acacia is in teak or hardwood.
Comparing teak
Teak is the top class in our register. Take a look at how it compares with the rest.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Tectona grandis — Ian Alexander, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tectona grandis — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tectona grandis — Vis M, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Tectona grandis — Gió Đông, CC BY-SA 3.0