Teak Garden Furniture Buying Guide
There is so much teak garden furniture available today that you can simply be spoilt for choice. In this buying guide we try to explain why such a range of prices exist and basically what you get for your money at the end of the day!
Firstly, why teak? Quite simply, teak is one of the best woods for furniture that will spend the majority of its “working life” outdoors. The British weather can be unforgiving at the best times, unfortunately even in the great British summer. Due to the naturally high oil content, teak has a natural barrier against weathering and so is less likely to split and warp.
There is, however, a catch and it is quite a big one. You will have noticed the huge differences in prices, from entire teak table and chair sets from your local DIY store that cost under £200, to a teak table and chair set that can cost closer to £1,500 from your local garden centre or from online sellers like ourselves.
The price differences are nothing to do with bulk buying (although of course volume buying is always helpful) but is more to do with the grade of teak used.
There are three grades of teak: Grade A, Grade B and Grade C.
Before explaining in more detail what each of the grades actually means, it is helpful to look at the bottom end of the market. This includes products typically sold by supermarkets and DIY chains that are described as “wooden” or “teak effect”. These garden furniture sets are not teak at all. They are cheaper woods that need to be stained to prevent splitting and rotting, have joints that are glued or screwed at best and are designed to last only a couple of years. If left outside all year, this style of garden furniture will almost certainly deteriorate within a year or two. Of course, this may be entirely acceptable to you and may suit the budget you have available.
Teak Grading
Teak is a valuable natural resource that has in recent years been the victim of illegal logging. The Governments of Malaysia and Indonesia are now regulating the logging of teak to ensure that the principles of sustainability are adhered to. Ensuring that garden furniture, be it garden chairs, garden tables, benches or even teak deck chairs, are made from teak sourced from forests approved by the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) is the best way to ensure that the teak is from an environmentally sound source. Just look for the FSC logo that can be found on all wooden (not just teak) products that satisfy FSC requirements.
The three grades of teak can be divided as follows:
Grade A
As its name suggests, Grade A teak is the best quality teak that you can buy. A mature teak tree can be as old as 60 years when it is felled. Grade A teak is the wood from the mature heart area of the main tree. This central area of high quality wood has few natural floors (such as knots) and provides wood that will give a clean and clear finish. Good quality teak is the colour of rich honey, no stain needs to be added to achieve this sunlit effect. Grade A teak has the highest oil content and so is used to make the highest quality teak garden furniture. This garden furniture (where good quality carpentry has been used) will result in furniture that can last for year after year.
Grade B
This grade uses those areas that surround the heart of the log. Imperfections in the wood are more likely and the finish overall is “duller” than Grade A. Whilst there is still an oil content, it is considerably lower than in Grade A. This means that this garden furniture will not last as long as Grade A teak and will start to split and warp as the elements take their toll.
Grade C
Grade C teak is not even part of the main heartwood. Grade C is in fact sapwood. This can result in a variety of colour finishes as sapwood has a high moisture content. Very little natural oil is contained in sapwood and this will result in the furniture warping, splitting and generally deteriorating quickly.
We sell Teak Garden Furniture that is made from only GRADE A teak. Therefore, what you buy is a real investment in your home and leisure time and will last for years to come.