TEAK Information

When reading the general characteristics about these lumber types, always remember that wood is a natural product and it is subject to natural variations. The precise color and grain pattern from a teak tree felled in Nan province in Thailand, may differ from the color/grain of a teak tree felled in Laos. In fact, a teak tree felled in Nan Province might differ, will differ from another teak tree felled in the same province. As such, the characteristics must be viewed as general guidelines.

Teak (Golden Teak,

True Teak, Tectona Grandis) is considered one of the most desirable hardwoods in the world. It is valued for its durability and stability. Many believe that it is the most durable hardwood on the market. Its durability and stability are not strictly a result of hardness but of the quality, composition and amount of the teak oil which permeates this wood. Because of this, teak wood can withstand all types of weather and environmental conditions. It is the reason that teak is the favored wood type in the shipbuilding industry. In fact, if you have watched the TV specials on the exploration of the Titanic, you would have seen that the Teak wood decks of the Titanic are still intact, after more than 70 years submerged in seawater.

Teak wood is also used in the Middle East where it proves its resiliency to extreme heat. At the same time it can withstand harsh chemicals and it is resistant to rot, termites and several types of fungi and it has no reaction to metal contacts (which frequently can result in turning other woods black at and around the contact point). And with all of this utility, it is a beautiful wood to look at.

Several flooring experts suggest that flooring material should be composed of wood with a Janka hardness index of at least 1,000. The hardness index for teak is 1,150. It clearly exceeds the suggested minimum and it provides a beautiful and long lasting flooring material. (See our Technical/Shipping Terms page for an explanation of hardness measures.) Although it is unquestionably an appropriate wood to use for flooring, we also handle other lumber (shown on other pages) that is harder than teak. (Padauk - 2,450: Pyinkado - 2,250) and might provide longer flooring life for indoor flooring applications at a lower cost compared to teak. However, you will not be making a mistake if you choose teak for flooring. It is sufficiently hard to withstand the stress of floor use and, at the same time, it is unsurpassed in its beauty.

The heartwood of the teak tree is generally a dark golden yellow. Typically, older trees will have a deeper darkness to the wood color (younger trees will appear to be a lighter shade.) Young or old, after the lumber is processed, the color will turn a darker shade of brown with age and exposure. Several pictures are provided on this page of teak logs, lumber and products. I have provided these pictures so you can see the range of colors and textures provided by teak wood.

Freshly cut teak frequently will appear to have substantial variability in the color of the wood. Within a short time period, the variability that is apparent in freshly cut teak dissipates providing a beautiful, rich, mellow medium golden brown.

Currently, US Law does not allow products from Myanmar to be imported into the USA. This means that Teak that originates in Myanmar cannot be shipped into the USA. Now, we can still ship teak from Thailand and Lao, however, there are two restrictions. First, Thailand does not allow Thai Teak to be shipped out as raw lumber. Thai Teak must be processed into some final product (tongue and groove flooring/ceiling lumber, furniture, molding and trim). Also, Teak from Lao (which can be shipped as lumber) tends to be smaller in size. The older (larger) teak trees in Lao are in Northern Lao and tend to be shipped into China. The condition of the road system in Lao makes it very difficult for teak from the north to be shipped to the south and into Thailand. For this reason, Teak from Lao will typically be limited to 2.5 meters in length and modest sizes. Larger sizes are available from time to time but not on a consistent basis.

Also, you should note that several vendors will sell "Burmese Teak" that is not from Burma (Myanmar). Many vendors refer to all teak in the area with the name "Burmese Teak". This is done in the same was that Padauk is frequently referred to as Burmese Rosewood, regardless of the country of origin. If you are not sure, as for the country of origin. Teak and other products which indicate the country of origin being BURMA (Myanmar) have not bee allowed as imports into the USA for over a year.

Below you will see a few pictures of teak lumber and products. Please note: these pictures where taken under different lighting conditions so the difference in the observed color may be a result of a difference in the true color or lighting. The picture of the table set below is the only picture on this page taken from a catalog.


Shades of color in teak products can vary for natural reasons or because of subtle added color in the finish. This is done sometimes with teak products like doors and furniture to provide an evenness to the color scheme. Both sets of logs below are recently cut. Both are from teak trees but the logs on the left are from much older trees and you can see the difference in the color of the wood.



The carving above was done very recently. It is completely natural. But you can tell, from the size of the piece (it is one single piece of teak) that it comes from an older tree.

These different items were all made from teak wood.

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