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Teak

The following information is posted with permission of Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) and is taken from their red booklets Timbers of the World. © TRADA

Tectona grandis L.f.                         Family: Verbenaceae

Teak is one of the world s best known and valued timbers, It occurs in many tropical areas, either as an indigenous species or as an introduced one, It is indigenous to India, Burma, Thailand, and to the former Indo-China, ie Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and in Indonesia, particularly Java, although strictly speaking, teak was introduced into Java originally, and was planted near temples and shrines. Over several centuries these original plantings have extended and developed into almost pure timber stands over fairly extensive areas. Teak is not normally gregarious in its natural habitat, usually being found in mixed deciduous forests.

Teak has also been planted extensively in many other tropical regions including West Africa, the Philippines, Tropical America and the West Indies.

For an account of plantation-grown teak, see the companion Red Booklet, "Timbers of Central America and the Caribbean."

The tree
In its natural habitat, teak is often a large tree, with a clean, cylindrical bole above a fluted or often buttressed base. It can vary considerably in height, girth and form, according to locality, particularly in regard to soil conditions. On clay soils it does not do well, and in the drier and hotter regions. the trees often have much shorter and more fluted stems, with more twisting and branching. On favourable sites, it can reach a height of 39m to 45m and a diameter of 1.5m with a clear bole of 10m up to 24m.

The timber
The sapwood is yellowish or whitish in colour, and sharply defined from the heartwood, which is golden-brown, sometimes figured with darker markings, due to dark-coloured zones of initial parenchyma. Growth rings are distinct, but they vary considerably from a band of two or three layers of large pores to a few scattered large pores not forming a definite band. The dark-coloured parenchyma initiating the seasons growth likewise varies in its width and presence. Teak from some localities may display not only annually occurring growth rings, but also occasional false rings, with very little initial dark parenchyma, with the result that much teak, especially from Burma, is relatively uniform in colour but with only very narrow lines of darker colour marking the annual growth appearing on side grain. Indian teak, especially from the Malabar Coast, (with its heavy annual rainfall of some 3000mm) is usually more handsomely marked. The wood has an oily feel, and a strong odour reminiscent of old leather when freshly cut, but after drying much of the odour is lost, but the wood retains its oily feel.

Teak darkens in colour on exposure; it has a fairly straight grain, sometimes irregular, and a coarse, uneven texture. The average weight of Burma teak is about 640 kg/m3 when dried.

Drying
Teak from ring-girdled trees air dries easily but slowly, but timber from ungirdled. green trees requires a lot of initial care in order to avoid rapid drying which is liable to cause checking. end splitting and warping to develop. Teak presents no serious problems in kiln drying from the air dry condition, except in the assessment of initial and final moisture contents. While drying defects are usually minimal, there is usually considerable variation in the drying rate of individual pieces, and moisture content differences can be great.

There is often a loss of colour in some pieces in kiln drying, but the colour is quickly regained when the wood is exposed to light.

Strength
The general strength properties of teak are about the same as those of mengkulang (Heritiera spp.). It compares favourably with English oak (Quercus spp.) in most strength categories, but is rather weaker in shear strength and toughness.

Durability
Very durable.

Working qualities
Although variable, the wood can be worked with moderate ease with both hand and machine tools. There is a moderate to severe dulling of cutting edges, but if these are kept sharpened, the wood finishes well. It takes nails and screws fairly well, and glues satisfactorily on freshly machined or sanded surfaces. It can be varnished or polished satisfactorily.

Uses
Shipbuilding, decking, planking, deck-houses, bulwarks, furniture. cabinet-making, interior fittings and panelling, out-door building and furniture, laboratory benches and equipment, acid vats, weather doors, plywood and decorative veneer.