“Grade A teak” appears on a great many garden furniture product pages, rarely with an explanation. The term refers neither to a species nor to an origin: it says which part of the tree the wood comes from. And that changes how it holds up outdoors.
The heart of the tree
A teak trunk is not uniform. At its centre lies the heartwood, the oldest wood, dense and steeped in oil. Around it, the sapwood, younger and paler, is softer and far less rich in oil. Three qualities are commonly distinguished: Grade A, taken from the heartwood; Grade B, which mixes in a share of sapwood; Grade C, where sapwood dominates.
Grade A, then, is heartwood, the densest part of the tree and the richest in natural oils.
Why the oils matter
Teak contains an oleoresin that runs through its fibres. This is what makes it rot-resistant: it stands up to rain, changes in temperature, humidity and sea spray, and defends itself against fungi and insects. The closer the wood comes from the heart, the more it contains, and the longer that protection lasts. Teak with a high share of sapwood stains, moves more and ages less well outdoors.
How to recognise it
- The colour. When new, heartwood is golden, even from one slat to the next. Distinctly paler bands give away sapwood.
- The feel. Heartwood is slightly oily to the touch, because of its oil.
- The weight. For the same dimensions, a piece in teak heartwood is noticeably heavier.
- The grain. Tight and regular, with no pale patches.
A word of caution: once weathered, all teak takes on the same silver patina. These criteria apply to new wood, or to wood whose grey layer has been removed.
Where it matters most
A daybed spends the summer in the sun and by the pool, sometimes the winter outside too: it is the piece that calls for the densest wood. Our sun loungers and daybeds are made in Grade A teak.
- Jupiter, a round daybed in light teak, edged with khaki rope.
- Langit, a canopy daybed whose slatted roof filters the light.
- Rehat, a sun lounger on wheels with a reclining back, to follow the sun through the day.
All three go indoors as well as out.
And reclaimed teak?
That follows a different logic: wood salvaged from old buildings, stable because it has already lived, chosen for its character rather than its uniformity (see reclaimed teak).
At the showroom in La Teste-de-Buch, lay your hand on teak heartwood: its grain and its weight say more than any product page.