Teak wood combines a rich exotic grain with the natural resistance to moisture and insects and high stability. By using end grain wood Proteak creates surprising patterns for its products, thanks to the distinctive colours of especially the young teak. Teak forms a distinctive golden brown heartwood, which turns darker with exposure, while the sapwood has a cream colour. In old growth teak, the proportion of sapwood is quite small since trees grow slow, but the sapwood proportion of young trees is significant. Proteak harvests young teak trees on its plantations to make room for other trees to mature. The company has developed a way to mill the smaller logs, instead of the usual burning. In terms of strength and durability young teak is the same as mature teak. The wood is sturdy and self-healing. Natural resins give teak the ability to resist moisture, termites, acid and fungus. A high resin content also helps teak resist warping and cracking. The renewably-harvested teak lumber of Proteak is grown on the reclaimed ranch lands along Mexico’s Pacific coast. The end grain countertops are available in a thickness of 2.5 inches.