Teak
A tropical hardwood with a serious reputation. Golden-brown, oily enough for ship decks, dense enough for interior walls. We supply FSC-certified plantation teak with chain-of-custody paperwork.
Golden, oily, hard to kill
Teak is the top-end tropical hardwood in our range. The heartwood carries natural oils that shipbuilders have relied on for centuries — a teak deck survives seawater without a sealer. The same oil keeps it stable, warm and quiet on an interior wall.
Tectona grandis is a dense hardwood from Southeast Asia and plantation sources. The silica and oil in the wood push back water and insects and keep the board dimensionally stable — the reasons British Admiralty ships used it, and the reason Scandinavian mid-century furniture-makers used it indoors.
Species data
Botanical name
Tectona grandis
Tropical hardwood, Southeast Asian origin
Wood type
Hardwood
Ring-porous, naturally oiled
Janka hardness
1,070 lbf (4,740 N)
Dense enough to resist dents on interior walls
Density
~630 - 720 kg/m³
Dry basis, 12% moisture
Grain
Straight, interlocked; ring-porous
Natural silica gives slight sheen
Colour
Golden-brown, ages to silver-grey
Boards left in sunlight silver down over time
Species data: The Wood Database (Tectona grandis). Figures are for the species at 12% moisture content.
Panel dimensions
Thickness
12 - 45mm
Length
3 - 10ft
Width
90 - 140mm
Where your teak actually comes from
Not all teak is the same. Buyers still ask for "Burma teak" by habit, but the market changed in 2021. Below: what we actually source today, how it differs from Burma stock, and why we tell you the origin before you place the order.
Legacy standard
Burma teak
Origin
Myanmar natural forests. Centuries-old reputation.
Status
Restricted since EU and US sanctions, 2021. Rarely available in legal supply chains.
Grain
Tight, straight, high natural oil. Deep golden-brown.
What we supply today
Plantation teak
Origin
FSC-certified plantations in Costa Rica, Ghana, Panama, Indonesia.
Status
Legal, traceable, sustainable. 25-30 year cycle. The current standard.
Grain
Slightly less tight than Burma, lighter honey tone, same species.
The middle ground
Reclaimed teak
Origin
Old Indonesian and Thai colonial buildings, decommissioned ship decks.
Status
Legal via chain-of-custody. Limited supply, higher cost.
Grain
Dense, aged, pre-patinated character.
Our default: FSC-certified plantation teak with full chain-of-custody documentation on request. If your specification calls for reclaimed or demands pre-sanction stock, ask us - we source to project.
Three finishes
Natural
Oiled only. The teak's own golden-brown colour comes through, with the slight sheen the silica gives it.
Whitewashed
A soft white-wash to lift the tone — reads lighter and more Scandinavian against pale furniture.
Darkened
Darker stain to bring the heartwood colour forward. The heritage-cabinetry look.
Where the natural oil pays off
- Yacht & marine interiors
- Luxury hotel suites & spas
- Bathrooms & wet rooms
- Garden rooms & sunrooms
- Feature walls behind pale furniture
Specifier's note
Teak is a naturally oily hardwood — the silica and oil in the board hold water back on their own. In bathrooms, spas and other humid rooms, teak stays on the wall without a sealer, where other hardwoods would need one to survive.
For exterior facades, decking or exposed walls, ask us about thermally modified timber.
Specify Teak
Order free samples, pull the datasheet, or send us the BOQ — we will come back with origin, finish and lead time.