How to identify real teak
Teak is one of the most used wood for garden furniture for several years. but to make the most of it you still have to identify real teak and distinguish from fake teak.
Despite of the abundant supply and price difference it is not always clear whether the garden furniture you are looking for is actually made of real teak.
How to Identify Real Teak Wood?
You can identify teak on the basis of appearance, colour and resistance.
Class A: The best class for teak. The wood has a uniform colour and is distinguished by its robustness. It usually comes from a tree over 30 years old because the older the tree, the more robust the wood;
Class B: It also has a good appearance, although more homogeneous, it may have dark spots and more knots;
Class C: Finally, a classified C teak is much less resistant because it comes from young trees. Teak naturally contains an abundance of oils and oleores in which allows it to be more resistant. If it is cut young, it contains less and therefore has a shorter lifespan.
Colour: –
Teak wood can be recognized by the whitish sapwood and yellowish or bronze heartwood. The grain is generally straight, although on rare occasions it may present wavy grain that is common from the one from India.
The colour of teak wood varies depending on the species of the tree and where it comes from. The tone ranges from dark golden brown to yellowish white.
Grain: –
Grain is an important factor to identify teak wood. Generally, the grain of real teak wood is straight. They will appear as straight grains or lines of a darker color than the rest of the wood.
Teak has straight grain.
Weight: –
Weight is another way to identify teak wood. Real teak wood will be very dense and fairly heavy. Collect the wood and put it to the test. It should be heavier than chipboard. If it feels light and porous in your hands, it’s probably not teak wood.
Oil content: –
Another way identify teak wood it is by it’s oil content. It has an oily touch and freshly cut it has a strong smell of old leather that disappears to a great extent when drying. In addition, it is one of the few woods that produces its own oil, which prevents it from drying out.
One of the distinguishable features of teak is its exceptionally high oil content. With increasing age, this oil content can be up to five percent of the tree’s own weight.
Robust & resilient:-
Due to its excellent properties, teak wood is coveted throughout the world (it is characterized by its strength, durability, dimensional stability and its beauty).
Teak is a robust material for indoor and outdoor use. The natural material is now one of the most frequently used types of wood around the world.
Patina:-
Over time, the surface of the teak wood often develops a patina, which is typical for the aging process in this type of wood. Over the years, the honey-brown and previously very conspicuous wood discolors, it becomes more colorless and inconspicuous. However, this only happens if the surfaces outside are left untreated.
Fragrance:-
The natural substances contained in the teak give off a characteristic odor because of the oil presence which resemble leather fragrance. If the wood does not emit any odor, it is probably not teak.
Teak is a hard and heavy wood , with a streaked brown color. It is extraordinary to work with. Freshly cut it has a strange waxy texture and a leather-like smell. It cuts well, and like oak, darkens with exposure to light.
