Teak

Durability & long life span  

Teak (Tectona grandis) is a tropical hardwood tree species, which is native in India, Myanmar (Burma), Lao and Thailand, but is cultivated in many countries including Indonesia, Panama, Brazil and Costa Rica. Teak has been valued for centuries for its durability and water resistance and for this reason used for many purposes, such as boat building, exterior construction, flooring, veneer, indoor and outdoor furniture, carving and other articles where weather resistance is desired. Teak’s natural high content of oil makes it extremely resistant to the elements with a life span of 25 years plus. Teak memorial benches are not only very durable, but also elegant with warm golden brown colour, a beautiful smooth texture and a striped grain. All benches, whether it is a lasting tribute to a loved one or a seat commemorating a special event, need to be weather resistant. Teak, which is often considered the gold standard for outdoor furniture, is a perfect choice for a memorial bench. A teak memorial bench can be left outside all year round, surviving even the most extreme weather conditions.

Premium grade

We purchase only premium grade teak benches. We have high standards for the physical properties of the teak, which our suppliers have to comply with. Our teak collection includes natural forest teak from (Burma) Myanmar and plantation teak from Panama, Thailand and Indonesia.

Sustainability with FSC® certification

Teak cut from old trees grown slowly in natural forests is more durable and harder, whereas teak from young trees grown in plantations is more prone to splitting and water damage, however kiln drying allows for sustainable, plantation-grown teak to perform nearly on par with old-growth teak. Our suppliers must have a responsible timber purchasing policy with environmental guidelines, which outlines a commitment to sourcing sustainable and legal timber. Sound supply chain management is key to ensuring responsible purchasing of timber and timber products. We require our suppliers to demonstrate that they evaluate the source of their timber. We choose suppliers, who hold Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification, whenever possible. You will be able to see which of our benches have FSC certification and which do not in the "Summary" section of each bench. FSC® is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. Find out more about FSC® certified wood.

Natural look

All our teak benches come with a natural smooth sanded finish. A colour varies from light to dark brown colour. Variation in colour and grain is normal as with any other natural product.

Maintenance

Teak requires very little attention. Left untreated it will turn to a silvery grey colour in about 3 to 6 months depending on the weather conditions, exposure to sun light and rain. The colour change is only a cosmetic appearance and does not affect the life span or durability of your bench. It is often a personal choice whether you prefer to keep the original brown colour for longer or you would rather allow it to weather gracefully. If you would like to slow down the weathering process, we recommend using Golden Care treatment products as soon as you receive your precious bench. To find out more about treatments, please click here. We can also apply treatment products for you before we deliver the bench to you. To find out more about our bench treatment application, please click here.

We do not recommend using varnish, because it will peel and chip over time, which will make removal difficult without vigorous sanding. Oiling teak will not stop the wood from greying and often results in mould and mildew growing on the furniture

Restoration

If you have allowed your memorial bench to weather and now would like to restore it to its original condition, please click here to find out more about our bench maintenance service using Golden Care treatment products.