Garden Furniture Archives

July 23, 2021August 24, 2021

Traditional Wood Preservation Technique

Traditional Wood Preservation Technique. Here are several Wood preservation techniques that are often used by the traditional community in Indonesia

Soaking the Wood in the River
Soaking logs and logs in rivers is an easy way to preserve and improve wood quality. The purpose of this immersion is so that the wood absorbs water so as to trigger the release of water-soluble extractive substances, such as nitrogen, glucosides, tannins and wood dyes. Meanwhile, water-insoluble extractive substances such as starch remain in the pores of the wood.

The soluble extractive substances affect the condition of the water around the wood. Microbes such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus masentriricus, Lactobacillus sp., and Staphylococcus sp. will develop and decompose wood extractive substances that are not dissolved so that it will gradually dissolve. This process is known as chain fermentation.

This chain fermentation process produces organic acids, gases and alcohol and reduces the moisture content in the wood. In addition, the content of wood starch which is a source of destructive food such as termites will also decrease because it dissolves into water. The result is increased wood resistance due to reduced interest by destructive insects to eat wood.

Soaking the Wood in the Pool
Soaking wood in the pool with the addition of natural ingredients can also preserve wood. Banana stems, tobacco leaves, rice straw, and clove flowers are natural ingredients that are usually used. The soaking process generally takes 2 to 3 months to achieve maximum results.

also read: Cedar Tree – Origin, Benefits and Magical Side
Before soaking the wood, it must be washed for 7 consecutive days. The water used for washing is a mixture of 1 liter of water with 10 grams of tobacco, 10 grams of cloves, and 10 grams of banana stems. The mixed water is rubbed over the entire surface of the wood and then dried using a cloth.

After washing for 7 days, the wood is then soaked into the pond and added with natural ingredients. After the soaking process for 2 to 3 months is complete, the wood must be dried first to dry it under the shade.

Mixture of Oil and Diesel
Used oil can also be used to preserve wood and extend its life. The trick is to make a liquid from a mixture of oil and diesel in a ratio of 1:1.

Apply the liquid on the wood surface evenly using a brush. Then leave it for a few days for the liquid to absorb and dry naturally.

In order to get maximum results, before the wood is used for building construction, it can be smeared again with liquid oil and diesel in a ratio of 1:2. If the wood will be shaved, then the basting is done after the wood is shaved.

Wood Smoking Technique

The smoking method has not been widely used by the community to preserve wood. Fumigation of wood is done for 3 days so that the quality of the wood increases. The type of wood that is usually smoked is sengon wood and pulai uses mangiun wood as fuel.

Painting the Wood

Coating wood with paint is the easiest way to make wood last longer. The paint used can be wood paint, oil paint and varnish. However, the durability results using wood painting methods are not as durable as other techniques.

Preserving Wood With Vacuum

Usually the method of preserving wood with a vacuum system is carried out by large-scale wood companies. The advantages of this method are very high penetration and retention of preservatives, fast working process and can be applied to wet or dry wood. However, this method also has drawbacks, namely high costs and a high level of work accuracy. Traditional Wood Preservation Technique

July 22, 2021August 24, 2021

Types of Suitable Wood for making Furniture.

Types of Suitable Wood for making Furniture. Given the importance of the function of wood in a building, especially for the manufacture of furniture. Some types of wood that have the best quality that can be used as furniture or furniture are:

Teakwood
Of course, many are familiar with this one wood. Teak wood (Teak: English) also has a good scientific name, namely Tectona Grandis. Teak wood is slightly yellowish brown in color and is commonly found on the islands of Java and Sulawesi. Although there are in Sumatra and Kalimantan, teak wood cannot grow optimally because the soil content on the two islands has a high acidity level.

In the furniture industry, teak is the prima donna. It can be said to be one of the premium types of wood. Teak wood takes decades to be used as furniture or furniture. This age factor is one of the factors that affect the price of teak wood to be expensive. In addition, because of the supply and demand factor, many are looking for it, but the stock is limited.

Teak wood is more durable than other woods because it contains large amounts of natural oils. Even so, this is also a weakness of teak. Because it has a lot of natural oil content, teak is not suitable for using bright solid colors such as white, red, green, etc. Because over time it will release natural oils that will cause stains to become yellowish on your furniture. For dark solid colors such as black or brown, stains from natural oils can still be tolerated, but if you pay close attention to them, they still interfere with beauty.

Teak wood is suitable for most types of furniture products, but what needs to be considered is the type of finishing. We recommend using natural color finishing, in addition to avoiding the impression of stains, natural colors will bring out beautiful natural fiber strokes. This is precisely what furniture lovers are looking for. The emergence of fiber can be an added value or satisfaction for them.

In addition, teak is a type of hardwood. This is an advantage of teak because it is not easily damaged if hit by an impact.

Mahogany Wood
Mahogany is one of the main raw materials in the manufacture of Jepara furniture besides teak. If teak is more idolized in the local market, then this mahogany wood has become an idol abroad, especially in European countries. So many Jepara furniture craftsmen use this mahogany wood, especially for export products.

Mahogany wood has a finer grain than teak. It has small pores so that the resulting furniture products are also very smooth. The color of mahogany is slightly reddish on the inside, and dark brown on the outside.

Although with the same diameter, when compared to teak, the price of mahogany wood can be cheaper, but in practice this is not the case. This is because:

a.) The wood that can be used must be above 30cm. Mahogany wood below 30cm has a less stable structure when used for furniture, unlike teak. In addition, the wood will shrink easily and be more susceptible to pests. Due to the use of large diameter wood, it certainly affects production costs.

b.) The type of mahogany is not as hard as teak. This causes mahogany wood to be more susceptible to pests. Usually before processing, mahogany wood will be soaked in anti-pest liquid first. There are also those who boil it to really avoid pests. This process will also affect the final price of mahogany products.

If you want a solid color finish, we recommend using mahogany. This is because the natural oil content in mahogany is not as much as in teak, so the appearance will be more durable in the long run.

Trembesi Wood
This wood is commonly used as a road shading. Able to live in nature that lacks water or heat. Has a relatively faster growth than other trees. Therefore, it is often found that the size of this wood is large, unlike teak. Usually used for furniture products whose construction supports the strength of the product itself, such as the solid table below.

Trembesi wood has good fiber strokes like teak. The fibers are prominent and regular. The elegant impression created is strong because of the fiber. When still a tree, this wood is resistant to extreme weather. But after becoming wood, it is not strong if placed outside the room. It is more suitable for indoor products that do not have construction joints, thick solid designs or for large statues.

Sungkai Wood
Sungkai wood is a type of wood that is also often used for making furniture. Usually, the use of sungkai wood for the manufacture of building materials such as windows, doors, to the construction of roof frames. Sungkai wood was also chosen to be used as veneer. Veneer is wood that is peeled into wood sheets, serves to help the finishing process to be more even and nice.

In general, the color of sungkai wood is light. The sapwood (wooden edge) is lighter in color. Has a surface that seems rough, can not be as smooth as teak or mahogany. Even though it has been sanded, the rough impression is still felt.

The wood fiber itself is good, has a strong wood character, so it is suitable for furniture using natural colors. If you want to use solid colors, in our opinion, just use mahogany wood. For the price itself is cheaper when compared to teak or mahogany.

However, we do not recommend the use of outdoor furniture such as garden swings, garden chairs, sungkai wood because the character of sungkai wood is less strong when exposed to sunlight and rain.

This type of wood is also less strong against pests because it is a type of soft wood. So the handling must also be right from the start to avoid pest attacks. Types of Suitable Wood for making Furniture.

July 22, 2021August 24, 2021

Tips for Caring for Solid Wood Table Furniture

Tips for Caring for Solid Wood Table Furniture. Wood is one of the materials that is often used as the main material for making furniture such as tables, chairs, cupboards, doors, and so on. This is because wood has a warm color and has a natural impression. Please note that this wood has many types, one of which is solid wood. This solid wood is natural wood that is processed directly from a type of wood tree. This type of solid has indeed become a material that is quite popular with the public.

In addition to having many types, this wood also has a measure to determine the level of wood quality. The smaller the number of the type of wood, the better the quality possessed by that type. This solid wood is in the order of durability class I, this first level of durability has a longer durability than the type of wood that has durability level II.

There are several kinds of wood that are classified as solid types such as Mahogany wood, Teak wood, Sungkai wood, Sonokeling wood, Pine wood, Mango wood, Ulin wood, Mindi wood, and Trembesi wood. Even though it is guaranteed to be durable, of course the wood that has been processed into furniture must always be cared for and maintained to keep it looking good. Below we will present some tips that you can use to treat solid wood tables at home.

Avoid Sharp Objects, Heat and Liquids
Avoiding the table from sharp objects is sometimes a difficult thing to do. You can put the knife on the table. Avoiding this means being careful when placing knives on furniture.
Sharp objects, heat, and colored liquids are indeed best for you to keep and avoid from solid furniture, because these can affect the beauty of the furniture in terms of color. Furniture items that are often scratched, exposed to heat, and exposed to liquid are visually not attractive anymore. Because scratches, heat and liquids can damage the wood finish and the texture of the solid wood table.

Try not to be exposed to direct light
Exposure to direct sunlight contains high temperatures. When wood is exposed to temperatures that are too high, it can cause damage to the furniture. This is because the humidity of a wood that is too can create cracks in the furniture. This furniture requires a place that is not too humid and not too dry so that durability can be maintained. Because if it is too humid it can cause the growth of fungi and insects that can damage the solid wood table.

Clean regularly

Regular cleaning is intended so that the furniture you have can be protected from dust and dirt that sticks all day long. Imagine how thick it would be if it wasn’t cleaned at all. You can wipe it with a dry cloth or use a duster. For a cleaner result, you can use a slightly damp cloth to wipe it.After that make sure you dry it by wiping it again with a dry cloth. Surely your furniture will shine like new. Do this cleaning activity regularly for maintenance.

Buying something with durable frills doesn’t mean you can use it at will without any effort to take care of it. Even if it is basically durable, when it is not cared for, it can reduce the durability due to lack of maintenance. Therefore, so that your solid wood table can still look good, you must pay attention to the above points for simple maintenance.

Tips for Caring for Solid Wood Table Furniture

July 19, 2021August 24, 2021

Teak Wood (Tectona Grandis)

Teak Wood (Tectona Grandis) Family Name: Verbenaceae . The characteristics of teak wood that most people know are due to its durability and resistance to weather changes compared to other types of wood. In addition, the character of the fiber and its color has its own characteristics. Therefore, the price of teak is more expensive.

Tree
Tree height can reach 50 meters by to 1.2 meters. The ideal age of teak trees to get the best quality is above 40 years. The growth speed of teak trees is relatively slow so that the density of the wood is better. To get 40 cm it takes a minimum of 50 years to grow.

Wood Color
Dark brown and gold on the heartwood. The sapwood is cream or even brownish white. In some types of teak there is a reddish color when it has just been split. After some time in the open air and especially in the sun, the color will turn light brown.

Density
at an average MC level of 12%, the density of teak is in the range of 700 – 930 kg/m3.

Durability
Teak wood is classified as durable class I. It has a strong resistance to fungus, rot due to humid air or insect attack. Teak wood also has good resistance to weather and temperature changes.
With the special characteristics of teak wood, namely the oil content in teak wood, making teak strength is better than other types of wood.

Drying
Some manufacturers use slightly different drying methods on teak wood. If usually in the form of ordinary sheet boards enter the drying room, they do this by forming wood into half teak components into the drying room. A fraction of a millimeter is left for the sanding process after drying.
The time needed to dry teak wood is about 14-25 days with a maximum temperature of 80 degrees Celsius.

Machinery & Construction Process
The arrangement of small Teak wood fibers facilitates the machining process with smooth and even results. A smooth wood head can be produced during the cutting process against the grain.
Because of the advantages of teak wood from its fiber color and durability class, most furniture manufacturers or teak wood users do not apply finishing materials because the natural oil/wax layer is already a preservative.

Certification
Currently, consumers (especially in Europe & America) demand certification on all furniture products made of teak wood.
In Indonesia, teak wood can only be obtained/purchased from Perum Perhutani, as a government agency with full power for the care and supervision of the distribution of teak wood in Indonesia, especially in Java.

Teak Wood (Tectona Grandis)

July 19, 2021August 24, 2021

Distinguishing Teak Wood With Trembesi Wood

Distinguishing Teak Wood With Trembesi Wood. As previously said, trembesi wood has characteristics similar to teak, so many people mistake it for teak wood. Though the quality provided is very different. Don’t be fooled by naughty craftsmen who sell trembesi wood at very expensive teak prices.

To be able to distinguish between the two, you can pay attention to the following things:

Wood Color

The most easily observed differentiator is color, what about the color of trembesi wood and what about the color of teak wood. The color of the trembesi wood at first glance is similar to old teak wood. The color is dark dark brown. But when compared directly parallel you will definitely see the difference.

Old teak wood does have a dark brown wood color but there will be a visible golden effect. This golden effect is only owned by teak wood and not owned by trembesi wood. You can set it apart during the day and be exposed to direct sunlight or direct the light at its surface.

Make sure when comparing these two types of wood, it has not been coated with finishing materials.

Wood Grain

The two woods have a very similar grain appearance. The existence of a year circle on each wood will add to the uniqueness and attractive appearance of each piece of furniture. If you want to tell the difference, pay attention to the grain grooves of these two types of wood.

Trembesi wood has thicker wood Grains in size. The circle of the year looks very clear and sharp. The Grain grooves are straighter than teak wood. On the other hand, teak wood also has clear wood Grains, but the thickness of the Grain is thinner than trembesi wood and the grooves are more wavy.

Distinguishing Teak Wood With Trembesi Wood

July 19, 2021August 24, 2021

Smart Ways to Choose Quality Teak Wood

Smart Ways to Choose Quality Teak Wood. Teak wood is known as one of the best woods in the country. Teak wood is used for making boats, furniture, and other things which require resistance to the elements. Teak is used for outdoor furniture but is not recommended for full exposure to sunlight. Being more expensive than most other woods, teak furniture has become something of a status symbol. Not only is it common for a teak bench, chair, or table to last 70 years with the correct care plan, it is also common to pass down such furniture to future generations as an heirloom. Many teak wood sold in the market does not pay attention to its quality. As a result, there are many teaks of inferior quality.

In order not to be wrong in choosing wood, let’s follow the guidelines for choosing a good teak:

Of course the age of the wood must be really old, because old wood has very good strength and durability.
Make sure the wood pores look solid. Dense pores make wood more durable and durable against pests such as termites.
Good quality teak, one of which is marked by a darker color (reddish brown) and evenly distributed throughout the wood.
There is no dead eye on the wood, because the dead eye indicates the wood has a high potential for cracking / cracking.
No cork tissue/wooden heart. Generally, the appearance of the heart on wood is shaped like a long line and if it is released it will cause scars that can damage the beauty of teak wood.
No holes. Hollow wood identifies the attack of the sawdust beetle. In addition, the wood holes make the resulting product look less attractive.

Those are 6 Smart Ways to Choose Quality Teak Wood you could pay attention.

July 19, 2021August 24, 2021

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

July 19, 2021August 24, 2021

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.

Durable class I (very durable), for example: Teak wood, Sonokeling
Durable class II (durable), for example: Merbau wood, Mahogany
Durable class III (less durable), for example: Rubber wood, Pine
Durable class IV (not durable), for example: Albasia wood
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:

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.
Do not preserve the wood that will be used for the table top.
Use preservatives, if possible, only in areas that are easily visible such as wooden floors, decking and wall panels.
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.
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.
Avoid yourself from sawdust or too much sandpaper, use an adequate mask.
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.
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

July 19, 2021August 24, 2021

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.

July 19, 2021August 24, 2021

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