Teak is a hardwood timber, indigenous to Burma and Thailand, brought to Indonesia by Dutch colonists in 1816. The colonialists in Java, (the colonial power at the time) planted seedlings of Teak (Tectona Grandis), in the many teak plantations that are still in existence today, making them some of the oldest teak farms in the world.

Contrary to popular belief, Tectona Grandis is a deciduous hardwood tree. Teak is extremely dense-grained and has a high natural oil content that acts as a natural preservative to the wood so it can be left outdoors for decades. It naturally contains high levels of resinous oil that acts like an insect repellent and allows it to be resistant to moisture and the trying effects of weather. Teak also contains silica, which creates a density to the wood that allows it to be resistant to fungal decay, water, rotting, warping, shrinking and swelling.

These plantations are now owned by the Indonesian government, which is responsible for the control of these teak farms allowing the felling of a limited number of trees each year and the reforestation of these farms.

How durable is teak? The first outdoor teak benches were made of recycled decking from old sailing ships. Many public parks in England are furnished with such teak benches, some of which are nearly a century old.