Teak outdoor furniture from an Umbrian workshop to an American port

Teak outdoor furniture has a reputation that holds up. Talenti, which builds in Amelia, Umbria, describes teak as a wood that stands up to swings in temperature, to water, humidity and salt. That makes it a favorite for terraces by the sea. It also makes it one of the pieces of furniture that needs extra paperwork at an American port.

The law behind the form

The Lacey Act is the American law on the trade in plants and wood. For an importer, it turns into a form: the PPQ 505 declaration, which the broker files for every load carrying wood.

Two facts go on it for each wooden component. First, the scientific name of the species. Second, the country where the tree grew. The country of harvest and the country of manufacture often differ. A table built in Umbria can carry teak that grew on another continent, and the declaration names that other country.

The form covers hidden wood too. If a piece has fiberboard or particleboard inside a cushion base or a drawer, that material goes on the declaration as well. Composite wood also falls under a separate TSCA rule on composite wood, which asks for third party certification and a label, with records the EPA can check.

Two Talenti teak collections

Talenti works with several woods: teak, iroko, mahogany, stonewood and accoya among them. Teak carries two of its Icon collections.

Talenti Cruise Teak by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba draws on sailing. The wood forms the base, and rope winds through the arms and backs of the seating: living armchairs, fixed and modular sofas, and dining armchairs. The collection runs to 12 pieces, with two dining tables, 240 cm long by 110 wide and 320 cm long by 120 wide, a sunbed and a daybed. See the Cruise Teak collection.

Talenti Jun by Marco Acerbis pairs teak with deep but compact seats. The frames are tubular teak, and the back and arms wear upholstered covers you can remove. The dining tables have irregular teak bases with stoneware tops, up to 320 by 120 cm. See the Jun collection.

Our part in a teak order

For each Talenti order with wood, we ask the factory for the species and the country of harvest of each wooden part before the goods leave Amelia. The broker files the PPQ 505 with that data. If a piece also has upholstery, the same shipment needs the TB 117-2013 label on the cushions, and in some cases a Prop 65 warning. We put all of it into one quote.

You do not need to fill in anything yourself. You do want to know the answers, though, because they tell you where your teak came from. Ask us and we send the factory's data in writing.

After the port: jute, sandpaper, oil

The paperwork ends at the port. The care starts on your terrace. Talenti's own care notes for wood say three things.

• Teak changes with the weather. Expect variations in color, and fine cracks when the humidity or the temperature swings hard.
• Left without oil, the surface turns a silver gray. A light sanding and a rub with a jute cloth bring back the honey color.
• Oil and food stains sink in fast. Sand the spot and polish it with jute before the wood absorbs the stain deep down.

Many owners like the silver and leave it. Others oil it on a schedule with an oil-based protective product. Both work, and the choice is about the look.

Pick the teak for your terrace

Cruise Teak suits a big dining terrace and a pool deck, with long tables and a daybed. Jun suits a sitting room outside, where the upholstered back and arms make the sofa feel like an indoor one. Send us your floor plan and the pieces you like on the poster form at the foot of this page. The Los Angeles desk answers with the Talenti teak options, the wood data for the declaration, and a price that covers freight and customs work.