KING OF THE WOODS think teak when choosing outdoor furniture
BY M. LUKE YODER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLGER OBENAUS
Bob Kelliher knows a thing or two about teak.
Not only does he own and operate Outside Is In, located in the old Gullah Cuisine building near the Mount Pleasant Towne Center, he travels to Indonesia to guarantee that all the prod- ucts his store receives are of the
highest quality. The government of Indonesia
controls the country’s teak plan- tations to ensure that the wood is sustainable and that it gets the highest economic return on its prized resource. Kelliher is on the same page. “We prefer that all of our teak is sustainable
and harvested properly,” he says. “Being able to visit directly with our manufacturer allows us to make sure our customers are getting the best quality and value possible.” Teak has been used as furni-
ture for centuries because of its exceptional characteristics. The
wood is extremely resistant to rot and termites and has natural properties that give it a long life under any condition. Teak rarely splinters and has the best dimensional stability, allowing joints to stay tight, whereas other woods have a tendency to loosen over time.