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Make Sure You're Getting Real
Teak
If you are
deciding on what type of furniture to have in
your home or yard, you may have thought that you
want the best. In the minds of many that means
teak wood. But how do you know if a piece of
furniture is really teak furniture?
Since teak wood is a very expensive wood, there
are some unscrupulous people who would try to
pass other pieces of furniture off as teak, in
an effort to take your money. Therefore, it is
important that you know how to tell the
difference between real teak furniture, and a
fake, before you make a purchase.
The Feel of Teak
The first thing you need to know about teak wood
is that it does not feel like other woods. Sure,
it is as hard as wood, but once you put your
hand on teak wood you may be able to tell the
difference between it and other wood types. The
most obvious difference is that unlike other
woods, teak does not splinter. If you rub your
hands across the surface of a piece of wood you
should be able to quickly tell if it's a fake.
The first splinter you get in your hand will be
a quick indication.
The Smell of Teak
The next thing that may help you tell if a piece
of furniture is real teak furniture or not is
the smell. Many things have a distinct smell.
Leather in a new car is a good example of one of
those scents that you know is the real thing as
soon as it hits your nose. In the case of teak
furniture, you will smell a very light fragrant
smell, coming from the wood. It's an earthy
smell, but one that is different from other
freshly cut woods. Teak gets this smell from the
oils that are heavily embedded in the wood.
The Color of Teak
Teak wood is unlike other woods in that it can
change its look substantially with age. Most
woods change as they age only if you offer an
outside stimulus. For example, a dark wood may
lighten if you leave it in the sun day after
day. That is not the wood changing on it's own,
but rather the rays of the sun having a
bleaching effect on the wood.
Teak is different. No matter what type of
environment you have it in, teak will change its
colors, unless you stop it. If you leave it in
the sun, the colors of teak wood will change
from soft browns and oranges to silvers and
white, almost in the way a person may get white
hairs are they grow older. On the other hand,
teak that is left in the shade, or kept inside,
will change to darker browns and oranges over
time. Either way, you should be able to identify
teak wood by the beautiful grains in the wood.
Normally, teak furniture from a manufacturer is
what it says it is, but if you are looking to
purchase from a private sale or antique shop, it
is best to know the characteristics of the wood
to make sure you are getting the real thing.
Source:teakbench.blogspot.com/2008/09/making-sure-youre-getting-real-teak.html
9/8/08
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