Teak is one of the most valuable of all woods. It is expensive due to its scarcity and because it is so difficult to harvest and transport. The over-riding advantage of teak is its unique ability to prevent rust and corrosion when in contact with metal. Teak finishes well and when stained can look like ebony or mahogany. Due to its oil content, pretreatment is, at times, necessary to ensure good glue bonding.
Teak works well with both hand and machine tools.
Because of the presence of silica in the grain it has a tendency to dull tools, but this can be overcome with proper tool usage. It is readily available as veneer and as lumber. Teak is used principally in shipbuilding and in the construction of expensive boats and yachts. Indoors it is used for flooring and paneling in banks, auditoriums and offices. It is strongly associated with Scandanavian, Chinese and modern furniture design and decorative objects.