Teak wood for furniture

What Teak is

Teak, known locally as Sagwan or Saagwan (ساگوان), is the timber of Tectona grandis. It is not native to Pakistan: the teak sold here is imported, from Myanmar ("Burma"), Africa and plantations elsewhere in the tropics. It is a true hardwood, famous around the world for boats, decks and outdoor furniture.

Colour and feel

Teak is a golden to medium brown that darkens with age. It feels slightly oily or waxy to the touch, because of the natural oils in the wood. Those oils are the reason it handles moisture so well.

Strength

Teak is lighter and softer than Sheesham (770 kg/m³, 1,660 lbf). For indoor furniture that takes daily knocks, such as dining chairs and beds, Sheesham is the harder wood. Teak's strength is elsewhere.

Durability and termites

Teak is rated "very durable" and is often described as the gold standard for decay resistance, and it is resistant to termites (Wood Database). That makes it the right wood for places other woods dislike:

• Bathroom vanities and shelving.
• Verandas, covered terraces and garden furniture.
• Main doors exposed to weather.
• Kitchen parts close to water, where a solid wood is wanted.

The truth about "Burma teak"

Many sellers advertise "Burma teak". The origin of teak is rarely verifiable once it has been cut and sold on, and Myanmar teak has been under international sanctions since 2021 (Wood Database). Plantation teak from other countries varies a lot in quality: fast-grown wood can have more sapwood and less oil. Ask your supplier for documents, and judge the wood itself: colour, oiliness, straight grain and the amount of pale sapwood.

How to recognise good teak

• Colour: golden to medium brown heartwood, with little pale sapwood on visible faces.
• Feel: a slightly oily or waxy surface on unfinished wood.
• Grain: usually straight, with an even texture.
• Weight: a teak plank feels solid but lighter than the same plank in Sheesham.
• Paperwork: ask where it came from and get the wood named on the invoice. Be cautious of a "Burma teak" label offered without any documents.

Where Teak works best

• Anything that will meet moisture: bathrooms, verandas and outdoor pieces under cover.
• Premium main doors and frames.
• Accent furniture where the golden colour suits the room.

For beds, dining tables and bedroom sets kept indoors, we usually recommend Sheesham: it is harder, grown in Pakistan and carries our 50-year wood guarantee.

Teak in kitchens and bathrooms

Teak is one of the few solid woods we are comfortable using near water, for example in a bathroom vanity or a shelf beside a sink. Even so, no wood should sit in standing water. In a kitchen we still build the sink base carcass in moisture-tolerant board with sealed edges, and use solid wood such as teak, Sheesham or Diyar for shutters and frames. Our kitchen materials guide explains which board belongs where, and our kitchen cabinets service covers design, measurement and fitting in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

How we build with Teak

Teak's natural oils can interfere with some glues and finishes, so surfaces are cleaned before gluing and finishing, and joints are cut tight. We select heartwood for visible and structural parts. For outdoor and bathroom pieces we use rust-resistant fittings, because no wood can protect a steel screw from corrosion.

Caring for Teak

• Indoors, dust with a dry cloth and re-oil or re-polish when it looks dry.
• Outdoors, teak weathers to a silver grey if left unoiled. That is cosmetic. Regular teak oil keeps the golden colour.
• Wipe standing water off flat surfaces and keep feet off permanently wet ground.

Teak or Sheesham?

Choose Teak for wet and outdoor locations. Choose Sheesham for hard-wearing indoor furniture. Compare every wood we use in the wood comparison table.

Price

Teak is at the premium end of our range, because it is imported. Prices depend heavily on origin, board size and quality, so we quote each teak piece individually.