Teak

Teak is a hardwood that hails from Southeast Asia. While it is similar to rosewood due to its golden-brownish color, it lacks the black highlights. Teak is very expensive, so it is often used as a veneer to cover up less expensive, less attractive woods. Teak has an open grain with medium texture. Power tools or very sharp hand tools are needed to work with teak because it is very hard.

DENSITY
Teak is a medium weight timber with a density of 610-750 kg/m3 air dry.

NATURAL DURABILITY
The heartwood of teak is rated as durable to very durable depending on the condition of exposure. Stake tests show an average service life in contact with ground of more than 10 years (5.6 years in Malaysia) under tropical conditions and more than 25 years under the temperate conditions. The sapwood is susceptible to attack by powder-post beetles.

PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT
The heartwood is difficult to treat with preservatives.

TEXTURE
Texture is rather coarse and uneven. Grain is straight, wavy or slightly interlocked.

STRENGTH PROPERTIES
The timber is moderately strong.

MACHINING PROPERTIES
Teak is not difficult to work, but requires some effort, mainly because of the presence of silica in the cells. Tools tipped with tungsten carbide are recommended for sawing and planing operations. The wood turns well.

USES
The favourable properties of teak make it suitable for a wide variety of purposes. The timber has been used for ship decking and other constructional work in boat building such as furniture and interior fittings of boats. Being classified as very resistant to teredo activity, teak is an excellent timber for bridge building and other construction in contact with water such as docks, quays, piers and floodgates in fresh water. The timber has also been extensively used for house construction like interior and exterior joinery (window, solid panel doors and framing) and is used for floors. Other uses of teak include musical instruments, toys, carving, laboratory and kitchen tables, vats and plywood.