British Colonization and Teak Patio Sets

Teak patio sets aren’t so uncommon these days. For many years, though, teak wood’s more important use lay in large construction projects and ship building. The British receive the credit for bringing teak wood, and thus teak patio sets, into the Western eye.

During the age of British imperialism, England exerted control over a number of colonies. Among these was India. The British picked up on certain elements of the foreign culture that they liked and brought these things home with them. Teak wood was one of these things they brought home.

So from the nineteenth century, teak patio sets began to gain popularity. Harvesting the wood wasn’t easy. Solid teak wood is heavy. The logs would not float on waterways for transportation as other types of wood did. Instead, elephants were trained to pull the teak logs out of the Asian jungles.

Today, although teak is native to Asia and still grows there, it is also grown in South America and other places with similar climates. Teak patio sets have grown popular. For those who actually own teak patio sets, it may be easy to see why the British fell in love with this wood.