Performance is the key!
It is important to understand all of the dynamics of your choice of flooring. One of the most important feature to consider about wood flooring is the dimensional stability rating of the wood being used. Hardness and finish are certainly a consideration in your choice and commonly focused on in sales rooms, but their importance is diminished if the floor should fail—bowing, cupping or warping—after the installation.
Teak is one of the most durable timbers in the world. On some dry sites, it has lasted for more than seven hundred years. Because of the natural preservatives present in the heartwood, the natural durability is one of the features that makes teak a high quality timber for many applications.
Only real teak (Tectona Grandis) can provide you with the world's most dimensionally stable flooring. Our teak products provide the performance characteristics necessary for use in tropical and other unique climates. The inherent structural dimensional stability of teak allows it to be applied to wood sub floors or directly to properly tested and prepared concrete slabs. Keoni's Teak products offer the stability of an engineered wood floor without compromising the integrity and beauty of a solid exotic tropical hardwood.
The last decade has seen the construction of "engineered" flooring in a variety of designs, wood types, shapes, forms and profiles. The primary purpose for the development of engineered flooring was to create or duplicate dimensional stability similar to that of teak.
The Results...
The result is a product of the highest quality and durability, designed to enhance the beauty and livability of your home, office or business as well as preserve and sustain the earth's natural resources. Click here to learn more about the durability and stability of tectona grandis.
Plantation Grown Teak
In a recent USDA Forest Service study on characteristics of ten tropical hardwoods from certified forests (USDA Forest Products Lab Study), Plantation Teak was identified as virtually identical to "Burmese" or Old-World Teak in terms of dimensional stability. According to the study, it does not cup or warp due to changes in temperature or moistures. Teak can actually be glued directly to a properly sealed concrete slab.
In the mid-eighties, ecologists discovered that the tropical dry climate on the west coast of Costa Rica was perfect for teak farming, and that teak plantations would reduce the harvest of old-growth forests and illegal harvesting in Asia. Next to certain softwoods, such as pine grown for paper and power production, Teak is one of the best suited trees for farming. Properly managed, it can be ready for harvest in as little as 15 years while still providing a home for indigenous flora and fauna. In addition, due to the short harvest cycle, efficient land rotation reduces impact on the environment, provides for indefinite land use, and provides oxygen for the environment.
Because of its consistent growth rates, plantation teak is now mature enough for commercial harvest and a new market is developing. Teak, once considered only for boats, or too dark or expensive for residential use, is now recognized as a beautiful, durable and a perfect alternative to irreplaceable American and Asian hardwoods.
Even though consumers are increasingly conscious of environmental issues, exotic hardwoods are still seen as prestigious and desirable. Teak is the most recognized exotic hardwood in the world. By stressing the environmental advantages of FSC certified products, consumers can have exotic hardwoods and take care of the environment. It's important to you—it's important to the environment, and it's important to us!
