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How do I Choose the Best Teak Benches?

Amy Hunter
Amy Hunter

The main concern many people may have when purchasing teak benches is that it is environmentally responsible, and that the area it is manufactured in does not use unsafe or unfair farming practices. Fortunately, most of the teak used for furniture construction in the United States comes from governmental farms in Indonesia. The farms use sustainable farming, replanting teak trees each year to replenish the trees used for furniture manufacturing. Governmental farms also prevent the use of child labor.

Teak benches are a popular choice for gardens because they are naturally weather proof and attractive. With the widespread popularity of teak, choosing the right bench can be challenging. To choose the best teak benches, consider where you will be using the bench, how often it will be used, and the amount of money you have to invest in the furniture.

Woman holding a book
Woman holding a book

All teak has some things in common, to be sure that you get these benefits, it is important that the benches you purchase are actual teak, and not advertised as having a teak-like appearance. Teak is a very dense form of wood, which makes it incredibly rugged and long lasting. Although it is very dense, it is relatively lightweight for its size, which makes teak easy to rearrange until you get it in the perfect spot. Teak is also resistant to rotting, so there is no need to finish or refinish the benches once you purchase them.

Teak benches work well as part of a seating group or as a singular piece in the garden. Before investing any money in a teak bench, decide where you will use the bench so that you know the best size to purchase. If you are not sure where you plan to put the bench, spend some time out in your garden at various times of the day, determining where you would enjoy sitting. Because the wood of the teak benches hold heat easily, they will warm up quickly in the morning, but also may get uncomfortably warm under the afternoon sun. A spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade may be the ideal choice for a teak bench.

Once you find the perfect spot, measure the area. Use pieces of cardboard or some other props to get a general idea of how you want to arrange the seating in the garden area. After you have some idea about the size of the teak benches you are looking for, you are ready to go shopping.

Discussion Comments

anon209290

As easy as it sounds, buying a teak bench is no an easy task, mainly because when you buy teak furniture most of the time, it is a once in a lifetime purchase. As you already know, teak is a very durable hard wood and you can expect a teak bench to last for generations even though you are planning to have it outdoors.

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      Woman holding a book