Teak patio furniture is known for its durability, beauty and resistance to deterioration. Outdoor living space is popular in all parts of this country, but beautiful and long-lasting outdoor furniture makes your patio space a part of your living room. Even in cold climates, more people are using space heaters and durable Teak Patio Furniture to make use of your outdoor rooms during more months each year.

Teak is a dense, coarse-grained hardwood found mostly in the monsoon forests of Southeast Asia. Many of the forests are managed plots under the control of the government. These large deciduous trees are part of the mint family, botanically. Teak wood is impervious to moisture and is used for boat decks, outdoor furniture, indoor floors and veneers for indoor furniture. Teak wood is harvested from the tree trunks.

The natural resinous oils in the hardwood timber makes it very resistant to moisture and to insects. Unlike other woods, metal left in contact with teak doesn’t rust or corrode. Natural teak wood also contains a silica compound that helps to prevent drying, warping, fungus and mold. Teak is very resistant to rot and to many environmental factors.

If you want to purchase teak garden furniture, you may have a hard time locating retailers which carry it. Although it is becoming more popular and easier to find, it may still be harder to find due to the increased cost of the pieces. This means that you should be careful of any furniture which is labeled as teak but is low in price.

What makes teak different? It is a hardwood with a very dense grain. This density alone sets it apart from other wood. The harder it is for water to penetrate the wood, the more durable it is when used outdoors. It also contains resin which increases the waterproof nature of the wood. Unlike most other wood, teak naturally contains silica. This is what makes teak furniture so superior when it comes to resisting mold, fungus and rot.

Most teak is grown in areas such as Burma, Indonesia, Thailand and Laos. Originally, all teak furniture was made from wild trees and this caused problems with deforestation. Now, however, teak plantations have been regulated by government agencies and much of the teak used in furniture comes from these plantations. The one main problem with teak is that it takes in the neighborhood of fifty years to grow and this is part of what makes it so expensive to purchase.