Teak is an incredibly tough, long lasting building material. It’s naturally extremely resistant to fungus and wood rot as well as attack by insects. As a furniture wood, it’s been used to create some of the finest pieces now prized throughout Europe as antiques, and also some of the most enduring building structures in the normally destructive conditions of the tropics.

There are two main reasons teak is so durable. Both of them contribute to the desirability of the wood and make it perfect for wooden garden furniture. The first is the natural oils contained in the wood. It’s a natural insect repellent and wood-boring insects don’t like the taste, so they leave teak garden furniture alone.

The oil also helps the timber shed water and stops moisture soaking into it, which is great. Although teak oils do hang around in the wood for a long time, gardeners can help them do their job by oiling their wooden garden furniture with a good quality outdoor wood treatment every year or so. It pays to make sure the wood is dry before oiling, or the moisture can get sealed underneath.

Teak is very fine grained. That means it can be worked and carved into elaborate shapes. For fine cabinet making, it’s similar in working quality and feel to European Walnut, which is now so rare it is extremely expensive. For outdoor furniture, that means it’s tough- difficult to scratch or break. The fine grain holds the natural oils well, even after the drying process all timber should go through before being shaped and used.

A close grain also means it’s less likely to splinter. That’s good news for furniture owners, because teak goods will last longer, and also good news for hands, because annoying and painful splinters are much less likely.