Ask about furniture timber in Hyderabad and three names come up again and again: teak, sheesham and rubberwood. They are sold side by side, priced very differently, and described in ways that do not always match the wood. This guide covers the types of teak you will actually be offered in India, how to tell genuine teak from the lookalikes, and how teak, sheesham and rubberwood compare for furniture in a humid city.
The types of teak sold in India
There is only one true teak, a tree called Tectona grandis. The differences between types of teak come from where the tree grew, how old it was when it was cut, and which part of the log a board came from.
Burma (Myanmar) teak
Burma teak is teak from naturally grown forests in Myanmar, long the largest source of natural teak. It grows slowly, so the wood has tight growth rings, a deep golden-brown colour and a fine, straight grain, and it is the benchmark the other types are measured against. It is also the hardest type to buy now. Supply from Myanmar has been restricted, and a good part of what is sold as Burma teak is older or reclaimed stock, so ask for proof of origin.
Indian teak, including CP and Nilambur teak
Indian teak is grown in India, mostly on plantations. CP teak takes its name from the old Central Provinces, and in the trade it now broadly means teak grown in central India, such as the Nagpur and Maharashtra region. Nilambur in Kerala has the oldest teak plantation in the world and is known for its teak. Indian plantation teak is typically a warm golden-brown with a fine to medium grain, and it is a common choice for Indian homes.
African plantation teak
Plantations in West Africa, in countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, grow the same species. Because the trees are grown quickly, the wood is generally described as having more colour variation, a coarser grain and somewhat less natural oil than Burma or Indian teak. It is real teak, usually at a lower price.
Other plantation teak
Indonesia is the largest source of commercially harvested plantation teak, and plantations are growing in Central and South America, in countries such as Costa Rica. Plantation timber tends to lack the deep colour and dramatic grain of old natural-forest teak. Studies have found, however, that it performs on par with old-growth teak for dimensional stability, warping and surface checking.
Heartwood, sapwood and grades
Within any type, the part of the log matters. Heartwood, from the centre of the tree, is the golden-brown wood that carries the natural oils and gives teak its durability. Sapwood, from the outer layer, is paler and has less protection. Traders also sort boards into grades such as A, B and C, with A the most uniform heartwood and the fewest knots. There is no single national standard, so ask what a seller's grade actually means.
Teak lookalikes, and how to avoid them
Several timbers are sold under teak names. Brazilian teak is usually cumaru, and some woods sold as African teak are iroko or afrormosia, none of which is Tectona grandis. Teak finish and teak veneer describe a surface on another material, not solid teak.
- Ask for the botanical name, Tectona grandis, and the country of origin.
- Check a cut edge. Solid teak shows the same grain through its full thickness, while veneer shows plywood or MDF layers.
- Look for a warm golden-brown colour and a slightly oily surface.
- Ask for solid teak, and the grade, to be written on the quote or invoice.
Teak, sheesham and rubberwood in brief
Teak
Teak heartwood is golden to medium brown and darkens with age. Its natural oils make it very durable, resistant to termites and stable in damp air, with low shrinkage and little movement through the seasons. It is easy to work. It is not especially hard, at about 1,070 lbf on the Janka scale, its silica content blunts tools, and it is among the most expensive timbers you can buy.
Sheesham
Sheesham, also called sissoo and often sold as Indian rosewood, is a timber native to northern India, with golden to dark brown heartwood and a lively, sometimes interlocked grain. It is denser and harder than teak, at about 1,660 lbf, its heartwood is durable and resists fungi, and it carves and finishes well. Two cautions apply. The pale sapwood is readily attacked by borers and termites, so you want heartwood. And sheesham tends to move more than teak when it has not been properly seasoned, so ask how it was dried.
Rubberwood
Rubberwood comes from Hevea brasiliensis, the rubber tree, and is harvested after the tree has finished its life producing latex, about thirty years, which makes it a plantation by-product. It is pale, light blonde to tan, with a straight, even grain that takes stain and paint well, and it is usually the least expensive of the three. It is also the least durable. Rubberwood has very little natural resistance to decay and is susceptible to insects and fungal stain, so it depends on preservative treatment and good seasoning. It is relatively soft, at about 960 lbf, and easy to work.
Teak vs sheesham vs rubberwood, side by side
| Teak | Sheesham | Rubberwood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Tectona grandis | Dalbergia sissoo | Hevea brasiliensis |
| Colour | Golden to medium brown, darkens with age | Golden to dark reddish-brown heartwood, pale sapwood | Light blonde to tan |
| Grain | Straight, sometimes wavy | Straight to interlocked | Straight and even |
| Hardness (Janka) | About 1,070 lbf | About 1,660 lbf | About 960 lbf |
| Dried density | About 655 kg/m³ | About 770 kg/m³ | About 595 kg/m³ |
| Natural durability | Very durable | Heartwood durable to very durable | Perishable |
| Termites and decay | Resistant | Heartwood resists, sapwood is readily attacked | Very little natural resistance |
| In humid air | Stable, low shrinkage | Can move if not well seasoned | Warps in drying, stable once seasoned |
| Working and carving | Easy to work, dulls tools | Good, carves and finishes well, interlocked grain can tear | Easy to work, takes stain and paint |
| Cost | Highest | Middle | Usually lowest |
Typical values for each species from the Wood Database. Individual boards vary with origin, age and drying.
Two things in the table surprise people. Sheesham is harder and denser than teak, yet teak is the better choice in damp air, because hardness is not durability: teak's natural oils are what protect it. And rubberwood is not a poor timber, only a different one. Properly treated and kept indoors, it is a sensible budget choice, which is why it is so widely used.
Which should you choose?
- Pieces that sit in damp or humid conditions, or that must keep their shape with little care: teak.
- Indoor dining tables, beds and cabinets where you want rich grain and a hard-wearing timber at a lower cost than teak: sheesham heartwood, well seasoned.
- Indoor pieces on a tight budget, or furniture that will be painted or stained a solid colour: rubberwood, treated and seasoned properly.
- Anything near a wet area or a window that gets rain: avoid untreated rubberwood.
What to ask before you buy
- Which timber, exactly? Ask for the botanical name: Tectona grandis for teak, Dalbergia sissoo for sheesham, Hevea brasiliensis for rubberwood.
- Which part of the tree? Ask whether it is heartwood or sapwood, and which grade.
- Where did it grow? Ask for the origin, and whether it is plantation or natural-forest timber.
- How was it dried? Ask whether it was seasoned or kiln-dried and, for rubberwood, how it was treated.
- Is it solid or veneered? Ask which parts are solid timber and which are board.
- Is it written down? Ask for the timber and grade on the quote or invoice.
Questions people ask
What are the types of teak wood in India?
The main types are Burma (Myanmar) teak from natural forests, Indian teak including CP and Nilambur teak, and plantation teak from Africa, Indonesia and Latin America. They are the same species, Tectona grandis, and differ in origin, age and grade.
Which is better, teak or sheesham?
Teak is better in humid conditions and needs less care. Sheesham is harder and costs less, and it works well indoors when it is heartwood and properly seasoned.
Is rubberwood good for furniture?
Yes for indoor furniture, if it has been treated and seasoned. It is the weakest of the three at resisting decay and insects, so it should not be used in damp places unless it has been specially treated.
Is sheesham the same as Indian rosewood?
Sheesham, Dalbergia sissoo, is often sold as Indian rosewood, although it is less dense than the other rosewoods and its status as a true rosewood is disputed. Ask for the botanical name so you know exactly what you are buying.
How can I tell real teak?
Look for a warm golden-brown colour, a slightly oily surface and the same grain through the full thickness of a cut edge. Ask for the botanical name and for solid teak and the grade to be written on the quote.
Which timber resists termites best?
Teak heartwood and sheesham heartwood both resist termites. Sheesham sapwood and untreated rubberwood do not.
Book a design session at our Gachibowli studio to talk through timber and finish for the piece you have in mind.