TEAK
THE TREE
TEAK IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S OUTSTANDING WOODS AND ONE AGAINST WHICH OTHERS ARE OFTEN JUDGED. THOUGH MANY WOODS ARE CALLED TEAK, ONLY THE PRODUCED BY T.GRANDIS IS TRUE TEAK. IT OCCURS NATURALLY IN BURMA AND THAILAND, THE MAIN SOURCES OF COMMERCIAL TIMBER, AND IN INDIA, INDO-CHINA AND JAVA, BUT IT HAS BEEN PLANTED IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD. IT COMES FROM A TREE OF VARIABLE SIZE AND FORM, WHICH, WHEN WELL GROWN, CAN REACH 40m IN HEIGHT AND HAVE A BOLE 1 TO 1.5m IN DIAMETER., THOUGH THE BOLE IN LARGE TREES IS OFTEN FLUTED. .
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THE WOOD
TEAK IS USUALLY A UNIFORM GOLDEN-BROWN, BUT MAY BE A MEDIUM TO DEEP BROWN AND HAVE DARKER, ALMOST BLACK MARKINGS. IT IS RING-POROUS, WITH A CONSPICUOUS GROWTH-RING FIGURE ON FLAT-SAWN SURFACES AND A COARSE AND OFTEN UNEVEN TEXTURE. IT HAS A GREASY FEEL AND A CHARACTERISTIC LEATHERY SMELL. TEAK IT IS A MEDIUM-WEIGHT WOOD, HEAVIER THAN MAHOGANY BUT LIGHTER THAN OAK.
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TECHNICAL PROPERTIES
TEAK DRIES SLOWLY BUT WELL, AND ONCE DRY IT IS NOTED FOR ITS STABILITY IN USE. IT IS STRONG FOR ITS WEIGHT, BUT IS HARD TO SAW AND MACHINE BECAUSE OF ITS ABRASIVE NATURE. IT IS EXTREMLY DURABLE.
USES
TEAK IS FOREMOST A SHIP-BUILDING WOOD, USED WHERE STRENGTH, STABILITY AND DURABILITY ARE DEMANDED, AND PREFERRED TO ALL OTHER WOODS FOR DECKING. IT IS USED FOR FINE JOINERY AND FOR LABORATORY FITTINGS, ESPECIALLY BENCH TOPS, AND IN CHEMICAL WORKS ON ACCOUNT OF ITS ACID RESISTANCE. IT HAS BEEN FASHIONABLE IN RECENT YEARS IN DOMESTIC FURNITURE, OFTEN AS VENEER.
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SOFT WOODS:
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