How to care Wooden Furniture to be durable and long lasting

How to care wooden furniture to be durable and long lasting. Today many people choose furniture from wood instead of using furniture made from other materials. Furniture made of wood, especially teak wood is durable. Wooden furniture also brings a cool natural atmosphere into the room. But all these advantages must also be balanced with how to care for wooden furniture correctly and appropriately.

  1. How to handle furniture made of wood must be careful. For example, if you want to move a wooden chair, you have to lift the wooden chair properly. Namely by lifting the seat, not moved by being shifted or lifted only on the back. By paying little attention to wooden furniture, surely your wooden furniture can last longer.
  2. Polishing teak wood. If you are someone who likes teak with its natural color, you can use teak oil liquid to polish your teak furniture or furniture. Polishing is needed regularly to keep teak furniture shiny, charming, and more antique.
  3. Diligently clean it every day. What treatments should you do every day? That is enough to sweep and wipe the surface of the wooden table, wooden furniture, wooden chairs, or other wooden furniture with a soft cloth or duster evenly. Pay attention to parts that are difficult to clean, for example the carvings.
  4. Use a pledge to clean the surface of furniture made of wood, both teak and other wood. You do this by spraying Pledga onto the surface of wooden furniture, be it furniture, tables, chairs, etc. Spray only as needed, don’t forget to spray also on the sidelines of the furniture. Pledge you can easily get at a furniture store. Ask for a pledge with good quality. Then you can clean the pledge using a ball cloth. Ball cloth can be purchased at a building or material store in your city.
  5. To maintain the beauty of the color of the wood and extend the protection life of the coating, you can use biopolish to polish the wood furniture. Diligently polishing the layers of wood furniture is important, especially if you place wooden furniture outside the room.

How to care wooden furniture to be durable and long lasting

Wood Preservation

Wood Preservation

Wood Preservation, certain types of wood must be preserved to prevent attacks by insects/organisms or wood-destroying fungi. What is meant by preservation is inserting chemicals into the wood (pores) so that it penetrates the surface of the wood several mm thick into the flesh of the wood.

Preservation aims to increase the useful life of wood, especially wood used for building materials or for outdoor furniture.

Wood is categorized into several durable classes.

  1. Durable class I (very durable), for example: Teak wood, Sonokeling
  2. Durable class II (durable), for example: Merbau wood, Mahogany
  3. Durable class III (less durable), for example: Rubber wood, Pine
  4. Durable class IV (not durable), for example: Albasia wood
  5. Durable class V (very not durable)

With the level of durability mentioned above, only Durable Classes III, IV and V need to be preserved. For certain purposes, the sapwood of durable grades I & II also needs to be preserved.
Preserved wood will be resistant to insect attack and wood fungus even if the wood is placed outdoors.

Preservatives whose core content is in the form of powder have various types. The material is mixed with water at a certain level of mixture (see SNI-3233-1992) and the method of preservation varies.

Borax is one of the materials used to preserve wood from the vacuum method, cold immersion, hot immersion (boiled) to polishing methods.

Preventive measure
However, in relation to the environment and user health, wood preservation in furniture should pay attention to the following:

  1. Do not do wood preservation if the furniture product you are going to produce has direct contact with food, for example: plates, food racks, etc. Chemical preservatives will adversely affect the health of consumers.
  2. Do not preserve the wood that will be used for the table top.
  3. Use preservatives, if possible, only in areas that are easily visible such as wooden floors, decking and wall panels.
  4. Avoid using preserved wood for construction that has the potential to come into direct contact with drinking water and clean water, such as bridge structures.
  5. Dispose of the remains of preserved wood by means of burial or ordinary garbage. Do not burn or use for burning stoves, heating fires because the fumes containing chemicals can turn into smoke.
  6. Avoid yourself from sawdust or too much sandpaper, use an adequate mask.
  7. Especially for those of you who work in the area of ​​wood preservation and/or who are in direct contact with these chemicals, wash your hands and body parts until they are completely clean before eating or drinking.
  8. If the clothes you wear are likely to be exposed to chemical splashes or dust and other means of contamination, separate them from others when washing. Wood Preservation

Why are teak wood products dried in the sun?

Why are teak wood products dried in the sun?

Why are teak wood products dried in the sun? The activity of drying teak wood products directly in the sun is carried out by several manufacturers, from small home industries to large factories with a production capacity of more than 50 containers measuring 40 feet per month.

Teak wood is known to have a good texture value and high durable class so that it has a selling value as well as a high aesthetic. There are several reasons why furniture products made of teak wood need to be dried and should be done regularly in several production processes.

Moisture Content
At least by drying the product in direct sunlight, the wood will undergo a drying process and some of the water contained in the wood will come out. This routine is usually done since the wood is still in the form of sawn wood. The limited availability of dryers is one of the reasons for small industries to simply use this natural method.

However, this does not mean it is not true, as long as we can have a good control tool to see the MC level on the wood, this method is actually more economical. And when the natural drying is hindered by the weather and the production schedule, then the drying is continued until the finished goods product stage.
What will be taken into consideration is that this drying does not guarantee that all parts of the wood are dry as expected.

For furniture factories that already have their own Kiln Dry, teak wood drying has been done since the beginning when it was still in the form of sawn wood.

Wood Color
The texture of teak wood has a characteristic black line (certain teak wood class) and sometimes reddish. Technically this is not a quality issue but aesthetically more consumers would like the color to be removed or matched.
By direct drying can make teak wood change color, although not much different. The longer the teak wood is dried in the sun, the better the color will be. The natural sap of teak wood will come out and with the release of the sap changes the color of the teak wood.

A type of chemical that is often used by teak wood furniture manufacturers whose chemical term is H2O2. This type of hard water is applied directly to the surface of the teak wood using a brush before the product is dried in the sun. The chemical reaction will make teak wood more homogeneous in color after drying.

This chemical has proven to be effective for equalizing the color of teak wood and this method is often also seen in rattan factories with the same purpose, making the color of all materials uniform.

Health Hazard
Some buyers who already know that teak wood furniture factories apply this method, have begun to prohibit the use of H2O2 because it is very dangerous for health both for factory employees who apply it and for consumers who buy the product. because the material is toxic and prolonged exposure will cause skin irritation and respiratory problems. That are the reason Why are teak wood products dried in the sun.

Economic Function of Java Teak Forest

Economic Function of Java Teak Forest

If we visit the teak forests in Java, we will see that these areas have other Economic Function of Java Teak Forest.

Many Pesanggem (farmers) who live in teak forest villages use teak tree bark as wall material for their houses. Teak leaves, which are wide and hairy and fall in the dry season, they use as food wrappers and goods. Teak branches and twigs provide fuel for many households in teak forest villages.

Teak forests mainly provide arable land. Between the teak trees, the farmers plant crops in rows. From the teak forest itself, they can earn additional income in the form of honey, a number of carbohydrate food sources, and medicines.

Food substitutes for rice grown in teak forests, for example, are gadung (Dioscorea hispida) and uwi (Dioscorea alata). In fact, teak forest villagers also use iles-iles (Amorphophallus) during famine. Traditional medicinal plants such as kencur (Alpina longa), turmeric (Curcuma domestica), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and temu lawak (Curcuma longa) grow in this forest area.

Teak trees also produce clusters of whitish flowers that bloom shortly after dawn. The best teak flower pollination occurs around the center of the heart—each flower lives for only one day. Pollination of flowers is carried out by many insects, but especially by types of bees. Therefore, residents can also often harvest bee honey from teak forests.

Teak forest village communities in Java also used to raise livestock such as buffalo, cows, and goats. This type of livestock requires grass as feed. Although farmers sometimes find it easy to get grass in their fields or fields, they mostly use forest land as a source of fodder production. By simply releasing livestock into the forest, livestock will get the various types of feed they need. The time that is not used by farming families to collect grass can be used for other activities. Economic Function of Java Teak Forest

Teak Wood is a First Class Wood

Teak wood is a First Class Wood

Teak wood is a first class wood because of its strength, durability and beauty. Technically, teak has a strength class II and a durability class I-II. This wood is very resistant to termite attack.

Teak wood is light brown, gray brown to dark red brown. The sapwood, on the outside, is white and yellowish-grey.

Teak wood is easy to cut and work and whuch is preferred for making furniture and carvings. Finely sanded wood has a smooth and greasy surface. The circular patterns of the years on the patio wood are clearly visible, resulting in a beautiful picture.

With the subtlety of the texture and the beauty of the color of the wood, teak is classified as a luxury wood.

Although relatively easy to process, teak is known to be very strong and durable, and not easily deformed by changes in weather. For this reason, teak wood is also used as a material for harbor docks, rail bearings, bridges, merchant ships, and warships. Carpenters in Europe in the 19th century are said to have asked for additional wages if they had to process teak. This is because teak is so hard that it can dull tools and consume their strength. The British marine manual even advises avoiding Chinese junks made of teak as they can damage the steel of British marines if they collide.

In the 17th century the people of South Sulawesi used teak roots as a producer of natural yellow and yellow brown dyes for their woven goods. In East Java, the people of Bawean Island brew teak leaves to produce natural red-brown dye. Lamongan people choose to brew the collision of young leaves. Meanwhile, the people of Madura Island mix the collision of teak leaves with tamarind. At that time, people with cholera were also advised to drink the bitter teak wood and leaves as an antidote.

Burmese teak is slightly stronger than Javanese teak. However, in Indonesia itself, Javanese teak is the prima donna. The texture of Javanese teak is smoother and the wood is stronger than teak from other parts of the country.

According to the characteristics of the wood, in Java people recognize several types of teak.

  1. Teak lengo or night teak, has a hard, heavy wood, feels smooth to the touch and seems to contain oil (Jw.: lengo, oil; Malam, wax). Dark in color, lots of blotches and stripes.
  2. Sungut. Black, dense and heavy (Jw.: sungu, horn).
  3. Werut teak, with hard wood and wavy fibers.
  4. Teak doreng is a very beautiful hard wood with bright black stripes colour.
  5. Teak flower
  6. Teak lime is whitish because it contains a lot of lime. Less strong and less durable.

Teak wood is a First Class Wood

Teak Forest in Java Indonesia

Teak Forest Distribution Area in Java Indonesia
picture BUMN.go.id

As early as 1927, Teak Forest Distribution Area in Java Indonesia were recorded to be widely distributed in the North Limestone Mountains and Kendeng Mountains and Muria Mountains, from Jepara district to the eastern end of Probolinggo district. However, teak forests are most widely spread in the provinces of Central Java and East Java, which are up to an altitude of 650 meters above sea level. Only in the Besuki area does teak grow no more than 200 meters above sea level.

In these two provinces, teak forests are often formed naturally due to the monsoon climate which causes periodic forest fires. Teak forest which is quite extensive in Java is centralized and the largest is in the forest area of Blora Regency, Grobogan, Cepu and Bojonegoro Regencies. In fact, teak with the best quality and has been recognized by the international furniture world is produced from the Blora and Grobogan Regencies, Central Java. Both areas have their respective advantages.

Teak from the Blora area is favored by furniture craftsmen because straight teak fibers are especially for export quality flooring materials, while Teak from Grobogan Regency is favored by teak wood house craftsmen for joglo materials or residents’ houses because it is the strongest and has the highest density compared to teak from other areas and various crown fibers.

This can be proven by the many discoveries of ancient teak (pendem wood) that are thousands of years old from the forests around Grobogan, Blora to Cepu. Javanese teak, especially Central Java and East Java, is the most preferred by the international community, especially in 4 season countries in Europe and America because only the best quality teak can survive in 4 different seasons.

Currently, most of the teak forest land in Java is managed by Perhutani, a state-owned public company in the forestry sector. In 2003, Perhutani’s forest area covered almost a quarter of the island of Java. Perhutani’s teak forest area in Java reaches around 1.5 million hectares. This is almost equivalent to half the forest area of Perhutani or about 11% of the total area of the island of Java dwipa. Teak Forest in Java Indonesia

Source wikipedia.org

Teak Forest in Indonesia

Teak forest in Indonesia

Teak forest in Indonesia , apart from Java and Muna, teak is also developed in Bali and Nusa Tenggara.

In recent years, there have been efforts to develop teak in South Sumatra and South Kalimantan. The results are less than encouraging. Teak dies after two or three years. The problem is, the soil in these two places is very acidic. Teak itself is a type that requires large amounts of calcium, as well as phosphorus. In addition, teak requires abundant sunlight.

Now, outside Java, we can find teak forest in limited places in Sulawesi Island, Muna Island, Bima area on Sumbawa Island, and Buru Island. Teak also develops in the Lampung area on the island of Sumatra.

In 1817, Raffles noted that teak forests were not found in the Malay Peninsula or Sumatra or adjacent islands. Teak only thrives in Java and a number of small islands to the east, namely Madura, Bali and Sumbawa. The hills in the northeastern part of Bima on Sumbawa were completely covered by teak at that time.

Heyne, in 1671, recorded the presence of teak in Sulawesi, although only at a few points in the eastern part. There are about 7,000 ha on Muna Island and 1,000 ha in the interior of Butung Island in Sampolawa Bay. Heyne suspects that real teak is also found on Kabaena Island, as well as in Rumbia and Poleang, in Southeast Sulawesi. Recent DNA analysis shows that teak in Southeast Sulawesi is a branch of the development of Javanese teak.

Teak grown in South Sulawesi was only planted in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, much of the land in Billa, Soppeng, Bone, Sidrap, and Enrekang was being reforested. In Billa, the current growth of teak trees is not inferior to that in Java. The diameter of the trunk can exceed 30 cm. Teak forest in Indonesia

Source wikipedia.org

Teak Wood Ecological Properties

Teak wood Ecological properties and distribution

Teak wood Ecological Properties and Distribution is widespread from India, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indochina, to Java. Teak grows in deciduous forests which is drop their leaves in the dry season.

According to some botanists, Teak is a species native to Burma, which then spread to Peninsular India, Thailand, the Philippines, and Java. Other botanists consider teak to be a species native to Burma, India, Thailand and Laos.

Around 70% of the world’s teak needs are currently supplied by Burma. The remaining needs are supplied by India, Thailand, Java, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. However, the world’s only supply of natural teak forests comes from Burma. In Africa and the Caribbean are also widely kept.

Teak is the most widely distributed in Asia. In addition to the four countries of origin of teak and Indonesia, teak was developed as a plantation forest in Sri Lanka (since 1680), China (early 19th century), Bangladesh (1871), Vietnam (early 20th century), and Malaysia (1909).

A suitable climate is one that has a marked, but not too long, dry season, with rainfall between 1200–3000 mm per year and with moderately high light intensity throughout the year. The optimal altitude is between 0 – 700 m above sea level; although teak can grow up to 1300 m above sea level.

Teak stands often look like similar forests, namely forests that seem to consist of only one type of tree.

This can happen in monsoon climates that are so dry, land fires are easy and most tree species will die at that time. Not so with teak. Teak is a pioneer species that is fire resistant because of its thick bark. Moreover, teak fruit has a thick skin and a hard shell. To some extent, if burned, the teak seed institutions are not damaged. Damage to the teak seed shell actually makes it easier for teak shoots to come out when the rainy season arrives.

The broad leaves and teak branches that cover the soil decay slowly, making it difficult for other plants to grow. The fall also gets fuel that can start fires —which teak can but not many other types of trees. Thus, forest fires that are not too large actually result in the process of refining teak stands: teak seeds are encouraged to germinate, while other tree species die.

Suitable soil is slightly alkaline, with a pH between 6-8, nest (has good aeration), contains quite a lot of lime (Ca, calcium) and phosphorus (P). Teak is not waterlogged.

In the past, teak was considered a foreign species that was introduced (introduced) to Java; planted by Hindus thousands of years ago. According to T. Altona, the first teak planting was carried out by Hindus who came to Java. So impressed, teak was imported by Hindus or the Hindu country is the original place of teak. This opinion is reinforced by a botanist, Charceus who says that teak on the island of Java comes from India which was brought from 1500 BC to the 7th century AD.

This controversy was later answered by research on genetic markers using the isoenzyme technique / isozyme variation testing conducted by Kertadikara in 1994. The results showed that teak grown in Indonesia (Java) is a native species. Teak in Java has evolved from tens to hundreds of thousands of years ago (Mahfudz et al., t.t.). This teak undergoes a special adaptation mechanism according to climatic and edaphic conditions that developed tens to hundreds of thousands of years since the quarternary and pleistocene times in Southeast Asia. Because of the value of the wood, teak is now also being developed outside its natural distribution area. In tropical Africa, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific and Taiwan. Teak wood Ecological Properties and Distribution

 

 

Teak Wood Habitat

Teak wood habitat

Teak wood habitat grow in areas with rainfall of 1 500 – 2 000 mm/year and a temperature of 27 – 36 °C both in the lowlands and highlands. The best place for teak growth is soil with a pH of 4.5 – 7 and not flooded with water. Teak has wide elliptical leaves and can reach 30-60 cm when mature.

Teak is a type of large tree, straight trunk, can grow to a height of 50-70 m. Large leaves, which fall in the dry season. Teak is known to the world by the name of teak (English). The name is derived from thekku (തേക്ക്) in Malayalam, the language of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The scientific name of teak is Tectona grandis L.f.

Teak is slow growing with low germination (usually less than 50%) which makes natural propagation difficult and thus insufficient to cover the demand for teak. Teak is usually produced conventionally using seeds. However, the production of large quantities of seeds in a certain time is limited due to the hard outer layer of the seeds. Several alternatives have been made to overcome this layer such as soaking the seeds in water, heating the seeds over low heat or hot sand, and adding acids, bases, or bacteria. However, this alternative is still not optimal to produce teak in a fast time and in large quantities.

In general, Teak that is in the process of seeding is susceptible to several diseases, including leaf spot disease caused by Phomopsis sp., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Alternaria sp., and Curvularia sp., leaf rust caused by Olivea tectonea, and powdery mildew caused by Uncinula tectonae. Phomopsis sp. is the most common infection, 95% of seedlings were infected in 1993-1994. The infection occurs in seedlings aged 2-8 months. The characterization of this infection is the presence of light brown necrosis on the leaf margins which then gradually spreads to the midrib, the infection then spreads to the top of the leaf, petiole, and stem tip which causes the leaf part of the stem to dry out. If not recognized and not controlled, infection from Phomopsis sp. will spread to all the seeds so that the teak planting process cannot be carried out. Teak wood habitat

(source wikipedia.org