 |
One of the most valuable of all woods due to it's scarcity and difficulty to harvest and transport, true Burmese teak is prized for the construction of expensive boats and yachts. Because of its decay resistance, teak is used extensively as exterior decking, millwork, trim and windows. It's also used for garden furniture, park benches and many marine applications. Teak is a dense, coarse, close-grained hardwood. It contains high levels of resinous oils that allow it to be naturally resistant to moisture, repellent to insects, and impervious to the drying effects of weather. Teak also contains silica, a sand-like component which creates a density to the wood that allows it to also be resistant to fungal decay, water, rotting, warping, shrinking, swelling and many damaging chemicals. When first cut, teak is a tawny green color, streaked with dark brown and gold. The color quickly changes to be a dark golden yellow, olive or light to dark brown. No other wood compares to teak regarding its durability, elegance, stability and low maintenance, making it the ultimate material choice for furniture,ship building and the finest traditional wooden hot tubs. There are only four countries in the world that contain natural teak forests; Burma, Laos, India, and Thailand, with Burma (Myanmar) accounting for approximately 80% of the world's exported natural teak supply. Teak has also been transplanted to tropical plantations throughout the world. Plantation teak is somewhat plentiful from Central America, South America and Africa. Unfortunately, grown outside of it's native countries, plantation teak doesn't have the fine qualities necessary for use in a hot tub. Plantation teak tends to be from very small, young trees and lacks the rich color, oils and natural high resistance to degradation that true Burmese teak is known for. Additionally, plantation teak, no matter how well it's finished, has a rough texture to it. |
|
