Search for Skagerak Teak Furniture on eBay.Teak furniture is not only attractive but can last a lifetime if you buy it correctly.  No rocket science necessary; just a few rules when shopping could save you thousands of dollars and hours of time.  Say goodbye to cheap faded plastic, rusty metal and broken webbing!  This guide can show you how to bring your outdoor living space to life with quality Teak at affordable prices.

Does The Manufacturer Have a Website You Can Research?

Quality manufacturers will have a website explaining all aspects of their manufacturing process.  If you can't locate the manufacturer through normal channels, the Ebay seller should be able to direct you.  It is rare that a quality Teak furniture piece is not associated with a known company.  Teak is a valuable natural resource on the black market of second and third world Countries.  All sorts of environmental and child labor problems exist and buyers should be aware of who they are supporting with their purchase.

How Is The Product Constructed?

Quality products use Mortise and Tenon joinery as well as adequate size lumber and quality hardware.  Mortise and Tenon joints are those in which one piece of wood is shaped or routered to fit snuggly inside another where wood connections occur.  You can check how pieces are joined together by close visual inspection or by lifting the piece by one end to ensure it moves as one and doesn't wobble or shift in the process.  It is common for glue to be used to hold mortise and tenon joints together.  If you can't visually inspect pieces prior to purchase you can view instruction sheets for clues and your seller should be able to fax them to you

Limber thickness should be of sufficient size to support some serious weight.  Legs for benches, chairs and tables should all be at least 1 and 1 half inches thick on all sides.  Sculpted pieces may have less thickness for design purposes but are designed to hold wieght all the same.

Hardware refers to the bolts and fastening devices used to hold the piece together.  Bolts and fastening devices should be made out of stainless steel to prevent rust and corrosion.  The top of the line would be teak wooden dowels used to join pieces.  Brass and Copper hardware looks nice but will not stand the test of time in holding things together.  Brass and Copper do make a nice decorative touch although.  Wood screws should be avoided as wood naturally expands and contracts over time and they will come loose constantly.  Check photos with care and copy and paste them to a photo program to enlarge if necessary.  Pieces screwed together with side to side joinery will loosen and break very quickly.

Is The Material Used Really Teak?

It sounds silly I know but Teak Veneeer or Teak Oiled is not Teak and will not hold up for more then a year or two.  Teak Veneer simply means that a thin layer of teak has been glued over another less expensive wood.  Many of the low priced teak pieces can only be sold at those prices if they are Teak Veneer and not full teak.  Teak Veneer may be just fine if the piece is for indoor use only but any outdoor use requires full Teak and not just a Veneer covering.  Teaked Oiled is another phrase you'll see and want to stay away from.  Genuine teak is just that and the application of a coat of oil will fade very quickly on any substandard wood product made to look like teak.

Nytoah is a special case.  It has many of the properties of teak but not the beautiful grain.  It is often used in place of teak but is not usually kiln dried prior to use due to expense issues.  The result is a piece of furniture that becomes twisted or the grain seperates.  Nytoah can be used if it is kiln dried to remove moisture and is often used by quality furniture manufacturers for painted pieces where natural wood grain is not an issue.

How Much Assembly Is Required?

A quick check of some the teak pieces on Ebay will tell you that more then one person ordered a nice looking furniture set only to find that that it came in hundreds of pieces and took a large number of hours  to assemble.  Quality teak manufacturers only require the assembly that is necessary to conform to shipping constraints.  They never try and save labor hours on having the buyer construct the entire piece at home.  Often quality teak pieces only require legs to be attached and some even come fully assembled with the tools necessary to tighten pieces from time to time.  Your seller should be able to fax you a copy of any assembly instructions prior to your purchase.  If they cannot show you assembly instructions you may want to rethink your purchase carefully.

Warranty & Return Policies?

Quality manufacturers will warranty their Teak pieces for many years excepting obvious abuse or damage.  Teak is priced higher then other furntiure but can easily last for 50 years or more with little or no upkeep.  It pays to understand your warranty before you buy.

Buying Teak from a seller who has a return policy makes sense to us and it should to you as well.  Teak is expensive and is made well when it comes from quality manufacturers like Skagerak.  Although problems are rare, they do come up.  Teak can split and hardware like nuts and bolts do come loose and get lost.  Buying from internet sellers who drop ship and never touch the item themselves often means no return policy (check the fine print!).  Skagerak dealers who have real studio's/retail stores where you can view items before purchase often have return and repair policies that make sense.  Make sure about warranty and return policies before you buy online; many large drop shippers have a NO RETURNS policy for online teak furniture purchases.