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If you’ve bought your teak furniture from a reputable company, you can rest assured that your pieces won’t crack no matter how hot the sun gets, says Philip Jensen, the export and marketing manager of Teak & Mahogany.
He shares that an important part of teak production is the kiln drying process. All reputable companies will kiln-dry their teak for four to eight weeks. This reduces the moisture in the wood to a stable level so that there is very little chance of cracking.
For teak, the moisture content should be below 14 per cent. It will naturally reduce to around 8 to 10 per cent by itself and stay at that level. Teak products that crack most likely weren’t kiln-dried properly, or not at all.
Teak is a tropical hardwood prized for its durability and weather resistance. It may change colour when exposed to rain and sun, to a light silvery grey. However, this is more of a “sun tan” than the wood drying out, and you can clean and sand away the top surface to revive its golden hue.