Teak Maintenance
In this article we will discuss Teak maintenance for outdoor furniture and subsequently the best products to use.
First of all we want to tell you what we use before we take you through the options.
Golden Care Teak protector honey brown, blonde or instant grey, followed by 3 coats of Nano technology shield is our preference. This post is written to give you all the options though.
Natural materials, textures, and earthy colour palettes are the hottest trend in interior design today. Especially – outdoor furniture. You see those eco-styled motives on the pages of magazines, design-themed websites, and public and, of course, on patios of the most stylish houses. And Teak Furniture is the embodiment of a stylish interior accent. Being a perfect combination of durability and utility with aesthetic beauty, Teak Furniture easily blends into any interior and setting – from luxury villas to rustic country cottages.
And though many homeowners describe taking care of wooden outdoor furniture as an ultimate ordeal experience, Teak Outdoor furniture appears to be surprisingly easy to maintain. Here is an easy-to-follow guide to taking care of your Teak Outdoor furniture that will help you to enjoy its comfort and beauty for a very long time.
What are we dealing with here?
Before discussing the main principles of maintenance of your Teak Outdoor Furniture, let us understand what teak is and which features distinguish it from other natural furniture materials.
Teak is widely known as hard and durable wood. But this is not the main feature that made it a perfect outdoor furniture material. Teak wood is unique as it has a high wax content and can produce its oil. Due to this fact, Teak remains undesirable for insects and has a natural waterproof barrier. In other words, you may leave your Teak outdoor furniture outside under the pouring rain or burning sun, and it shall remain good as new.
However, it is not right to claim that termites are not interested in Teak at all. In case there is no other food anywhere around, they still may compromise on such an unpleasant diet. Therefore, you cannot be too precautious. In addition to annual anti-termite inspection and measures, it is always a smart idea to store a pile of spare wood somewhere in the back yard away from your teak outdoor furniture.
Some homeowners claim Teak outdoor furniture quite costly, but in fact, its durability turns costs into smart investment from a long-term perspective.
Basic care principles
As you see, teak outdoor furniture is somehow unique because it generally takes care of itself. Therefore the maintenance of your teak outdoor furniture mostly depends on how much time and effort you are ready to invest and what kind of image you are looking for.
Those who appreciate the shabby-chick patina look and look for an earthy rustic style in their interior may stick to a very low-maintenance routine. Simple annual cleaning using dish soap with water and some grain will be perfectly enough to get that aesthetically aged patina look. In case you are not in the mood for DIY projects, you may always find specially formulated solutions for your annual teak outdoor furniture cleansing.
The best routine, in this case, is to do a comprehensive clean right before the outdoor season, and then you may dust it from time to time during the Summer. After a while, your Teak outdoor furniture will get that noble silver-grey patina look that will not affect the structural integrity of the wood, though. In other words, looking pretty antique, your teak outdoor furniture will remain as good as new for many years.
In case you want to preserve the golden-honey colour palette of the wood, teak protector, Rubio Monocoat Durogrit, teak oil and teak sealant are at your service. The maintenance, in this case, might require a bit more dedication but is still quite undemanding indeed.
Teak Oil, Teak Sealant or Teak Protector. What’s the difference and use?
Although Teak oil might seem like the most logical solution for Teak outdoor furniture maintenance, you should think twice before laying your hands on it. First of all, we already discussed that Teak can produce natural oil. Also, whatever they might call Teak Oil is a mixture of linseed oil and solvents and hardly has to do anything with Teak at all.
Yes, right after the application, you shall see that attractive honey-golden shade and glow, but this effect will fade away quite soon. Moreover, Teak oil is addictive for your outdoor teak furniture. After few applications, teak wood stops producing its natural teak oil, entirely relying on the artificial surrogate. Not to mention that Teak oil creates a perfect environment for fungus – the worst enemy of any outdoor furniture.
Contrary to oil, teal sealant appears to be a good maintenance solution for your teak outdoor furniture. It does not let moisture build-up and gives fruitful soil for fungus. At the same time, teal sealant maintains that luxurious natural tone of the teak wood. With teak sealant, you also minimise the maintenance effort, as you may use it once a year only, and the effect will be lasting for the whole outdoor season.
In our experience teak protector and hybrid wood protector are the perfect products to look after Teak outdoor furniture. The teak protector from Golden Care has excellent UV-capabilities, but will not protect the wood against moisture unless NANO-technology is applied every 3-6 months. Our absolute favourite is Hybrid Wood Protector that has the best moisture resistant properties we have seen and also holds up very well against the harsh sun. If you want to maximise the UV protection you can apply Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector Sun Primer before applying you Hybrid Wood Protector. Sunprimer Teak shown below.
How to apply Teak Sealant?
With these 3 easy steps, Teak Sealant will help you maintain teak’s natural colour and glow without any excessive effort.
Cleaning - Using a soft brush and dish soap solution, wash your teak outdoor furniture thoroughly, removing all dust and other contamination
Drying - Let it dry naturally (ideally – under the sun)
Sealing - Spray the teak sealant all over your teak outdoor furniture and rub it in gently using a soft and smooth cloth (make sure to use lint-free fabric to avoid fibers sticking to the wood)
If you are looking for a more thorough guide to clean and stain your teak outdoor furniture you can find that here.
How to apply Teak protector?
Hose the furniture down for 5 minutes until it is thoroughly wet, use a teak cleaner, wash your teak outdoor furniture thoroughly, always scrub along the grain.
Rinse again and then let it dry.
Apply the Teak Protector with a Sponge and a lint free cloth. To reach tight areas a foam-brush works best. Do not over-apply, two thinner coats are always better than one thick.
How to apply Rubio Monocoat Durogrit?
Clean the furniture in the same manner described previously.
Let it dry in the sun.
Apply the Durogrit with a brush
Remember that if you use teak protector, hybrid wood protector or sealant, your teak outdoor furniture will preserve its original colour and won’t get the ageing patina effect. Therefore it is a good idea to decide on what look you are planning to stick to before choosing the maintenance method.
How to remove stains from Teak outdoor furniture?
Being extremely durable teak outdoor furniture is still vulnerable to stains that may compromise the overall look of your teak outdoor furniture. To get rid of most of them, you might use solutions designed specifically for teak wood, or simply prepare a soap-water solution yourself. In case you are dealing with some serious stains like wine, tea or coffee, or paint, you might need to do some sanding. Coarser sandpaper followed with fine grain, and some buffing should do the job. In case you are afraid to damage your teak outdoor furniture or not sure about the cleansing method and result, don’t hesitate to address a professional. Sydney Staining services is a company with rich experience and a 5.0 average customer rating. Whether you are looking for routine maintenance, emergency stain-removing, or renewal of vintage wooden furniture, we make sure to handle it with care and respect so it will stay flawless and brings joy and comfort to your home for years.
How to take care of Teak outdoor furniture in the winter?
The natural protective features of teak allow it to withstand the harshest weather conditions and season change. Therefore even if you live in an area, where summers are hot and winters may be harsh and frosty, you may still leave your teak outdoor furniture outside for winter. Although you should consider that in this case, you might have to put some more effort into annual cleaning and maintenance of your teak outdoor furniture. In most cases, it might be wise to address for professional assistance once the winter is over and you are preparing your outdoor furniture for a new season.
Although teak outdoor furniture is remarkably impervious and may stay outside year-long, it is still not immortal. Therefore, bringing it into the storage unit or at least covering it for the off-season, would be a smart idea. It is very important to make sure that there are no puddles or other excessive water anywhere around your teak furniture during the storing period.
If you decide to store your teak outdoor furniture, choose a non-heated unit or room. Drying the wood out, heat may cause cracks to the teak wood. In case you choose to leave your teak furniture outside and cover it, choose breathing materials.
Before the outdoor season, for safety reasons, make sure to tighten and adjust all the joints of your teak outdoor furniture. Teak wood tends to expand and contract due to changing humidity and temperatures.
Teak wood tends to age gracefully, only looking more noble and robust with years. Some small cracks and checks might appear with time but they don’t affect the overall durability of teak outdoor furniture, being only authentic accents to its legendary character.
As you see, teak outdoor furniture does not need any excessive maintenance and appears to be a perfect combination of durability and elegance. With proper care it will easily last for 75-100 years, making it not only a trendy design solution but a smart investment that will indeed allow you to save a lot of money on outdoor furniture and its maintenance. This is why teak wins over all other types of wood when we talk about outdoor furniture. Stargazing at warm summer nights, family gatherings, or barbeque with friends – once bought, teak furniture will become an integral part of your precious lifetime memories. Such reliable, undemanding, though beautiful and cozy interior details are what makes the place you live and rest – home.
Par Arnoldson, the founder of Fornya, is a Teak Maintenance Specialist based in Sydney, Australia.