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.