The 5-Minute Guide: How to Spot the Difference Between Grade-A and Grade-C Teak
, by ROSS KERR , 2 min reading time
The Teak Quality Trap: Why Your "Bargain" Garden Set Might Rot by 2028
If you’re shopping for a teak table online right now, you’re seeing the same stock photos everywhere. They all look honey-gold. They all look "solid." But there is a reason one 180cm set costs £600 and ours costs significantly more.
It’s the difference between Heartwood and Sapwood. Or, as the industry calls it: Grade-A vs. Grade-C.
Grade-A: The "Oily" Truth
When we unbox a fresh delivery at our warehouse, the first thing you notice isn't the look—it’s the feel. Grade-A teak comes from the very center of a 40-year-old tree. This "Heartwood" is where all the natural silica and rubber live.
If you run your hand over one of our 4cm thick tabletops, it feels almost waxy. That’s not a chemical coating; that’s the oil that makes the wood waterproof. You could leave this table in a Bromsgrove downpour for fifteen winters and it wouldn't flinch. The grain is tight, straight, and dead-even. No knots. No "wild" patches. Just rock-solid timber.
Grade-C: The "White Wood" Fake
Grade-C is the outer layer of the tree (the sapwood). It’s basically "baby" wood. It hasn't developed those life-saving oils yet.
The trick many retailers use? They "wash" or stain Grade-C wood to make it look like the expensive stuff. But here is the giveaway:
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Look for "Blonde" Streaks: If you see white or very light patches in the grain, that’s sapwood. It’s soft, porous, and attracts rot like a magnet.
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The Weight Test: If you can lift a large armchair with two fingers, it’s Grade-C. It’s less dense and will "check" (split) the second the sun hits it.
Why "Cheap" Teak is the Most Expensive Choice
I see it every year. Someone buys a "Grade-C" set because it's a bargain. By year three, the joints are wobbling because the wood has shrunk. By year five, it’s in a skip.
At RK Garden Furniture, we only touch the Heartwood. Our 180-240cm extending sets are heavy, oily, and built with proper mortise and tenon joinery. You aren't buying a "disposable" table; you're buying the last garden set you’ll ever need.
Want to see the "Oily" grain for yourself? Give me a shout. We’re over at the barns in Upton Warren. Come kick the tires (or the table legs) and see why real teak is worth it.
