Teak biology

Teak is an extremely dense and coarse-grained hardwood that comes in three grades. It contains a high level of silica which causes rapid blunting of cutting edges and so it is a labour intensive wood to harvest. When freshly cut, the surface of the wood is dull in appearance, and the timber has a distinctive, pleasantly aromatic fragrance often compared to the smell of leather. Fresh sawn teak also has a distinctive slightly greasy feel due to the wood's high oil content.

One of the most commonly quoted facts about the characteristics of teak is its durability. It is resistant to rot caused by fungal decay, and the high level of resinous oils distributed through the timber helps to act as a natural insect repellent - preventing attack by termites and other wood-boring insects. The timber is resistant to water and many chemical reagents, including acids. It does not have a strong reaction when it comes in contact with metals and recent research reveals that it contains 15 amino acids, a very high number for wood, some of which may be useful in medical applications as insecticides and antiseptics.

Because teak grain is coarse but the wood is dense, it creates interesting patterns which tend to be regular rather than random or fractal, which means the wood can be laid without distracting the eye, a very important point for sailors, navigators and gunners on marine vessels who needed a flat and uniform surface to calculate the sun's angle or the right firing angle for a deck cannon.

Teak texture photograph by Laramie, used under a creative commons attribution licence

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