The earliest known use of teak wood was in the early 7th century when the durable wood was used in Thailand to build ships and buildings. The beautiful wood was used to build and adorn royal homes and places and places of worship.

In the Middle ages, other countries began using the Southeast Asian wood to build ships because its oils make it repel both water and fungus. In addition, the wood is very buoyant and extremely durable. The woods natural oils also make it resistant to splitting.

It has been used as wood in southeast Asian temples for thousands of years. In the 1800s, teak's beauty was already recognized in India, where it was used to decorate gardens.

Teak, also called Tectona Grandis, is a tall deciduous tree (evergreen). Its wood is extremely heavy and yellowish brown. It can also be a grayish brown. It is used mainly for furniture and boats. If left alone it weathers beautiful to a grayish, silver color. Today teak is grown and harvested in Central America, South America and Asia.

Today's use of teak wood for patio furniture is just a nod to the past and a tribute to the future.

It is an extremely earth friendly purchase for several reasons. Not only will you be saving the landfills from prodigious amounts of plastic furniture that needs to be replaced every few years, but you will be buying a material that can be used over and over. Teak's longevity is remarkable. It will last for your lifetime and several more generations. Some say that a teak piece can last for 1,000 years. Some say the older the teak, the better.

In fact, some of the most sought after teak pieces are those that are remade from teak found in old buildings, railroads and ships.

Teak wood furniture is an investment that may cost a tad bit more now but will save you hundreds of dollars in the future. It's comfort, durability and beauty is unequaled in any other type of wood.

The rich history of teak makes it a luxurious, yet affordable and practical purchase.

In today's economy, it just makes sense to pick quality over quantity in every purchase we make. There is no excuse anymore for taking the lazy way out and buying inferior furniture that will end up costing you more in the long run.

You can find nearly any type of furniture you need in teak: picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, bistro tables, garden benches, you name it.

The best way to buy teak is to do a little bit of research online first. By looking around online, you can determine just what type of teak furniture will best suit your needs and your lifestyle. You can research and compare prices online and even gather recommendations from satisfied customers.

If you have a backyard space and aren't sure how to fill it, I suggest you do a mini mockup first. What I mean by this is that you convert feet into inches and do a mockup of exactly what size furniture pieces you need to complete your patio.