For most of us, when we hear the word ‘teak’, before comes the image of a timber that is dark or golden-brown in color with creamy whitish sapwood. But, did you know there are over 10 varieties of teak wood on the basis of origin alone, with color ranging from dark brown to red and golden? In this article, you can read about all the different types of teak wood, along with their properties and uses.
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What is Teak Wood?
Teak is one of the most widely used timbers, for it is strong and very durable. Also, it’s one of the most expensive woods because of its outstanding popularity and huge demand.
Teak Properties:
- Scientific Name: Tectona grandis
- Distribution: Southern Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, etc.), tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
- Janka Hardness: 1,070 lbf (4,740 N)
- Shrinkage: Radial: 2.6%, Tangential: 5.3%, Volumetric: 7.2%, T/R Ratio: 2.0
The teak wood has a golden brown heartwood and white-yellowish sapwood. The grain is usually straight, sometimes interlocked. The presence of natural oils might make surfaces oily, but doesn’t affect the wood’s workability. Teak has the highest level of durability and is considered the best wood in terms of resistance to rot, decay and termites. The high silica content of Teak might cause cutting edges to get blunt. Freshly milled teak has a leather-like scent.
Teak Wood Applications & Common Uses
Because properties of teak wood includes strength, durability and water-resistance, it is widely popular and used across a variety of projects, such as:
- Marine works, including railings, decking, cabins, boat building, etc.
- Making high-quality outdoor furniture
- Railings of decks
- Veneering
- Flooring
- Shelving
- Exterior construction
- Making decorative items
- Carving
- Turnings
- Making cutting boards & countertops
- Making doors & windows
Different Types of Teak Wood
Let’s now start talking about the interesting varieties of teak. On the basis of quality, there are three types, while on the basis of quality, there are 13 different variety of teak lumber available in the market.
Teak Wood Types on The Basis of Grade
1. Grade A Teak
As the name suggests, this type of teak is that of the highest quality. The timber is extracted from the heartwood (very center) of a fully matured teak tree. It can be easily identified by its identical golden-brown color. The presence of natural oils makes the wood highly resistant to weather, water and insects. It is the most expensive type of teak wood.
2. Grade B Teak
This type of teak wood is extracted from the outer heartwood of the tree, which is not as great in quality as the Grade A teak, but still has decent durability, strength and resistance properties. It is lighter in color and is also less expensive.
3.Grade C Teak
This is the lowest quality teak with limited or zero durability. It is derived from sapwood or mature tree logs. The color is pale white to creamish. It is soft and very cheap.
Types of Teak Wood on The Basis of Origin
4. Burma/Burmese Teak Wood
Burmese teak wood is derived from an old-growth tree that grows naturally in the forests of Myanmar and Burma. It is one of the best quality teak available in the market. The color is dark golden and gets darker with age. It has high amounts of natural oils, which make it very durable and strong.
5. Thailand Teak Wood
Thailand teak wood is the best quality teak on the planet. It’s even better than Burmese and Indian teak woods. However, it’s no longer available for common use because of rare availability.
6. Indian Teak Wood
In terms of quality, Indian teak wood is one of the best. It is extracted from the old-growth forests of India. It is even better in quality and durability than Burmese teak. However, it is very expensive because of huge demand and limited availability.
7. South American Plantation Teak Wood
These teak trees are planted in South America and have a low life span. The teak quality, color and other properties are very similar to that of African teak wood.
8. African Plantation Teak Wood
This type of wood is derived from trees planted in Africa. The low growth span makes this wood have a limited amount of natural oils, which means their strength and durability is only decent. The color of the wood is light brown with widely distributed grains.
9. South American Teak Wood
Also known as garapa, this teak wood is very durable and has a golden-brown color. But, it is not natural teak.
10.Brazilian Teak Wood
Commonly known as Cumaru, this is also not real teak wood. However, it’s very durable and has a high content of natural oils, which makes it very resistant to insects and water.
11. African Teak Wood
Iroko, which is often called African teak, is not real teak wood.
12. Indonesian Teak Wood
This type of teak is native to Indonesian forests. The wood is highly resistant to weather and soil, which makes it suitable for outdoor projects. The quality is not as good as the Burma teak, but still very good. It is brown in color.
13. Chinese Teak Wood
Chinese teak wood is golden in color. It’s also not a real teak and is famous by the name Robinia wood, however, the properties are similar to that of real teak.
Now, you can buy as much industry-grade wood as you need in wide varieties directly from CameroonTimberExportSarl at the best wholesale prices with delivery to your doorstep. Whether you are looking to buy teak wood for personal use or to resell, we can offer the lowest price with a quality guarantee. Contact us today to know more.
