There are myths about solid wood flooring regarding, for instance, its high cost, it being a challenge to maintain or its inability to add warmth to a room. For prospective wood flooring buyers, it is important to know this is a enduring product of inherent its natural beauty and durability. Homeowners enjoy the benefits of genuine solid wood flooring's aesthetics and structural characteristics. This article presents one of the noblest woods - tiger teak and teak flooring with the positive attributes and specialties that enhances your understanding of this wood.

TIGER TEAK'S DISTINCTIVE COMPOSITION

Tiger teak is a mixture of white teak (commercially known as teak sapwood) and teak heartwood.

Sapwood and heartwood comprise of all woods but in this particular case, we will focus on tiger teak. White teak is the outer portion of a wood log or branch which all wood starts from. It is formed by living cells called cambium, which generate bark cells to the outside and wood cells to the inside. As the tree grows, these cambium cells migrate outwards to make room for the new layers of wood formation inside. When these older white teak cells age and die, they transform into heartwood. In other words, all teak heartwood was once white teak. A visual display of this combination helps you grasp the concept better.

The distinctive teak heartwood has a golden brown hue which turns into a dark mocha with exposure. White teak, on the other hand, has a cream color. The look of Tiger teak depends on the proportion of white teak and teak heartwood in the flooring or paneling. An eloquent mixture of these two characteristics produces dramatic results based on the great variations in colours and textures. Teak plantation usually harvests it before the tree is too old to ensure attaining the ideal blending of teak heartwood and white teak. Knowing your desired combination of golden brown and creamy brown color in each component helps you choose the perfect tiger teak planks for your flooring.

UNDERSTANDING THE DEDICATION TO ACHIEVE THE FINEST TIGER TEAK

One thing worth noting here is it is widely understood that the splendidness of Tiger teak is based on how old it is when it gets harvested. However, there is more to the picture. Realistically speaking, harvesting and processing methods are also crucial. This speaks to all kinds of wood, not just tiger teak. Understanding these factors will enrich your knowledge of forestry products.

Let's take Panama as an example – our reliable, sustainable source, where wood workers utilize centuries old wisdom of cutting the tree "with the moon", that is, it only cut at a specific moment during the moon cycle, which has to do with the moisture in the trees when they are being cut. The cutter needs to use a certain technique so that the water drains slowly without harming the wood. The following steps include how the wood is treated, the drying technique and so on. There is specific timing in each step to ensure that the final stage ends up with a great finished product. Responsible management of harvesting, and tiger teak in particular is essential in order to achieve the best growth rates and production from the forests, as well as the best quality end products. And most importantly, this environmentally conscious work ethic makes tiger teak a sustainable and renewable product.

This process gives more value to wood flooring, paneling and other types of wood application.

RESILIENCE AND DURABILITY

Tiger teak is measured 1155 in the Janka hardness scale which assures you of its sufficient strength. If you live in an unpredictable climate, tiger teak flooring will come in handy because of its dimensional stability in all kinds of weather and through changes of humidity. Because the teak heartwood, which contains specific compounds such as resins, phenols and terpenes, accumulated during the growing process, it forms the decay resistance and insect repellent function to tiger teak flooring.

To enhance tiger teak's rot and insect resistance, wood workers recommend kiln-dried wood products only. The process of which involves cutting the logs into flooring blanks or teak lumber and after air drying putting into a kiln and using heat to complete the curing processes. A simple definition of a wood kiln is that it really just a big oven used to dry out and heat-treats the wood. When the wood receives heat treatment in the kiln, it kills any bugs or fungi in the wood and can also collapse the cell structure, making the wood more stable, compared to when it is just air dried.

While the white teak portion gives tiger teak flooring a lighter, gentle shade of creamy gold, the teak heartwood provides the benefits of its particular natural oil content which provides a touch of glimmer on the surface of the flooring. The mechanism of the natural teak oil and teak's unique cell structure works to withstand humid conditions so that tiger teak flooring is not susceptible to shrinkage or expansion.

Another benefit of tiger teak flooring is that the silicon content of the wood prevents the oxidization with metal or iron for a substantial length of time. This feature accompanied with its antibacterial characteristics makes tiger teak flooring an ideal choice for homeowners as it does not require any kind of preservative. Simple maintenance will help it last for generations, provided you choose solid flooring planks. Conversely, engineered flooring's longevity is significantly less. Find out more about why homeowners choose solid wood flooring over engineered wood flooring.

CARING TECHNIQUES

Owing to tiger teak's natural mechanism which provides it with safeguards from many harmful elements, there is no need for complicated maintenance techniques nor preservatives. In case of spills, immediately cleaning and wiping prevents stains. It is advisable to vacuum or use a soft mop on a daily basis in order to maximize its beauty and decrease dirt buildup.

If you have pets in the house, make sure pets' nails are trimmed and filed. Teak is one of the softer of the hardwoods, Be aware that stiletto or high, narrow heels on the flooring cause scratches. Depending on how it is finished, it may be also advisable to use oil coat or a clear natural finish on tiger teak flooring to retain its natural beauty and contrast of colors.

A FEW INSTALLTION TIPS

Having discussed the attributes of tiger teak flooring above, let's look at installation issues. Because tiger teak itself can endure harsh climate conditions, it can be installed in almost any room. Tiger teak is the most dimensional stable type of flooring for areas that may are exposed to more changes in humidity. Teak is not as hard as some of the other hard woods and need to be careful when installed in high traffic areas.

Then again, you might not want to install tiger teak on your bathroom flooring where it is most likely to be soaking wet. The reason being is that it is a common understanding that leaving wood materials expose to too much water is not the best way to maintain its quality and longevity and even the most stable types of wood do expand and contract when exposed to excessive amounts of water.

Because of its exotic blend of two colors – white teak and teak heartwood, the real challenge here is choosing the right pieces of tiger teak to create harmony in your home's architectural design, and so installation needs to be done with care.

VERSATILE APPLICATIONS OF TIGER TEAK

Because of its dimensional stability, tiger teak has been increasingly on the rise in market demand. It is a versatile product that can acclimatize in various architectural projects such as paneling, bathroom ceilings or ceilings in other areas, and decking. Because of its strength and aesthetic qualities, teak and tiger teak are the among the most requested for all types of applications such as flooring, inside decking, furniture and decorative building components.

Recap on the qualities of tiger teak:

°° Distinctive combination of white teak and teak heartwood gives it a variety of attractive colors and textures, creating dramatic and striking visual effects.

°° Its harvesting and processing method is important to the qualities of the end product, which contributes to its popularity as a highly valued product.

°° Resilient, durable, renewable.

°° Simple and easy caring techniques.

°° Dimensionally stable, versatile wood that has great design flexibility and a wide variety of uses.