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Teak is a very hard, closely grained wood high
in natural oils. All three of these properties help maintain this
wood's endurance. If properly made, it will not warp, rot, split or
crack and teak withstands the test of time. Teak furniture can be more
than 50 years old and still not show signs of aging.
The ecology-minded will be interested to know that the teak wood to
specify when buying furniture is Indonesian teak. Why? In Indonesia,
there are teak plantations strictly managed by the government to
harvest this wood for the sole purpose of manufacturing. In no way does
the use of this wood interfere or damage Indonesia's rain forest. Other
rain forest countries cannot claim such altruism. Are there any
environmentalists among you? If you're familiar with the Rain Forest
Alliance and Friends of the Earth, you will be interested to know that
the only teak product they certify, is Indonesian Teak Furniture.
Besides buying the wood from Indonesia, you might want to request that
the furniture is also made there. Why? One reason is the Indonesians
are renowned craftsmen. Another is a significant cost advantage as
labor is less expensive plus raw teak export tariff is quite high. One
more reason to buy Indonesian-harvested, Indonesian teak furniture is
that you are helping that country receive earned value for the
responsible use of its resources.
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