TEAK WOOD

A large deciduous tree of the family Verbenaceae, or its, one of the most valuable timbers. Teak has been widely used in India for more than 2,000 years. The name teak is from the Malayan word tekka.

Native to India, Burma, and Thailand, the tree grows as far north as about the 25th parallel in these areas and to the 32nd parallel in the Punjab. The tree is not found near the coast; the most valuable forests are on low hills up to about 3,000 feet. Stands are also found in the Philippines and in Java and elsewhere in the Malay Archipelago. Teak is also planted in Africa and Central America.

In India, teak is abundantly found in Balarsa in Maharashtra, Hunsur, Mysore & Dandeli in Karnataka, Valsad in Gujarat and parts of Kerala. Teak of each of these locations has its own unique properties; for eg; Maharashtra teak is known for its superior grains, Karnataka teak for its high oil content, Gujarat teak for both superior grains and good oil content. Kerala teak is second in quality compared to other locations and is therefore economical and preferred for bulk consumption.

APPLICATIONS:

Teak wood is used for shipbuilding, fine furniture, door and window frames, wharves, bridges, cooling-tower louvers, flooring, paneling, railway cars, and venetian blinds. An important property of teak is its extremely good dimensional stability