From Seed to the South Downs is back! We continue by revealing how the best quality and strongest teak wood is selected to create Teakunique teak garden furniture including teak benches, teak tables, teak chairs, and teak garden loungers.
Once trees are harvested from the sustainably managed plantations, the felled trees are bucked into logs and separated into batches of differing teak wood qualities based on strict grading rules devised by forestry company Perum Perhutani (PP). The logs are then transported to log yards for auction.
When Teakunique’s Rep in Indonesia receives a production order from us, an experienced wood trader issued with a PP license will purchase teak wood on our behalf from one of the monthly auctions. Armed with our teak garden furniture specifications, he’ll select honey coloured top grade heartwood teak, rich in oils with no live knots and a close, straight grain (there is often a slight naturally occurring curve to the grain). This teak wood will generally come from plantations known for their high calcium content and minimal rainfall, and from mature trees grown for at least 30 years or more. This is the strongest teak timber, which is naturally resistant to the elements with a long lifespan – however it makes up less than 20% of available teak wood.
The teak wood guide price is set by PP and evaluated every six months. Once purchased, the wood trader will receive a document detailing the origins of the teak wood including the plantation number, tree number, tree circumference, and teak wood grade. This document, proving the legal purchase of teak wood, is an important element in the Chain of Custody from plantation to final product.
In our next “From Seed to the South Downs” post, we’ll talk about our long established partnership with our Rep in Indonesia and working together to produce exceptionally made garden furniture destined for gardens throughout the UK, Europe and sometimes further afield.
Please read “From Seed to the South Downs” – part 4
Rachel and Victoria
