Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Scrape at the surface of the wood with your fingernail if it is raw unfinished wood. If it is teak, it will smell similar to vegetable oil, not an unpleasant smell.
2

Cut through the wood with a table saw if it is raw unfinished wood. Wait 30 minutes and look at the fresh cut that the saw blade made. Hold the wood up so the light reflects off the edge. You should be able to see pin-head droplets of oil glistening along some of the grain.
3

Lay a piece of freshly cut wood out in the sun. If it is teak, it will change from light brown with some green streaks to a consistent dark reddish brown in two weeks.
4

Look closely at the wood if it is already finished. If it is teak, it will be a dark chocolate color with a red tint to it. You should see well-defined black grain. The grain will have half and half bold and fine texture. The grain pattern will have some zig-zag patterns running intermittently through it.