Teak Outdoor Furniture is Not a New Idea

Mstywrl
Mstywrl, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jul 14, 2006 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
Since ancient times, civilization has been aware of the benefits of teak. The wood is easy to work with, and its resistance to decay has made it not only a popular timber tree, but also a valuable resource. The strong structural properties of teak made it the favorite choice for shipbuilders since the middle ages. The main advantage of teak is its unique ability to prevent rust and corrosion when in contact with metal. This makes it invaluable in the shipbuilding industry. It is said that the first outdoor teak benches were actually made of decking from old sailing ships. The decking on these ships was in such good condition when the ships were about to be scrapped, the wood was recycled and remade in teak outdoor furniture. In the late 1800s, teak began to be used seriously for outdoor furniture. Heavily admired in its native India, teak soon traveled to Victorian England. Teak benches and chairs became the perfect compliment to an English garden. Public parks all over England are furnished with teak outdoor furniture, some of which are nearly a century old. An outstanding material, teak continues to be a choice for boat materials even in this day and age. Elephants are still used to haul teak from inland jungles to the waterways. Transporting teak has always been a difficult problem because of the heavy weight of the wood. The logs are so heavy they will not float. Instead the elephants drag the teak logs through the thick undergrowth in the rain forests. These forests are usually a great distance from the coast. They have even been trained to stack the logs in even piles. And when a bell sounds to end the day, the elephants know to stop their work, without any human direction.

Today teak is used principally in shipbuilding and in the construction of expensive boats and yachts. Teak wood is virtually impervious to all weather conditions, partly due to its high oil content and is able to resist insect attacks. Currently, teak can be found on modern cruise ship decks, in parks, used as flooring, and as home outdoor furniture. In the United States, teak benches can be found in the tropical gardens of hotels in Hawaii, tables and chairs made of teak provide maintenance-free outdoor dining for skiers in Colorado resorts, and teak steamer chairs can be found from the coast of Maine to the Arizona desert. This should give you some idea about how versatile teak is. Today, teak continues to be the most oft-used wood for shipbuilding. It is also used for indoor wood flooring and other general construction. And, of course, teak is used to create durable and beautiful outdoor patio furniture. Its high oil content makes it ideal for outdoor furniture. Teak outdoor furniture has been used in ski resorts in Colorado and Utah, and it continues to be the favored wood for all construction projects requiring unbeatable durability and rustic elegance.

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  • Fine Contemporary Furniture, Flooring and Interior9/29/2008

    Fine Contemporary Furniture, Flooring & Interiors - Manufacturer

    Our customers include home builders, hotels, resorts, restaurants, furniture wholesalers, importers, retailers, architects, interior designers and individual customers.

    We manufacture contemporary furniture, both indoors and outdoors, flooring and decor items primarily in teak, natural and synthetic rattan/wicker, water hyacinth, bamboo, leather, stainless steel, aluminum and various metals.

    We can custom manufacture to our customers' designs and specifications. Sample sets can be produced at short notice.

    Due to the availability of quality raw materials and skilled workmanship, our prices are consistently lower than our competitors, comparing product material, quality and finish.

    No compromise in workmanship and quality of materials, ensuring life long durability that will always come with an Indochine product. Get used to quality.

    Our markets include the USA, Canada, Japan, UK and the EU.

    Indoc

  • Rustic Furniture Pro8/27/2008

    Great article about rustic teak furniture. For those of you who are interested in purchasing rustic teak furniture, check out my website at www.RusticFurniturePro.com
    I appreciate all of the information on this site about rustic furniture. It is eco-friendly and furn to work with. Thanks!!

  • indochinedecor7/31/2007

    We use only old teak for all our teak furniture, often more than 100 years old. We buy old whole teak houses, then resurfacing and refinishing the teak for use in our teak furniture.

    Old teak wood does not "move", expanding or contracting which is often what happens when young teak is used for furniture.

    Old teak also has more elaborate, more beautiful grains than young teak, is harder and more durable, offering our customers a lifetime of maintenance free beauty in all our teak furniture.

    We measure all our teak with a wood humidity meter. The teak we use has moisture content of no more than 3%.

    Indochine Decor Limited Partnership
    32 - 32/2, Moo 2, Tambon Onkang,
    Amphur Mae On, Chiangmai 50130,
    Thailand
    Tel/Fax : 66-53-859125 66-53-859125, Thailand (+66)
    Mobile : 66-86-9238228 66-89-7558338 66-85-7198932 66-85-7198931, Thailand (+66)
    Tel : 0121 288 7692, United Kingdom (+44)
    Tel : (201) 793-7296, United States (+1)
    Skype Address : indochinedecor
    sales@indochi

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