Teak (tree): description, features and application

New materials used for interior decoration, furniture manufacturing, in many respects not inferior to natural, but they can not completely replace them. And this is due not only to the human desire to live in a natural, natural environment, but also because artificially created components do not cope with all tasks. For example, for the construction of yachts, the manufacture of furniture for the garden and the house, the production of the terraced board is most like a tick. The tree of a valuable breed is not accidentally in demand all over the world - durability and beauty have caused its popularity.

Range of growth

Tectona grandis, or teak (tree), also has the following names: Rangoon or Burmese tonic, mulmei, Indian teak. Distribution: India, South and South-East Asia in the area of Burma, Thailand, the Malaysian Peninsula. Due to the great popularity of teak wood products, it was actively grown on plantations. Differences between wild and plantation teak consist in the internal coloring of the wood, and in terms of main operational characteristics, no fundamental differences were found.

In nature, the tree reaches a height of 40 meters, the diameter of the trunk is up to 60 centimeters, but in rare cases there are specimens with a diameter of 1.5 meters. Teak plantations, in addition to traditional habitats, are located in Panama, Africa and Costa Rica.

Characteristics

Teak wood is very resistant. Under favorable conditions, it can be preserved for centuries - some figurines found in Indian cave temples were carved more than two thousand years ago and have so far preserved integrity and beauty. The natural wood of this breed is rich in shades, and by expanding the log, you can enjoy the beauty of the palette from warm yellow to dark brown colors. Often also shades of gray, lemon, ocherous.

Teak - a tree with valuable qualities. The presence of a large amount of oil and the content of rubber (up to 5%) in the structure of wood causes smoothness, velvety, matte shine. These same substances give the wood water-repellent properties, resistance to chemical damage, fungi, various kinds of insects. Also, oils and other constituents of the material give the tree species a distinct smell of old skin.

The texture of the tree (teak) is mostly straight-fibred, but sometimes the waviness of the fibers can be traced. In terms of its physico-mechanical qualities, this species of wood species is inferior to oak, larch, but it is close to the birch tree. Some experts argue that the teak is successfully replaced by an ash tree, if properly processed.

Qualities

Like every tree, the teak has annual rings, but unlike other woods, in the array of this breed, when sawed, they give a unique color game, which is a distinctive feature of the material. Under the influence of the environment, the divorces disappear, the color becomes uniform, darkened.

Wood teak has its advantages:

• Resistance to abrasion.
• Resistance to atmospheric phenomena (without damage transfers moisture and dryness).
• Resistance to fungus, pests, putrefaction.
• Easily handled and mechanized.

Disadvantages:

• Expensiveness.
• It is necessary to carry out an annual oil treatment or to open with water lacquers.
• It's getting dark.

The stability of the wood and the long service life minimize flaws, because furniture or furnish from this material allows you not to spend money on repairs or replacement.

Treatment

Teak (tree) is handled manually using a standard set of tools. Experts recommend that they be additionally sharpened, since the mass of the material contains many essential oils. Teak wood material is less susceptible to water and swelling of fibers, but a terracotta board or floor covering in rooms with high humidity should be made with this in mind. A prolonged stay in the aquatic environment can affect the fibers with fungus and decay: this process to a greater extent touches the end parts of the treated board.

Impregnation for wood (teak) is contained directly in the structure of the wood, but additional efforts are needed. Teak wood, which is actively used in the production of yachts, according to experts, is annually scraped and processed with the same oil or a mixture of flax and tung oil with the addition of beeswax. Manufacturers of furniture cover the finished product with oil or water-based lacquers that impregnate the wood structure well in bulk. Furniture left in the street without treatment, by the beginning of the next season will acquire a characteristic silver coating, which is difficult to get rid of, but the wood will not suffer.

Construction material

Teak wood is an expensive material, and construction of houses from it is not carried out even in places of distribution. Its best properties from the XV century began to use shipbuilders. Vessels made of this type of wood, distinguished by their durability, did not require frequent repairs and replacement of individual parts. Today, these qualities are used in the construction of luxury yachts, but the material goes to the interior plating of the cabins, deck cover, and for individual elements of the sails fixing, handrails are made and so on.

Finishing material

As a finishing teak (wood) is used very widely in different areas. The beauty and durability of parquet from this precious breed allows you to admire it for several generations. The paneling of the walls with panels is suitable for rooms of classical design, especially for those who do not want to do frequent repairs and radically change the situation. For connoisseurs of natural materials, a lightweight version of the veneer finish is available.

Veneers plywood, an array of wood of more common breeds, which reduces the cost of the final product, but allows you to use products with a set of qualities of a woody array, a plant such as teak. The color of the wood in the veneer, with proper processing and further operation, changes in the same way as that of a board made of solid wood, that is, it darkens.

Special qualities of wood are in demand when finishing the floor in the room and terraces in the open space. To date, modular panels are being manufactured that significantly simplify the laying of the material, since the board or parquet plates are mounted in the module, taking into account the structure and behavior of the wood. For domestic work, the teak floorboard is rarely used because of the high cost, but it allows you to perform repair work extremely rarely, retaining all its qualities in the long term. The cheaper terraces on the floor finish are achieved using more affordable wood, for which the impregnation of teak wood is applied. Often such impregnation is made from teak oil, which strengthens fibers and resistance to atmospheric phenomena.

Teak Furniture

Furniture products from teak wood are popular at all times. To meet an armchair, a couch or a table from this breed in flea markets will not be difficult. Most often, all pieces of furniture in good condition and the maximum they need when restoring - this is in the replacement of metal parts, grinding and coating with a protective agent. Today in the Russian market the furniture of outdoor models is most in demand: it is bought for summer residences, own houses, open balconies and loggias. In most cases, these are folding structures that can be removed in cold weather in a closed room.

For teak folding furniture, the weak point is the fasteners, and the best option will be wooden. Swelling along with the rest of the structure, they hold more firmly in the grooves, while the metal parts are blended, corroded and dropped out.

Features of care

The condition for the preservation of products from a tick is prevention. Every year, before the season of active exploitation, outdoor furniture must be cleaned of dirt and dust. Sometimes it must be further polished and covered with oil or other protective compound. The mud that has entered is very difficult to clean out of the pores of the tree, so many remove the top layer of wood with subsequent processing, but this applies only to objects that have been exposed outside. Floors, panels, furniture, used in enclosed spaces, do not require any special tricks: they are covered with a protective compound periodically, once every few years.

The teak wood products and finishes are very reliable and beautiful, they give an individual style to any room in the house and space outside the window.