The price of raw materials for teak flooring has been on an upward trend, experiencing a significant surge since 2006. In the first half of 2010 alone, the price of raw materials increased by 15-20%. Over the past five or six years, flooring prices have continued to rise. The price of ordinary teak flooring increased from over 300 yuan/㎡ a few years ago to around 700 yuan/㎡ in 2011. Moreover, with the decreasing availability of natural virgin forests, many merchants claim their products are from genuine natural forests, but in reality, the quality varies greatly.
Teak is renowned for its "once owned, benefits for generations," highlighting its exceptional value. While ordinary flooring shows wear and tear after a few years or even a decade, teak flooring is durable and its color and grain become more beautiful with use, remaining as good as new over time. Just look at the ancient teak buildings; palaces, temples, and pagodas built with teak are numerous, remaining well-preserved and beautiful even after hundreds or even thousands of years.
Teak flooring is generally perceived as the highest quality and most expensive flooring. Teak flooring with unique grain patterns can fetch prices ranging from over three thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan per square meter, equivalent to the price of a similar-sized apartment in a third-tier city.
In recent years, soaring housing prices and the continuous rise in the price of teak raw materials have made teak flooring largely affordable only to the wealthy, making it a favorite among the rich. Consequently, teak flooring has become a symbol of luxury and wealth, even a symbol of status and high taste.