Although most people have already know the quality of furniture made from teak wood, hence they still not aware of the Grade of teak wood Understanding the Grade A, B, and C teak wood will make us understand why to buy, choose and select real teak wood furniture from suppliers.

Posteak Furniture Indonesia wrote several differences between finished wood grades A, B and C as well as detailed explanations


The Natives of Teak Wood

Teak wood is a type of wood that is quite popular among many people. The popularity of teak wood is known for its durability and its water resistance material. Teak wood is arguably one of the most expensive types of wood in the world. The botanical name for Teak is Tectona Grandis. This species which is a hardwood plant from lands that have topical climate is part of the family of flowering plants, Lamiaceae.

Teak wood is known for its large trees whose height can reach 40 meters. The teak tree can be found in mixed hardwood forests. The flowers of the teak tree are white, small, and highly fragrant. Unlike the flowers, the leaves of the teak tree are large and papery, with a hairy surface on the underside. Since this wood grows a lot in several different places, it has many unique characteristics and has several types. For this reason, many teak trees are processed into various things, ranging from boats, veneers, exterior construction, furniture, carving, and even to be used for bedroom furniture. Teak tree is known to be strong and durable.

The teak tree is a native of Asia, especially in the south and southeastern Asia. Countries, where the teak tree grows, are India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Teak trees are very well known in the world, and most people recognize teak trees because of their good wood quality.

The heartwood of teak, which basically is the extreme center of the log, is yellow-colored, yet as it grows older, it becomes darker.

Teak wood also has a distinctive and refreshing smell. The sapwood of Teak, which is the outer area of the log, is white to pale yellow-brown colored. They can be distinguished easily between heartwood and sapwood. The texture that teak trees have is hard and ring-porous.

What is a Grade A teak?

It’s widely known that here in Posteak, we’ve exclusively used high-quality materials in order to keep up our high-quality products. Though the word “quality” itself is always kept in our mind; this authentic, high-end solid teak wood isn’t born equally the same.

In general, there are three major grades of teak: A, B, and C. Teak is widely known for its beauty and durability over time, and this is exactly where the grade played its part. Grade A teak has made a very clear gap that completely distinguishes the quality differences between them. To put it simply, lower grades of teak will only lead you to disappointment.

To clear some confusion, all of these grades come from the exact same tree. The differences lie in which fractions are taken from the tree itself. While a grade A teak comes from the “heart” or deep core of the trunk, the lower grade teak (such as B or C, or any combination of the three) comes from the outer perimeter of the teak’s trunk.

So what exactly is grade-A teak? Grade A teak has a rich, vibrant tone that guarantees a consistent color over time. A straight grain that ensures a strong, robust piece of wood. No defects – any cracks, knots, splits, signs of infestation, or damages can affect the integrity of the wood as it ages.

Dense oils allow the wood to resist outdoor weather, temperature changes, and damaging pests; making it a perfect species to stand up to unsupported environments. Even in extreme conditions, your chosen grade A teak’s weather resistance will still stand tall. To top it all, its magnificent, distinct color — that you expect from teak — aging just as beautiful as it should be and remains strong for years.

Detail Comparison of Grade A, B, C Teak

Grade A Teak

The highest quality of teak wood is Grade A teak wood. The timber of this grade consists of very mature heartwood. This characteristic is recognized by the very dark color of heartwood that is the golden-brown color. This grade has close grains and a glossy surface because it feels oily to touch. This grade contains high natural oil with good quality which will make this grade durable even if it is placed outdoors. This natural oil protects teak wood from weather and insects.

Grade B Teak

This grade is less expensive than Grade A. The wood is lighter in color and the grains look uneven. The surface of the teak wood is less shiny because it has the fewer amount of natural oils. This grade still can stand in extreme outdoor conditions, hence it requires special care and treatments.

Read how to proper care and clean teak furniture

Grade C Teak

This grade is the most inferior grade of teak wood. This type of teak wood does not even have natural oil that can make it durable. The color that this grade has is uneven. The wood is also easily damaged because of its soft texture. The quality of teak wood with Grade C is very low and not suitable even for indoor furniture. The price is also not expensive. We don’t recommend this quality grade for the export furniture business.

What makes Grade A teak different from other grades

Now let’s take a look at the other grades. Located in the outer heartwood of the teak tree, grade B teak uses what’s called as immature heartwood; while a grade C teak is made from the sapwood. Sapwood has less valuable wood. Its pale, uneven color lightens and becomes even patchier over time. 

The outer sections are still growing and have less natural oil. Because of this, the wood is more apt to break down quickly and leave it exposed to pests and weather. It has unbearable flaws like splits, knots, and cracks that cause the wood to fall apart over time. A shorter lifespan due to imperfections and inferior development is all you could expect from its lower price tag.

On the other hand, the significant levels of rubber have allowed grade A teak to withstand a lifetime of use and not rot like most other woods do when placed outside. If cared for properly, outdoor teak furniture can last 30 to 40 years. Indoor teak furniture will last around 75 years, though it may endure for up to 100 years. 

But even if the life-cycle of their teak is complete, we can always help you turn it into a piece of refreshing, reclaimed furniture.

Some manufacturers will coat grade C teak with chemicals to smoothen the surface of the finished wood, making it appear higher quality than it actually is. A large chain of factories will blend lower grade teak together to make their “teak” furniture, similar to what you see in plywood. 

Benefits of Premium Grade of Teak

Having furniture is a long-term investment that we should consider. To get long-lasting furniture for our house, of course, determining the materials of the furniture is really matters.

Here are the benefits of high-grade teak:

Strong, and Durable

Teak is durable even when not treated with oil or varnish. Its characteristics make the wood no need to give more or extra treatments to make it long-last usability. Furniture made from teak wood can last for more than 20 years without many treatments. This teak wood is often dependable for outdoor furniture materials.

Weather Resistant

Due to its strength, furniture from teak has its benefits to give lifetime use for your house. Especially for outdoor furniture, whenever it crushes by hard wheater, it still has the strength to withstand. The wood remains unchanged even when exposed to freezing cold or hot temperatures

Pest-Free

Teak has high natural oil content that makes the furniture made from teak termite and pest resistant. The high content of oil and silica makes it resistant to mildew, dry rot, fungi, and stains, which is a common problem in older wooden furniture. No need to worry if you put teak furniture for outdoor living spaces.

Natural Color

Furniture from teak wood has its beautiful grain and color. The textures also make this wood popular choices most people. At first, furniture from teak wood has a natural brown color with beautiful grain and texture, in case the color will change over time into light-grey, and it’s normal. Even though, it still gives elegance for furniture in your house. But, we also can keep the brown color with a wood sealer.

Huge resources in Indonesia

PT. Perhutani is the vast majority of commercial governments that harvest plantations of teak wood. They purposed to manage quality for export furniture in the country. This, of course, will benefit for the buyer to have high-quality furniture for their own or their business.

Quality furniture from Jepara

Jepara which is located in Central Java, Indonesia has well-known as the heart of furniture makers from the worldwide market. Jepara produces a lot of furniture made from teak wood. The high-skilled craftsmen and the huge resources of teak wood will benefit you to purchase furniture from this city.

Climb the teak, reach the peak

In summary, it’s not recommended to use grade C teak, and why get a grade B teak if you could get better quality with add-on money on your budget? A high-quality grade A teak will be the only option. High-grade teak wood will benefit you more than other hardwoods for its value. Yes, it may more pricey than others. But keep in mind that it for lifetime use, and its beautifulness will compel our eyes, making our house have more natural and elegant looks.

True, grade-A teak is more of an initial investment than other grades. But if you purchase from a factory-direct source, you’ll be buying furniture that will remain for the rest of your life.

Still, have questions on your mind? Do you feel like you’re interested in getting yourself a first set of grade A teak or you’re simply looking to remodel your current outdoor furniture? 

Whatever your choice is, we’ve got you covered. Reach out to our Posteak team and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. We are always more than happy to help you find your perfect match of teak. Who knows, grade A teak could be exactly what you seek.

Posteak Furniture is an established Indonesia furniture manufacturer and exporter based in Jepara since 1997. We provide buyers with a broad range of solid teak wood furniture, from outdoor furniture and indoor furniture.
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