Teak has been used as a boatbuilding material for over 150 years. Inaddition to relatively high strength, teak is also highly resistant to rot,fungi and mildew. In addition, teak has a relatively low shrinkage ratio, whichmakes it excellent for applications where it undergoes periodic changes inmoisture. Teak has the unusual properties of being both an excellent structuraltimber for framing, planking, etc., while at the same time being easily workedand finished to a high degree. For this reason, it is also prized for the trimwork on boat interiors. Due to the oilynature of the wood, care must be taken to properly prepare the wood beforegluing.

Teak is also used extensively in boat decks,as it is extremely durable and requires very little maintenance. The teak tendsto wear in to the softer 'summer' growth bands first, forming a natural'non-slip' surface. Any sanding is therefore only damaging. Use of moderncleaning compounds, oils or preservatives will shorten the life of the teak, asit contains natural teak-oil a very small distance below the white surface.Wooden boat experts will only wash the teak with salt water, and re-caulk when needed.This cleans the deck, and prevents it from drying out and the wood shrinking.The salt helps it absorb and retain moisture, and prevents any mildew and algalgrowth. People with poor knowledge often over-maintain the teak, anddrastically shorten its life.( From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )