Teak wood is considered one of the best choices when it comes to woodworking, often favored as patio furniture because of their water resistance. With so many in the market however, you need to know exactly what you’ll be getting and the pros and cons of each one.
Grade A Teak
Top quality, you can tell teak is Grade A by the golden brown color uniform all over the wood. The grains are close together and the surface is slightly glossy. If you touch it, the wood feels a bit oily. The main advantage of this wood type is water resistance and durability, but be aware of the steep pricing.
Grade B Teak
This grade type makes up about ¼ of an entire teak log, making it a bit more affordable than Grade A. It has a less oily feel, and its color is slightly lighter.
To make a comparison, you’ll need to be able to touch a Grade A teak as well, especially since some sellers artificially color the wood to get that Grade A gloss. The downside—it’s not as sturdy against the elements and will need additional treatments.
Grade C Teak
The lowest teak quality, but not bad if you’re only building a small project. Natural oils are practically non-existent and the color is uneven. It’s soft so it could be good for light woodworking projects plus it’s inexpensive. If you’re only starting out with woodworking. Grade C teak is the ideal choice.
Burma Teak Wood
The best quality teak wood in terms of origin, Burma teak wood is taken from timber that’s grown for more than 50 years.
Practically golden in color with high oil content, it’s the best one in terms of durability and weather resistance. It can be tough to work with, however, so you’ll need some heavy duty tools for this. Plus, it’s definitely expensive.
Burma teak wood, especially the Grade A kind, should be used only by experienced woodworkers.
Chinese Teak Wood
This is included in the list for clarification because Chinese teak wood doesn’t actually come from genuine teak timber. They’re taken from the black locust wood which looks remarkably like teak.
You can tell the difference on the price because Chinese teak is typically 40% cheaper. Nonetheless, it’s heavy but stable—good for beginners looking for some practice wood.
Indonesian Teak Wood
Originating from real teak, it takes about 30 years for this to be ready for harvest. Compared to Burma teak wood, the grains are wider with a light brown color.
Less expensive but just as good with weather resistance, it’s stable and durable—perfect for furniture woodworking. You’ll need heavy duty materials and some manpower to use this.
African Plantation Teak Wood
African teak wood is allowed to grow from 15 to 25 years before harvest. Hence, the oils aren’t that abundant so you might want to use this for indoor projects.
Containing lots of sound knots and wide grains, the material is light brown rather than deep gold. The price is definitely less expensive and the sturdiness is average.
African Teak Wood
Stable and water resistant, African teak wood is durable. It’s not really teak but comes from the African timber called iroko. Still, it’s popular because of its ability to resist damage and rotting.
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