What to Consider When Buying Teak Furniture

Teak Furniture has and always will be the number one standard in outdoor furniture. Its timeless beauty and durability work to enhance any outdoor garden, patio or backyard area. However, before purchasing teak furniture there are several things to consider to be sure that you are making the best purchase possible for your home.

It is very important to give the teak furniture you are buying a thorough visual inspection. There are many companies that sell teak furniture online, however, it is sometimes hard to discern the quality of their furniture from pictures alone. Pictures on the internet can be edited in photoshop and can mislead consumers. When buying teak, it is very important to try to see the furniture first-hand whenever possible so that you can inspect it up close and look for any imperfections that might exist.

You will want to make sure that the teak furniture you are buying has been kiln-dried, preferably to an 8-10% moisture content. Kiln-drying is the process in which the teak lumber is put into a "sauna" like container and the moisture in the wood is removed. This process takes up to 3 weeks (therefore it is sometimes skipped by dishonest teak furniture companies that don't want to wait that long) and is a very important part of the teak furniture construction process. Removing the moisture from the teak wood is what will make it extremely durable and resistant to cracking or warping outside - even in the harshest of conditions.

Another great piece of advice is to never buy furniture that has already been oiled or stained - manufacturers that oil or stain their teak furniture are usually trying to hide defects such as knots, cracks or poor craftsmanship. You should only buy teak furniture that is sanded and in its natural state.

You will also want to inspect the bottom and joints of the furniture. Be sure that the manufacturer constructed the furniture using mortise and tenon joints, and that none of the joints contain any type of wood filler (as this will wash out the first time it rains and leave you with an unattractive piece of furniture). You will also want to flip the furniture over (if possible) and look at the bottom to make sure that the same attention to detail was given to it as the top. Another good test of quality is to actually try to pick up the piece of teak furniture you are looking at to get a feel for the quality; the heavier the furniture the more likely that you are buying a quality piece of furniture constructed of Grade A teak wood. If the furniture feels light, then it was probably made from teak that had a shorter life-cycle and thus is not going to be as durable.

When you are talking to a teak furniture company about their products feel free to "interrogate" them about their furniture and their business. Buy furniture from a company that actually inventories the teak furniture - these companies more than likely have a personal relationship with the factory in Thailand that they importing from and are also probably very knowledgeable about teak's growth cycle, the kiln-drying process and the construction of the furniture.

Teak furniture is an expensive initial investment, however, if you buy the from a quality manufacturer than it will be an investment that you can enjoy for 75+ years to come. When buying teak furniture remember the old saying, "You get what you pay for".