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A Teak Bench for a Friend
Several years ago for Christmas, I bought a very good friend of mine a teak bench for her outdoor area. She was always wasting money buying cheap outdoor furniture that would rot and mildew by the end of the summer. Living in the south, I knew she needed to invest in something better. Teak furniture was always my suggestion but she thought that teak was too expensive when she could get something much cheaper that looked fairly similar. Unfortunately, when it comes to outdoor furniture, you get what you pay for. The elements (sun, rain insects, moisture, heat and cold) can deteriorate cheap outdoor furniture quickly. I had bragged for months on the benefits of owning teak wood and finally decided to prove a point buy purchasing something I knew she would grow to love and appreciate.
First, she complained of not having enough seating in her back yard, I thought that a teak bench would be perfect. Not only would it provide extra seating but it would allow options of where she could place it. She had a huge tree that gave lots of shade, so if she desired to place it there she could.
Next, I knew she hated having to stain and treat wood. I remember watching her picnic table warp and wither away because she never made time to reseal it. It was high maintenance. She’s a busy lady with not a whole lot of extra time. That’s why I knew teak would be ideal. It doesn’t need to be stained or treated because it has natural oils that keep the wood from warping or rotting. It even serves as a natural defense against insect infestation. It is one of the hardest, strongest and most durable of all timbers. The texture stays smooth and never splints, so she wouldn’t have to worry about snagging a sweater or blouse on her teak bench.
I did tell her that teak beautifies with age. It turns into a silvery patina color if left outdoors. The natural oils migrate to the surface of the wood turning the surface to an elegant and timeless gray color. I also let her know that if she had the time, she could apply teak oil to restore the beauty of its golden tones. If she wanted to use the teak bench inside her home, maybe an alternative to a window seat, the natural wood grain tone would stay true to its color.
By the end of the month she wanted to purchase more teak furniture for her outdoor area. She loved the fact that she didn’t have to worry about replacing her furniture year after year which in the long run will be great on the environment. She did decide to let her teak bench turn its natural color outdoors. She loves the silvery color and the texture. I was glad that she finally was convinced that teak was really the smarter way to go.
Article By Anita Winter
Park Benches, the Forrest Gump Connection and More
By Daniel Dye
Look around the next time you take a casual stroll through a local park. More than likely you'll see children playing, playground equipment and maybe a few furry animals. But the chances of seeing this park staple - the park bench - is almost guaranteed.
There are more varieties of park benches now than ever before. Outdoor park benches, commercial grade park benches, residential benches, plastic park benches, thermoplastic benches, wooden outdoor benches, teak benches, commercial outdoor benches, recycled benches, custom made benches and more. It's enough to make your head spin, but the point is that the typical slat wood attached to a metal frame days are over.
Commercial benches are made of heavy duty steel that have a thermoplastic coating to protect them from the elements. These benches are used in a variety of climates because this coating can handle harsh winter weather in Maine and scorching Florida heat. These commercial products can come in the form of backless benches, roll formed benches, u-leg benches, perforated benches and expanded (long) benches.
Custom logo benches are coming into their own these days. These benches allow for logos and wording to be laser-etched into the bench. Next time you are on a college campus, strolling through a municipal park or a well-known theme park, look around. You may just discover a custom logo bench.
Recycled benches are a popular choice these days because the benches are durable, resistant to rot and insects and prevent plastic waste from ending up in landfills. Recycled benches come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and styles. Also, these benches do not need to be sealed or painted. Simply sit it outside and forget about it.
Did You Know? The park bench that Tom Hanks sat on during "Forrest Gump" was located in Savannah, Ga., at Chippewa Square. The fiberglass bench has been removed and placed into a museum to avoid being destroyed by bad weather, or possibly stolen. To this day, the bench is held in the Savannah History Museum. What's more, Chippewa Square, the setting for the famous bench scene, does not actually have any benches on the outside of the square that faces the street, only inside the square. Source: www.IMDB.com, retrieved July 15, 2010.
Only in New York! Imagine sitting on a New York City park bench at the Rivington Playground and getting handed a ticket that could land you in jail or cost you thousands of dollars. It happened to a woman from Jersey City. The ticket was given under city law designed to keep pedophiles out of city parks, but the woman says the city went too far.
The park is protected by a rule that prevents adults from sitting there without a child - and apparently they mean it. Sandra Catena, a dance instructor from Jersey City walked into the park on Saturday while she was waiting for an arts festival to begin, when she was approached by two police officers. The police wrote a summons for the lady to go to court. She could face 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine if she does not appear before the judge.
Additional research about this incident did not yield any information as to what eventually came of this case. Source: abclocal.go.com/wabc, retrieved July 15, 2010
