When comparing the types of woods available to you, you may quickly find yourself far in over your head with all the available options. When looking at Teak woods vs. Eucalyptus woods, you will most likely become much more confused as they seem extremely similar on the surface.
Teak wood has many natural oils and is highly resistant to weathering, handling water, and other natural forces extremely well. While much more affordable, Eucalyptus wood does not have as many natural oils and may not handle being left out in the rain at all well, requiring constant treatment.
To understand where and how you should be using each type of wood, we recommend that you look at each of its properties and abilities. Knowing where to use these woods and how best to use them for your outdoor furniture will significantly improve the overall quality of your projects.
What Is Eucalyptus Wood?
You need to consider three things about any wood before you buy them, especially if you plan to start a business. Further, when using wood in your home projects, you need to consider how it will react to the forces you are applying to them.
Eucalyptus is a fast-growing hardwood considered a tropical shrub, which means that, unlike many other kinds of wood, it is easy to farm. Eucalyptus is extremely easy to work with, which has made it a great alternative as we have learned of the effects of removing rarer species from the environment.
Properties
Eucalyptus is considered a hardwood with grain that can be either close together or far apart depending on the tree’s age. Once treated properly, it can be highly durable, especially if treated once a year with the right oils and sealers.
It is considered one of the most sustainable hardwoods on the market because of the speed of its growth and the overall quality of the wood. This has meant that instead of cutting down thousands of years old trees, Eucalyptus offers a good alternative to traditional lumber.
Cost
Because eucalyptus wood is farmed around the world, with many sub-tropical countries having large farms of trees, the wood’s price is average compared to others. Usually, you will have to buy the wood in larger batches if you are working on projects.
We will price the wood for a normal two-by-four, which is normally around $4, which is much less than many of the other similar woods. As you buy more wood at once or have the wood cut into specific shapes, your cost for transportation will become more than the actual wood.
Availability
One of the only woods that has consistently been available even though Eucalyptus wood is always available in some of the toughest times. Many people worldwide use it, even though the wood is made from the opposite side of the world.
Most likely, you can pick up Eucalyptus wood from a local supplier or hardware store, with many of the trees being sent to the US for processing. This has created an international market where the wood is available and priced according to local requirements more than anything else.
What Is Eucalyptus Wood Used For?
Traditionally Eucalyptus wood has been used for the internal structures and support of building because of the strength that it can provide. Many structures that are only ever going to be left outside have been built using Eucalyptus wood, which does require some maintenance.
Eucalyptus is not often used as furniture because of the weight and weaknesses that the wood has when used. While tables and some furniture inside the house are built from Eucalyptus, many other kinds of wood are much better, lighter, and grain for this purpose.
When used outside, the wood needs to be treated every year to prevent rotting or becoming too stained. This is why the wood is used as internal structural support rather than something constantly seen; when kept away from the weather, it is an extremely strong bracing and support material.
What Is Teak Wood?
Teak wood comes from the Tectona Grandis tree that only grows in South and South-east Asia; it is an extremely hardwood with tight grains. The tree takes several decades to reach maturity and can be hundreds of years old, many times becoming national treasures when reaching this age.
Extremely old trees are known to be quite large, reaching at least 27 feet in circumference, which means that the tree could be worth several million. However, farming for wild Teak trees is not always legal, and many countries have placed the trees into a protective state, with only farm-grown Teak allowed to be harvested.
Properties
Teak wood has tight, and small grains that are extremely close together have an overall yellow color. The wood has a lot of natural oils with many wood smiths considering the wood perfect without any treatment at all, with internal furniture never being treated.
When used outside, teak wood from a cultivation farm is known to become sun-bleached slightly faster than natural teak wood. However, the cultivated wood performs the same if not better when tested, with many builders preferring to treat the wood with a sealant to overcome the bleaching problem.
A special note needs to be made that as teak wood ages, it will not stay the yellow color that it normally would be when kept inside a house. Instead, the wood will turn to a silver-white color as it becomes weathered, a color that many people have sought after for many years.
Cost
Because Teak wood is one of the most coveted woods currently on the market, its price can vary greatly from location to location. Many countries use Teak wood as one of their main exports, which means it becomes much more expensive the further you are from Asia.
On average, we know that normal two-by-four teak wood can be anything from $50 and upwards, depending on the quality of the wood and the age of the tree it comes from. Many people import Teak using their suppliers, paying thousands to buy entire trees instead of just a few boards.
Availability
Despite the overall cost of Teak wood, you may be able to find a few suppliers of the wood in your area. Many times, the wood is used by furniture makers, which means there is always a high demand for the wood, which has meant suppliers are always keeping some in stock.
However, if you live in a small village or town, you may need to drive to a larger supplier; not all hardware stores will keep Teak in their warehouse. Instead, you may have to order online from suppliers specializing in providing wood from around the world to your country.
What Is Teak Wood Used For?
While in Asia, many buildings, especially older structures, are made using Teak wood, it is no longer common practice to use it for this. Instead, Teak has become one of the most loved woods for furniture because, even untreated, the furniture may last up to 50 or 60 years.
Furniture that will be left out in the rain is specifically made out of Teak due to the wood’s natural oils and hardness. Teak is resistant to termites and several other creatures that would normally eat through wooden furniture when left outside.
You can often see benches being made out of teak wood; however, anything can be made using wood. Many dinner tables are made out of Teak, with some people confusing the teak wood tables for other yellowwoods and those who can afford to build boats out of the wood.
Which Is Best For Outdoor Furniture, Teak, Or Eucalyptus?
Teak wood is always the best wood to use for outdoor furniture due to the natural resistances that the wood has and the oils. When treated, the wood can last several lifetimes without becoming damaged or weaker because of water dripping on them.
When treated properly and regularly, Eucalyptus wood should never be underestimated, with the wood easily lasting several lifetimes. One of the best parts of the wood is that it is affordable enough to easily replace it when needed, making repairs easy and affordable.
When used for outdoor furniture, Teak wood is always the best option as it ages into a beautiful color while also staying structurally strong. Requiring minimum maintenance once completed and being able to handle any weight thanks to the strength of the wood.
What Would Last The Longest When Left Outdoors?
A common question asked by people looking at the options for outdoor furniture is which of the two kinds of wood will last the longest when used for outdoor furniture. However, this is not as easy a question to answer as you may think, as several things affect the lifetime of a wood.
We need to consider how the wood is being treated, where it is being used, and how much water it receives each year. A Eucalyptus table in the desert may last as long as a Teak table in the same conditions. Many wood smiths know just how to build and treat woods to last much longer than expected.
Teak Wood
If left out in the rain for a year, Teak wood would barely show any aging apart from the growing things. The wood is dense enough and has a natural oil content that prevents any damage from being done to it by water or any other weather.
If treated properly while being built, with some wood smiths preferring to stain or add oil, the wood can easily last over 50 years. However, as it starts aging, it is best practice to reapply wood and look at points of the wood that may be breaking or aging.
Eucalyptus Wood
If untreated, Eucalyptus wood is likely to start breaking and swelling within a few years of being left outside in the wind and rain. However, if treated with oil once every few years, the outdoor furniture may easily last just as long as Teak or any other hardwood may.
Eucalyptus does not have the natural resistance to bugs and water that Teak wood has; however, these can be added by using the right treatments. If maintained properly, most hardwood furniture can last forever when left out in the rain; it is usually softer woods that last only a few years.
Why Is Teak Furniture So Expensive?
There are two reasons that Teak furniture is so expensive, the first being the rarity of the wood, despite being farmed in many Asian countries. This is because these are the only countries where these trees are being grown, affecting the rarity in many ways.
Further, because the wood is so durable, it is in high demand at all times, which means that many people are buying up the available wood. These two factors together mean that Teak wood is always expensive, even if you buy slabs to prepare for a project.
The craftsmanship required to work with Teak wood is also not normal, requiring a few joining techniques that do not rely on glue or nails. This means that the skills to perfectly work with Teak wood are also rare; creating a perfect storm means Teak wood furniture is always expensive.
Conclusion
When comparing the two, Teak wood will always be much better for outdoor furniture than Eucalyptus wood owing to the Teak naturally being weather resistant. Eucalyptus is a strong and affordable alternative to the much more expensive Teak wood if you want to be budget-conscious.
Whatever you do, please don’t try to burn either of these two kinds of wood; the smell will not be pleasant!
References
Choosing the Right Outdoor Wood Furniture (thespruce.com)
Why Teak is the Best Wood for Outdoor Furniture (teakwarehouse.com)
Top 5 Uses for Eucalyptus Wood – Resorts | Zoos | Theme Parks – amaZulu (amazuluinc.com)
Eucalyptus Lumber – Shipped directly to you. (advantagelumber.com)
What is Teak wood and why is it so great? | Key facts about Teak! (cyan-teak-furniture.com)
Teak Wood | Teak Uses, Advantages, Disadvantages, and Cleaning (timberblogger.com)
