Teak wood flooring originates from a tree with the botanical name Tectona, grandis (true teak) and Tectona hamiltoniana which is found in South East Asia, typically Myanmar, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. A certain amount of teak grows in Africa as well. The tree grows to a height of between 30 and 40 meters, is extremely strong, able to withstand wide temperature differences and climatic conditions, and has a lifespan of up to 100 years.

Because of its extensive popularity and indiscriminate harvesting, teak is now cultivated systematically in plantations. Timber from old trees that have grown at a slow, natural pace is harder and more durable than that from young trees from cultivated plantations that can be harvested in a little over 10 years. This timber from younger trees needs to by carefully kiln dried under controlled conditions to perform equivalent to naturally grown teak.

Teak contains natural oils and a certain resin in its heartwood that makes it highly water, bacteria and termite–resistant. The heartwood of teak has a yellowish brown to dark gold coloring. It is relatively easy to work with and is used in furniture and flooring. Its exceptional stability makes it ideal flooring in ships, cruise ships in particular. Historically, teak wood has been used as marine decking for centuries, but has now become a popular hardwood flooring choice used in homes.

Teak hardwood flooring is available in the form of planks and strips, both unfinished and factory finished. Because of the natural oils, teak wood floors can be buffed to a high–gloss finish. It is surprisingly durable as flooring, though it only rates 1000 on the Janka hardness scale.