Teak comes from the Far East, especially Southeast Asia. All our teak furniture comes from Central Java, where there is a large concentration of everything that has to do with teak and furniture. First some short general information about..
What is the difference between plantation teak and recycled teak
There is a difference in quality, despite the fact that it is often called teak, it is unfortunately not always the same. This article will discuss the difference between plantation teak and recycled teak . First, some short general information about teak in general and the teak we use for our furniture. Teak comes from the Far East, especially Southeast Asia. All our teak furniture comes from Central Java, where there is a large concentration of everything that has to do with teak and furniture.
Plantation teak
The plantation teak used for our teak furniture originates from the teak plantations established by the Indonesian government. These were established in the period of the Dutch East Indies and now serve for prosperity and labor in Central Java. Certificates are issued for this plantation teak, the so-called Perum Perhutani.
What is recycled teak?
The recycled teak that we use comes from old buildings and old wooden houses that are being demolished. In addition to the labor to manufacture furniture, the local population also gets a part back to build a stone house. In addition to the extra atmosphere that this old weathered teak gives to a new piece of furniture, it is of course also great that the wood is reused. For example, benches and chairs are currently being made from the craziest tree roots, while a few years ago the local population literally used them as firewood!
Origin and finish: two separate choices
With us, you actually choose twice: which wood your furniture is made of, and how it is finished. Plantation teak is always finished smooth. With reclaimed teak you can choose between smooth and rustic, and you can see that difference in the wood:
| Wood | Finish | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Plantation teak | Always smooth | Even and clean, with no signs of earlier use |
| Reclaimed teak | Smooth | Sanded smooth and slightly lighter in colour. Here and there you may find an inlaid patch. |
| Reclaimed teak | Rustic | More texture and a slightly darker colour. Inlaid patches and small holes are perfectly normal here. |
On every product page you can see whether a piece has a smooth or rustic finish. Photos of both finishes are in the article Rustic or smooth.
What is an inlaid patch?
An inlaid patch is a small piece of teak that the furniture maker sets into the wood. You mostly find it in reclaimed teak, for example where a beam used to be joined to the rest of the house. That old joint is then neatly filled in.
An inlaid patch does not affect the strength of the furniture. Together with the colour differences and small holes, it shows that the wood has had an earlier life, which is why no two pieces are the same. Some customers choose it for exactly that reason. Would you rather have a clean piece without these marks? Then choose plantation teak, or ask us which model suits you best.
The documents for our plantation teak
Our plantation teak comes from Perum Perhutani and is supplied with the documents that belong to it:
- SVLK: the Indonesian system that shows the wood was legally harvested and traded.
- FLEGT licence: the European Union's recognition that the wood meets the European rules for legal timber.
- EUDR: we comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation, which is meant to ensure the wood does not come from land deforested after 2020.
Which teak is better: plantation teak or recycled teak?
Both are equally good if processed well. Have you ever heard anyone talk about the difference between plantation oak or recycled oak? All oak furniture is manufactured in the Netherlands/Europe. The oak is dried well here and the furniture has (almost always) a good construction. This combination therefore does not cause any problems. In Indonesia there is a huge humidity during some periods --> rainy season. If the teak has not been in the drying room there and is loaded in a damp container, this will cause problems. The damp teak furniture is unloaded here, for example in the winter, and goes straight into your living room. During the winter you have everything well insulated and the heating is on, which means that the humidity in the house is sometimes unhealthily low. This teak furniture dries out and starts to crack (unless it is properly dried and manufactured). It does not matter whether it is plantation teak or recycled teak, it is about the fact that the wood is dried and has a good construction. There are companies that indicate that all the wood they use is " worked out ". Unfortunately this is not possible. All wood works and continues to work, plantation teak or oak or recycled teak or oak. However, the wood can be dried and the furniture can be constructed in such a way that you do not see that the wood works. Think of panels in doors and, for example, the blocks with which a table top is mounted to a base.
Not long ago we delivered to a lodge in Namibia. The owner told us that during the rainy season the panels in the doors were closed and in the dry season you could look outside! By the way, they were not our doors.. This kept going up and down and the wood was never fully worked out. These are more extreme weather conditions than in the Netherlands, Western Europe.
Smoothly finished teak top, yet recycled
Even the teak furniture that is finished smoothly can be made of recycled teak! 80-90% of our furniture is made of old recycled teak. The white teak is often smooth and evenly sanded and this is where the difference lies. You can choose from different finishes, smooth or rustic (old wood).
Need more information? Feel free to drop by or request a catalogue .
