Teak wood in Indonesia is not used only for outdoor furniture, as a matter of fact, most of the indoor furniture in Indonesia is made of teak. It’s just not as popular as teak for outdoor in the foreign market. So let’s talk about this gorgeous wood.
Why Teak Furniture?
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The main reason why you want to buy furniture made of teak wood is strength and durability. Teak wood has been a material for making furniture since our ancestors. It has high natural oil content to protects itself from rotting and wood-eating insects.
For its water-resistant properties, in addition to being used as a building material, teak wood is also used as a material for shipbuilding by our ancestors. You can still find hundreds of years old teak wooden boats in operation now.
And also because of its water-resistant properties, teak wood is the main material to built outdoor furniture by the Indonesian furniture manufacturers. But in this post, we will discuss teak as indoor furniture material only, you can read about teak outdoor furniture on this page.
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The second reason why you want to buy teak furniture in Indonesia is that it’s beautiful, it has a gorgeous wood grain that is dense, rich color, and interesting patterns that appeal and are pleasing to the eye.
How Teak Furniture Indonesia is Made
Just like any other wooden furniture, it started with a log. Teak wood is harvested and sold to furniture manufacturers in various sizes, both length, and diameter. It was sold either by the government bureau or by an individual owner.
The selected teak log is then transported to the sawmill facility, to be cut into slabs with various thicknesses which depends on the product requirements. Then it is stacked with a small wedge to let them air-dried for a week or two before it’s fully dried in the kiln.
Air-dried step is necessary to prevent damage due to shocking heat in the kiln, bowing and cracking can be reduced with air-dried lumber. But some manufacturer might skip this step and goes straight to kiln room.
After you know how it’s made, now here’s the important point you need to know before you decide to buy teak furniture in Indonesia.
Attention to The Wood Quality
Teak is just like any other type of wood, they have their own characters and also a quality difference between one and the other. Most of the time, the quality of teak is determined by where they grow and how well they’re maintained.
What do we mean by where they grow…every plant loves to grow on fertile soil and perfect landscape and terrain, lots of sunshine and water resources are ideal for every tree to grow. However, this is not the case to achieve high-quality teak wood.
Construction Detail
Usually, our standard production time to make a product, let say dining table, are 4 – 5 week, but did you know that we can make the same shape dining table in only one week? (let’s call it a one-week table), how can it be?
Well…construction detail is the answer, you know…in order to make good quality teak furniture in Indonesia, we must make sure the wood is properly kiln dried and have a good construction. it’s started by properly dried them in the kiln, in the standard kiln-dry oven it takes about 2 weeks to dry them. even more, if the wooden plank is so thick.
Hardware Detail
Hardware plays an important role in the overall quality of teak furniture Indonesia products. You can use the best quality wood to make a piece of furniture, but when the hinges break, for example then the good wood is useless.
Furniture hardware for indoor is usually factory-made. It’s readily available in the store here in Jepara. On the label, it stated made in Germany, or America, or somewhere else in the world. But let’s face it, It was all made in china. And to be honest, China made high-quality stuff too. It’s made from electroplated steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. But for antique reproduction furniture hardware, uses brass casting hardware locally made.
Finishing Detail
Always ask for color samples from your vendors and regularly check your finished product. How to tell the difference between high-quality furniture finishing with a low one? in our opinion, it’s really hard to tell the difference based on material or let say brand used. Because they are freshly finished, even the cheapest and lowest quality brand doesn’t wear that fast, so the best option for this is to ask for a warranty, that’s it.
However, you can tell the difference by how good the craftsmanship is put into the final product, antique finishes should look and feel like antique, solid color should have an even color all around, fine sanding furniture should be smooth and really…finely sanded.
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Beware of Prices That Are Too Cheap
Cheap is good most of the time, but if it’s too cheap then you must question the quality. Please compare everything with everyone if you want to buy teak furniture Indonesia, gathered all data you can get, and educate yourself to make a final conclusion.
Comparing vendors is not impolite or unethical, it’s a must in business. Just don’t do it in front of them. Collect and compare your data, quality is more important compared to a cheap price.
Tips To Buy Teak Furniture From Indonesia
The best tips are sum up in the statement above, compare everything. Find the best vendor that suits your business value.
The second tips are always to ask for a sample from your vendors. It can be wooden samples, finishes, fabrics, leather, foam, etc. Make it as a master sample to control the quality of the furniture you bought. Without it, you can’t argue if there’s a problem in the future.
Next tips, if it’s possible for you. Place your company quality control personnel in your vendor production facility. You can send directly from your company or hire an independent QC from a reputable company.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Indonesian teak furniture is a good product to add to your collection. With a little knowledge about the wood and how to make it, you can find a good manufacturer who can cooperate for long-term business relationships.
