Teak is an extremely durable hardwood.It requires little care and no preservatives or treatment of any kind to protect it from weather.Natural teak will gradually weather to a handsome silver gray color if left outdoors. One begins to notice the "graying" after 3 months or so, depending upon the amount of sun and rain the furniture is subject to. Total weathering will take about 6 to 9 months.

 

This silvery gray colour which develops over time give steak furniture a distinctive appearance. The color resulting from this natural aging process is considered to be very attractive, and allows teak furniture to blend in well with many outdoor environments.

 

Teak left in this state is easily maintained, and needs no treatment whatsoever to give many years of service.

If your teak wood products or furniture is to be used indoors, and away from a lot of natural sunlight, over a period of time -perhaps six months to a year - the wood will gradually become a darker shade of brown.Teak wood surface scratches and scrapes can be easily removed with medium grade sandpaper,but keep in mind that sanding will remove the "graying".Small cracks, known as "checking" may appear on the top edges of legs and arms.

 

This is entirely natural as the wood expands and contracts slightly when outdoors.The grain will return to a smooth state after initial weathering and is not to be considered a concern or defect. Do your maintenance cleaning on exterior natural teak on overcast days, early in the morning, or late in the day, and keep the teak damp through the entire process. Do not allow the wood to dry before all chemicals being used are thoroughly rinsed.

 

After you do a real good rinse, rinse again! A stubborn oily stain, food stain, soil stain or any hard to get rid of stains can often be removed by dampening the area with water, spraying a liberal amount of, specifically, any marine cleaner, allow about 3-5 minutes to soak and rinse well. These marine cleaners are formula for tough marine conditions.

 

Like any other material, wood requires the proper maintenance to retain is beauty. The maintenance of teak is relatively simple, providing that it's done on a very regular basis. Let your maintenance slide and the task can become a nightmare.

 

Maintenance of teak furniture can be categorized as; If your teak furniture requires cleaning this can be done with a very soft brush or pad and some warm mildly soapy water. Wash down afterwards with clean water. There are also proprietary cleaners on the market which can also be used to clean off various deposits and accumulated dirt and stains. Use of high pressure hoses, and steel wool or steel wire brushes should not be used at all as any residue left in the grain will rust and discolor the wood. If the furniture has some stubborn and heavily ingrained stains these can be removed by sanding with a fine grade of sandpaper, being sure to work only with the direction of the timber grain.

 

After sanding stains away like this, if the furniture was previously teak oiled you may wish to re-oil, or if it had previously been left natural, the fresh teak color exposed by sanding will soon mellow in with the existing silver gray patina.If you buy your furniture fine sanded without any oil finishing. It will have only the natural color of the wood coupled with the raw natural texture of the teak grain. The untreated timber is a very pleasant yellowy-brown olive color when still fresh.Tips on how to oil teak wood furniture.

 

Oiling is not needed to protect the furniture. Oiling is done to maintain the warm tones of the wood - it keeps the furniture from weathering to a soft gray color.To maintain the color you will need to oil the furniture approximately three times each year. Remember, teak does not require oiling. It's completely optional.

 

1. Cleaning

2. Oiling

3. Polishing

For a lower maintenance finish, consider using a high quality teak sealer. Seal will usually last an entire year without needing re- application.If you do wish to oil, please use the following as a guide:

1. Your furniture must be completely dry, otherwise moisture trapped within the wood may cause black mildew spots to appear after oiling. Your furniture may take up to 48 hours to fully dry out after a rain.
2. You must apply teak oil before your furniture begins to weather. If it has begun to weather, scrub your furniture with a stiffpoly-bristle brush and soapy water, rinsing as you go with the garden hose. (Note: there are several wood deck cleaners available which will make the job much easier, or, a pressure washer works wonderfully too)then allow the furniture to fully dry.
3. Ensure the surface is clean and free from dust.
4. Use true teak oil - do not use "finish". You can get some teak oil from our online shop.
5. The oil can be applied with a clean brush, starting from the top and working downwards. The surface should be left wet by the brush, but try to avoid leaving too much surplus oil behind as you work. After a few minutes - maybe 5 - 15 depending on the ambient temperature, the oil will start to become 'tacky'. At this point the surface of the furniture should be wiped down with a clean cotton rag, carefully removing all surplus oil. One coat is sufficient.
6. Teak oil will trap dirt and darken with age, therefore it will be necessary to scrub off the old oil and recoat periodically(once a year is generally sufficient). Follow the instruction on the teakoil label.When used as indoor furniture, a light coating of teak oil is recommended to keep the furniture from soiling and will last for years without need for recoat.

 

 

 

Tips on how to polish teak wood furniture.

Oiling and polishing are not the same. Polishing is done to maintain the shine on the furniture, and especially the indoor furniture. As garden furniture is exposed to the weather, and ideally should blend with the outdoor environment, polishing it may not be necessary. For indoor furniture, polishing can be done twice a month, but if one wants to continuously have the furniture shining then one can polish more frequently than this. One can use any wood furniture polish on teak furniture. You can get some high quality wood furniture polish from our online shop.

When polishing please use the following as a guide:

1. Take a cloth and make it wet with water. Rinse out all the water completely and remain with a damp cloth.
2. Wipe all the pieces of furniture you want to polish with the damp cloth. If the cloth gets dirty you can wash it again in water and rinse out all the water again.
3. Leave the furniture to dry out completely.
4. When it is completely dry pour a little teak polish on a dry piece of cloth and wipe the furniture with it. Then gently polish the furniture.
5. Leave the polished furniture to dry.