Patio, or can be called the outdoor space of the house, it is the area that for every family member use for social and relaxing activities. We can see that the house that has many members usually have patio area to perform such an activities. According to this reason, it is fairly to say that patio is the area in the house that mostly used so it needs kind of good furniture too. If
we talk about furniture that used with patio, we normally thing about the furniture that mobile and movable because when we occasionally use indoor furniture for patio.
However, it is still recommend that you should have fixed furniture for outdoor area too. And one of the most popular furniture for patio is teak furniture. As the material that suitable for the area like patio is they have to make from the material that could stand to extreme change of weather condition such as very strong sunlight or heavy rain. Just because of outdoor area is not covered by the roof and so the furniture will be damaged easily if they have to sit among those conditions.
There are some material that suitable for making patio furniture; metal, fiber glass and wood. Each type of material has advantage and disadvantage and in this article we will talk about having teal furniture, which is now tend to gain more and more popularity even though there is the trend of lower teak wood supply for furniture industry.
Using teak furniture for patio has a lot of benefits. The most obvious one is that teak is the only natural material that has last long durable use with outdoor area. Even though they are very expensive when compared to other type of outdoor furniture such as metal and fiber glass furniture, but the unique characteristics of teak furniture still very attractive. As teak wood provides very warm, welcome and luxurious look to the house so these are other benefits of using teak furniture. Metal furniture also good for place in patio area but using metal material may have disadvantage when the metal is wet, so great chance of rust if they are not properly maintained.
However, using teak furniture also has disadvantage. Due to teak furniture is heavy, so it is not flexible enough to move in and out from indoor to outdoor area, so it seems that if you decide to place them in one place so you may have to be careful to consider the location because it could not be moved anywhere else later on. Also, the price of teak furniture still expensive, so it is still not suitable for the person who has very limited budget and they have to choose other type of material in stead. Find the place to buy them is not very easy too. You can find some furniture outlets around your area but you have to be very careful before you decide to buy them. Just to make sure that the teak furniture that you choose has no marks or scattered damages on the surface and you have to make negotiation with the seller too.
Buying furniture online need not be a scary proposition. Armed with a few tips for a successful search, anyone can make an informed, comfortable decision when it comes to finding outdoor furniture. In most cases, local stores will not offer the same selection, pricing or quality that a quality outdoor furniture online retailer will, making an online purchase a smart decision. Here are ten things you should keep in mind when shopping for outdoor furniture online.
1. Look for the Warranty Statements
Any Outdoor furniture retailer or discounter worth considering will have a clear, well written and definitive statement of warranty OR clearly state there is no warranty on their products. It is recommended, however, that you strongly consider patronizing online sellers that will back their products with a warranty on manufacturing defects for a certain period of time. These statements should be easy for you to find, and make sense without having a law degree. Many online outdoor furniture websites will warranty the furniture they sell for a certain period of days after the furniture is received. Others worth considering highly will warranty their furniture for 5 years, 10 years, or longer.
2. Read Guarantee Policies and Return Policies
When considering an online purchase for smaller, less expensive items, these policies are still important, but not nearly as important as when you’re spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on outdoor furniture. An online furniture shop worth its weight in gold will clearly state its guarantee and return policies, and those policies will more favor the customer, and not the shop’s interests. What happens if you receive shipment and are not comfortable in your furniture or it is clearly not what you had expected? Look for a money back guarantee to help with peace of mind. Most good outdoor furniture websites will guarantee your satisfaction within the first few weeks or longer.
If you DO need to return the furniture, be sure you understand the return policies BEFORE you buy. The standard practice for online outdoor furniture companies is to require the purchaser to pay return postage and a restocking fee of anywhere from 10% to 20%. So be prepared, just in case. However, some retailers will pick-up the tab for return shipping and charge no fee. Of course, if you do your homework on a site you’re interested in (keep reading), you should be a satisfied and happy customer!
3. Take Note of Shipping Policies and Charges
Shipping outdoor furniture can be expensive. Shippers are now charging businesses by box volume and not by actual weight. Some companies will offer very low prices to snag you early on, only to surprise you with higher than expected shipping charges. Stay away from these outfits. The best online retailers will be up front with their shipping charges or even offer free shipping (while still offering good and fair pricing.)
Most outdoor furniture sellers will offer one standard shipping service through a major national carrier. Don’t fret if you find this to be the case with your chosen retailer. Most customers will receive their shipment within 10-14 business days depending on the online seller, although sooner is becoming more common. If one shipping method is offered and you need your furniture sooner, don’t hesitate to email or call the online store (they’ll have their contact information clearly posted if they’re reputable (see below)) and ask for a quote on faster delivery. Be warned, though. Expedited shipping service can be very expensive.
4. Look for Quality Pictures and Thorough, Descriptive and Grammatically Correct Descriptions.
When you read the product descriptions and look at the pictures, do you get the impression that the online business understands what they’re selling? Is it clear that the business has taken time to present it’s products in the best way possible to its potential customers? You as the customer should have a clear idea of what the outdoor furniture product is, how it looks, and how it may look in your home setting. A business that makes it difficult for you to view and understand the products may not be worth your time. This could be an indication of potential future customer service snags.
5. Read Customer Testimonials
Probably the best way to gage your potential future relationship with an outdoor furniture business, customer testimonials are your window into business practices and product quality. Look for happy customers satisfied with their outdoor furniture purchases. Even more, however, look for those testimonials that may mention a hitch or snag in the purchase process and how that customer is now satisfied with their purchase - perhaps even to the point of recommending that business to their friends and family. This kind of testimonial should carry almost more weight than a whole string of gushing customer comments.
6. Be Sure the Outdoor Furniture Website is Easy to Contact With Questions.
Does the “contact us” link display more than a box for you to enter your email address and question? It should. Look for a physical address and a phone number (preferably a toll free number) when browsing the outdoor furniture website. This information should be easy to find and up to date. You’ll want to spend your money at a business that is unafraid to list its physical address and a customer service phone number. When making a purchase of this size, dealing with an anonymous online seller is tantamount to gambling. Don’t do it.
7. Watch for the “Padlock” When Checking Out.
Outdoor furniture websites worth your time have invested in a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate and will use credit card processing by reputable, reliable companies (Paypal, Google and http://Authorize.net for example). When entering the checkout process from the shopping cart, look at the beginning of the site address. If it begins with “https://” and you see a padlock in either the address bar or another portion of the browser, your information is being encrypted as it is sent, and is secure. If you don’t see this happen, think twice about sending your information.
8. Look for a Site Pleasing to the Eye.
If a site is put together well, it is worth your browsing time. In all actuality, if it looks good to you, you’ll stick around even if you don’t remember this rule! A business that wants your business will make it easy for you to find what you want and set you at ease with the shopping experience. Outdoor furniture websites come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from the “mom and pop” small, simple website to the slick, ultra refined furniture clearinghouse. Shop where you are comfortable!
9. Expect Your Email/Phone Questions Answered Quickly and Courteously.
How much does it appear an online retailer wants your business? If they do, they will respond to your questions and requests in a timely fashion. Emails sent to an online outdoor furniture website should be responded to the same business day with either an answer or an acknowledgment that your email has been received and will be replied to shortly. Further, phone calls should be answered promptly or, if a message is left, the voice message is responded to in a timely fashion. You as the customer should always feel that you are the most important person to a retailer, be they around the corner or half way around the world online. The online business that treats its customers well is the business you want to highly consider.
10. Check a Website’s Track Record and Longevity in Business
Although a newer business doesn’t necessarily mean it is less reliable or less trustworthy, finding an online outdoor furniture retailer that has a longer track record can give you more peace of mind when spending large amounts of money on furniture.
There are a few ways you can determine the length of a website’s time in business. Many sites will have a copyright statement in the footer. This is a good place to begin. Another hint to a website’s vintage is to look at the number of customer testimonials or customer comments. Sometimes comments will be date stamped, giving a clue to how long ago purchases were made. You can also look at the “About Us” area of the website for hints to how long a website has been in business. You may find that the website you’re browsing is fairly new, but the company behind it has been around for years and years.
Keeping these things in mind when shopping for outdoor furniture should result in a very satisfying experience for you. Shopping online today has become as ubiquitous as running out to the mall to shop. Armed with the right knowledge and the right questions, you will be happy with the outcome.
TEAK: A hardwood known to last a lifetime! Teak furniture made from quality Grade A teak has qualities unlike any other wood and is dense, rich in oil, almost impervious to splitting, buckling, and rot which makes teak wood termite proof. Teak has been prized for centuries as one of the worlds most durable and stable woods for outdoor use. Ever since ancient times, civilization has been aware of the long-lasting benefits of teak wood. Dutch shipbuilders first employed teak wood in manufacturing their sailing fleets because of its strong structural properties and resistance to insects and decay. For shipbuilders, the most important property of teak wood is its ability to prevent rust and corrosion when it contacts metal. Teak wood is extremely easy to work with, and its resistance to decay due to its natural retained oils after being cut has made it not only a popular timber tree, but also a valuable resource.
In regards to shipbuilding, the main advantage of teak is its unique ability to prevent rust and corrosion when in contact with metal. It is said that the first outdoor teak benches were actually made of the decking from old sailing ships. The decking on these ships was in such good condition when the ships were about to be scrapped, the wood was recycled and remade into outdoor teak furniture. Public parks all over England are furnished with teak benches, some of which are nearly a century old! An outstanding material, teak continues to be a choice for boat materials even in this day and age. You can see this in the modern skiff at the right. The foredeck hatch consists of teak. More and more farmers, villages and communities in Indonesia, China, Puerto Rico, and other smaller countries are planting teak ( Tectona grandis ) trees as an investment for the future.
Teak is a high-quality wood that retains its natural oils - prized throughout the world for its beauty and durability. Premium commercial grade A teak is the most sought-after tropical hardwood for prestigious furniture, shipbuilding and decorative use in construction. Indonesian exports of teak furniture approached US$800 million in 2001 and have grown every year since. Because of this demand, the market for teak in Indonesia is very well established and an important source of employment and income for the people of that country. Elephants are still used to haul teak from inland jungles to the waterways. Transporting teak has always been a difficult problem because of the heavy weight of the wood. The logs are so heavy they will not float. Instead the elephants drag the teak logs through the thick undergrowth in the rain forests. These forests are usually a great distance from the coast. The elephants have even been trained to stack the logs in even piles. And when a bell sounds to end the day, the elephants know to stop their work, without any human direction.
Today teak is used principally in furniture, shipbuilding and in the construction of expensive boats and yachts. Currently, teak can be found on modern cruise ship decks, in parks, used as flooring, and as home outdoor furniture. Teak can be transformed into a unique style or more traditional & classic style peice of furniture. In the United States, teak benches, teak chairs & tables, and multiple teak accessories can be found throughout resorts, hotels, and parks. Teak steamer chairs can be found on almost every cruise ship worldwide and at most upscale resorts. This is an indication of the most popular uses of teak products today.
There are thousands of furniture-making enterprises in Indonesia. Jepara, one of the most important furniture-production districts on the island, had more than 3000 legally registered establishments in 2000. Additionally, up to 3 million unregistered establishments of all sizes probably exist, employing 6 million people or 6% of the total population of Java. These establishments are engaged in a range of livelihoods, with a significant number undertaking teak-related activities. The figure is further increased if we include Illegal cutting of teak in the wild. On a recent 2500 km trip through west Java, Julia Maturana, a researcher in CIFOR’s program on environmental services and sustainable use of forests, found privately owned teak plantations everywhere. “We saw a lot of teak growing in gardens with other useful species, as we expected,” she said. “But we also found large areas belonging to villages or communities dedicated just to teak. Several were very well managed, with good spacing and showing a considerable investment in labour and capital.” The State-owned company Perum Perhutani has 3 million hectares of forests and forest plantations in Java and dominates the teak market. And before 1998, private sales of teak wood were forbidden. Even now a private agent wanting to sell the wood needs at least three special permits. “Despite these disincentives, people have planted teak in their own gardens to supply their own requirements of wood, as a ‘savings account’ for their children and to use in special cases of need,” said Maturana. “Most of the plantings we saw were small and recent with trees ranging from 6 months to 5 years old. This suggests a new system is developing using new areas of land, adding to the already existing areas of teak.” Teak is an attractive long-term investment, with a first class 80-cm diameter log worth $830 a cubic metre in 2001. A fourth class log 4-7 cm in diameter brought $14 per cubic metre. “Chiefs of district forestry departments in west Java told us that the local people usually harvest teak early. The usual rotation period is 40 years or less,” said Maturana. “So privately grown teak is sold in local markets at 20-50 percent below the official price. Even so, it still represents an important but sporadic source of income for rural people.”
Despite constraints in market access and wood quality, the number of areas recently planted with teak shows it to be an attractive option for people’s investments. High market prices and a well-estab.ent, are attracting investment in teak plantations. Doors are open for rural agents because of the low capital requirements, for seeds and labour, that are mainly concentrated in the first 3 years. “But both of these are plentiful in rural Java areas,” said Maturana. Because of its slow growth cycle and the type of final products , teak wood plays an important role in soil and water conservation and sequesters considerable amounts of carbon. Maturana, with other researchers, has started researching the location and extent of privately managed teak plantations to understand their dynamics and the factors influencing their development. “We want to analyze these systems to understand their importance in the rural economy, their potential for wood supply and the kind of incentives needed to promote such systems,” said Maturana. Can these areas spread and become an important source of income for the people as well as an extensive, financially driven, reforestation effort? Is that even possible in an island with one of the highest population densities in the world? “How can we help this become a success story combining social, financial and ecological benefits?” asked Maturana. “This is the question donors, research institutions, governments and NGOs need to ask. We are working on it!”
Characteristics of Teak: Teak is an extremely dense [40lbs cuft when dry] coarse grained hardwood that is resistent to rust, rot, and termites. Teak wood is generally straight grained, but occasionally wavy. There are three grades of teak: A, B, and C with A being the highest quality. It has a coarse and uneven texture. Teak wood contains a high level of silica which causes rapid blunting of cutting edges. When fresh cut, the surface of the wood is dull in appearance, and the timber has a distinctive, pleasantly aromatic odor which has been likened to the smell of leather. Fresh sawn teak has a slightly ‘oily’ feel due to the high oil content. One of the most commonly quoted facts about the characteristics of teak is its durability. It is resistant to rot caused by fungal decay, and the high level of resinous oil present in the timber helps to act as a natural insect repellent giving the timber very high resistance to attack by termites and other wood boring insects. The timber is said to be resistant to water and many chemical reagents, including acids. It does not have a strong reaction when it comes in contact with metals. All these statements regarding the durability of teak are born out by the fact that we can see many instances of the timber which have withstood the test of time when used as key components in the boat building industry, or more sedately when used for making municipal furniture for our parks.
Teak wood has long been treasured for the beauty of its grain, golden color and timeless durability. Teak has been a favored material for use abroad ships and yachts and for use in outdoor furniture.
When teak patio furniture is exposed to the sun and weather, the natural oils migrate to the surface of the wood. The sun then oxidizes this oil and turns the surface a silver-gray color. Over extended periods of time this process depletes the wood of its natural oils causing surface roughness and checking (cracks along the grain of the wood) and the oxidized surface oil provides fertile ground for the growth and mildew and fungus. This process, along with the erosion caused by the wind and rain, will eventually make the surface dirty, unsightly and very rough to the touch.
Most authorities on teak denounce the use of teak oils. Because teak oil is usually solvent based, the use of such oils can actually destroy the natural oils in the teak wood. Also, once you begin using it, you will need to continue applications which can be as often as once per month. I also dislike the reddish colour you get after treating furniture with teak oil.
A much better option is to use a teak sealer. Teak sealer is extensively used in the yachting and marine circles. (If it’s good enough for marine type environment where the Teak wood is exposed to seawater, then imagine how good it really is!) It leaves the furniture a golden brown colour which is much more attractive and keeps the ‘expensive’ look of the teak. It is the only product I recommend to use on teak furniture.
There are a variety of “teak oils” on the market for the protection of teak which usually consists of linseed or tung oil mixed with mineral spirits. When first applied to the wood these oils impart a nice finish, but left outdoors teak oils wear away in weeks and require re-coating. With each re-coat, the oiled finish becomes darker and the surface becomes sticky and collects dirt. The organic waste from these oils provides a wonderful garden patch for the growth of mold and mildew. In a very short period of time the wood requires a complete re-cleaning.
If teak has been allowed to weather, the gray color and any mildew must be removed before finishing the wood. Prior to any application of teak sealer, you will need to clean the teak wood with washing and mild detergent prior to seasonal recoating with a teak sealer. This will preserve the teak in its natural state for many years.
I personally much prefer the silver colour teak eventually turns to. Remember it is not the same dull grey that you tend to see with cheaper furniture. It is much more vibrant silver then grey. With very light sanding to take the rough edge every few years, the furniture really looks beautiful.
Perhaps the most popular types of teak furniture purchased by far are the teak lounge chair category. This category has two main types of loungers. Teak Chaise loungers and Teak Steamer or Teak Deck Chairs. Both offer comfort and style and utility in very unique ways.
The traditional Teak Chaise Lounger usually has a longer and wider lower section that is fixed in a horizontal position on most Teak Chaise Loungers. The upper end of the Teak Chaise lounger is usually adjustable from horizontal or flat to three or more upright positions. There are some higher end Teak Chaise loungers that offer multiple positions for the lower section. There are even some that offer a total of 32 possible positions in combination of the upper and lower section positions.
The Teak Chaise Lounger typically has wheels affixed to the upper or head end of the lounger chair. As Teak Chaise loungers are usually larger and heavier, (60 to 70 lbs on average) than the Teak Steamer Lounge chairs, the wheels make for ease of movement and positioning without the strain if lifting a medium size load.
Teak Steamer Loungers are traditionally shorter in overall length and width than most Teak Chaise Loungers. This provides some advantages for lifting storing and positioning. Teak Steamer chairs usually fold into a compact size with ease. This makes mobility and portability much more achievable with Steamers versus Chaises. Another comfort feature of the teak Chaise Longer is they usually come with a hidden tray which slide out to either side and provides a great surface to food, drinks or other lounging type items.
Teak Steamer Lounge chairs most commonly have an adjustable upper back-rest section that recline into three or more positions. The lower leg section is usually fixed into a slightly declined position. Some Teak Steamers are made to have the lower leg section removable which adds versatility not found in teak chaise loungers. This makes them much more light weight and more of a reclining steamer chair versus a steamer lounger.
Teak Steamer chairs typically have a contoured or curved bottom seat, leg and back rest sections. Teak Chaise Loungers are typically flat on all surfaces, although there are some models with a curved back rest section. Shipping costs for online internet orders are usually lower with a steamer chair, as they easily fold and fit into a much smaller size box than the larger Chaise lounge chairs. 
As most parcel shipping companies charge based on the size of the box versus the weight in most cases, this make the cost of shipping Steamer lounge chairs lower than Teak Chaise Loungers.
We hope you find this comparison useful in determining the style of longer that is best suited for your needs.
