Frequently Asked Questions

Teak has been prized throughout history for its durability, stability, and resistance to moisture, rot, parasites and virtually all weather conditions. Among the alternatives to teak, tropical woods such as iroko, ipe, Brazilian teak, and African teak have a lower oil content so are less durable and more vulnerable to splintering and rot. Cedar and cypress, from which you'll also find outdoor furniture made, tend to be softer, lighter weight, and far less durable. For outdoor applications and a lifetime of use, teak is in a class of its own. Because of its exceptionally high oil content, teak is especially durable, long-lasting and highly resistant to rot and weather, even in the most difficult coastal climates. Teak is prized around the world for its beautiful, tight grain and golden hue that weathers to a distinctive silver gray. And over a lifetime of use, teak requires little to no maintenance to preserve its beauty and dependable stability. There is simply no substitute for quality teak when it comes to elegant, long-lasting, comfortable home and garden furniture and furnishings. At Reforest Teak, we insist on manufacturing furniture for a lifetime of satisfaction. Our furniture is made with the highest quality precision mortise and tenon joinery using round and oval tenons. We use only stainless steel fittings that are 316 marine grade, assuring optimal resistance to rust and oxidation. For failsafe bonding and precision fit, we choose to apply the same waterproof adhesives used on the space shuttle and military aircraft. And our factory craftspeople are proud of their skilled workmanship and expertise at hand sanding every piece of Reforest Teak to an heirloom finish. We use First European Quality (FEQ) grade teak in nearly all of our furniture. FEQ is the highest grade of 100% heartwood teak and the best quality there is for exterior applications such as furniture, decking, and yacht building. We can usually send out your order within one to two weeks. Reforest Teak products are sent directly from our factory in Costa Rica to our warehouses in Pennsylvania and Vermont. Even if we're temporarily out of stock due to high demand, our inventory is much closer to you than our Asian competitors. We charge a flat shipping fee of 11% of the total order value. Additional shipping charges are applied to oversize items. With some furniture pieces of Reforest Teak, particularly the larger ones, there may be a small amount of simple assembly required. Whenever the design allows, we choose to use a simple pegged dowel assembly that has been the first choice of master woodworkers for centures. So, other than basic tools, you won't need anything special to put larger pieces together. You'll find easy to follow assembly instructions included in your package and a toll free help number in case you need extra advice. There's no need to store your Reforest Teak indoors. Properly kiln dried teak such as ours can be left outside year round, regardless of weather conditions. When left outdoors, however, your teak furniture is likely to collect dirt and dust. You can remedy that with a simple, yearly cleaning using a gentle bristle brush and a mild cleaner such as Simple Green. Untreated teak will weather over time to a naturally beautiful silver gray. If you prefer to keep its golden hue, apply a teak sealer (choose an environmentally friendly brand) when your pieces are new, or during the winter months. We do not recommend using teak oils as they don't extend the life of your furniture and may lead to unnecessary ongoing maintenance. Not at all. Teak is something of a "living" wood. As weather conditions affect the moisture content of your Reforest Teak furniture, you'll sometimes find small fissures in the end grain of your pieces' arms and legs. They're normal and will most likely disappear with weather variations. These natural cracks will not affect the life span or the use of your Reforest Teak. With new teak furniture, a few dark stripes are normal. They tend to occur after kiln drying which lowers moisture content of the wood before it's crafted into fine furniture. You'll find these color variations disappear once your furniture is exposed to sunlight. Note that, with Reforest Teak products which use Standard Teak (a mix of heartwood and whitewood), such as our planters and birdhouses, color variations are a natural occurence and become part of the distinctive appearance of the wood. White glove service is available for all of our Reforest Teak products within the continental US. Items will be fully assembled and trucked directly to your home. Your new furniture will be carefully placed anywhere you like, inside or out and all packaging materials removed. White glove service is available for additional delivery fees. For "white glove" rates, or to schedule a "white glove" delivery, please call 888-236-7125. In the unlikely event that you need to return your shipment, it must be in its original condition and shipped within 30 days of having received it. We'll refund your purchase price, less shipping costs, plus a nominal restocking fee. While we guarantee your outdoor teak furniture for life against material and manufacturing defects, it cannot be returned once it has begun to weather. All of the teak we use to make Reforest Teak products is grown in Central America, specifically in democratic Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a world leader in progressive environmental policy with 34% of the country's land designated to protective national parks and conservation zones. The teak we use comes from our sustainably managed forests planted on pastures which were depleted and abandoned by the beef industry. Unlike a number of teak producing regions worldwide such as Indonesia and Myanmar/Burma, Costa Rica does not tolerate extremist regimes, despots or repressive military dictatorships. It has been widely reported that such regimes are often involved in exploiting timber industry profits at the expense of precious ecosystems and dependent local communities. Reforest Teak is committed to ecological reforestation in Central America in a way that respects and restores the environment and fosters a better quality of life in local communities. At Reforest Teak, we're proud to be leading the industry with an active commitment to ecological reforestation of Central American lands that have previously been depleted by the beef industry. All of our hardwood products come from our sustainably managed hardwood plantations that are returning abandoned cattle pastures to ecological productivity. Our ecological reforestation work also helps to combat global warming by facilitating essential carbon offset sequestration opportunities. Our plantations in Costa Rica are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) through the SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance, assuring our customers that our forest plantations are managed sustainably and in a way that respects the present and future needs of neighboring communities. At Reforest Teak, we are committed to sharing the long range benefits of our business and to helping improve the quality of life for our neighboring communities in Central America. We provide fair and above-market wages, social security and insurance plans, and an industry-leading pension plan designed to empower women. We also offer apprenticeship and professional training programs to enhance employment opportunities. And we facilitate programs in ecological reforestation and land management that we hope will foster an ongoing local sense of stewardship for woodland resources and precious ecological systems in the region. Reforest Teak does not tolerate any form of forced child labor or child exploitation. Our workplace practices look to enhance the quality of life for our employees and assist them in providing the social and economic stability that supports a healthful, nurturing environment for raising children. Included in these practices is a stipend which we offer to all of our employees for the education of their children.