The difference between natural teak and planted teak

Teak is a well-known and valuable wood, a deciduous or semi-deciduous tree. The tree can reach a height of around 30 metres and has a maximum diameter at breast height of 1.6 metres. It is highly stable, does not warp or crack under wet and dry conditions, and is highly resistant to water and fire; it is also termite resistant and extremely rot resistant.

1. Natural teak has a long growth cycle, is oily and has a golden heartwood colour. It takes at least 50 years to grow, with the average 70-year-old teak being no more than 40 in diameter and the available heartwood no more than 35cm, making it expensive. Even in Myanmar, the raw material currently costs tens of thousands of dollars a cubic metre, with the heartwood costing at least 20,000. It is shipped to China for at least 30,000 or more.

2, Planted teak uses chemical fertilizers, etc., the production cycle is short, low oiliness, low density, light colour, fast growth, generally about 20 years. 20 years old planted teak diameter can already reach the natural growth of 70 years of teak diameter. Furthermore, 20 year old plantation teak is cheap and incomparable to the value of natural teak.

There is a huge price difference between the two, and both are teak.

When you are in the market for teak, you should be careful, and there is a way to tell you that natural teak is generally darker in colour, smells like leather, has a greasy feel when you run your hands over it, and has black smoke when you burn it. The surface of teak flooring will have a black texture, good teak flooring cut down wood powder with a hand squeeze, spread the palm of the hand can be shaped without dissipating oil full. Teak is lighter in weight and is lighter in the hand.

Nowadays, you can often see certain brands (including some big brands) on the market, teak flooring is light in colour, without any black grain, and the wood does not feel greasy to the touch. This is likely to be planted teak. There are also some labeled as South American teak, which is basically not a kind of teak with what we are talking about.

Teak is all about the heartwood and only the heartwood can be oily and more stable. The colour of the heartwood is generally darker, and the surface of teak will become oxidised when exposed to sunlight, resulting in a more uniform and beautiful colour.