Now that you have some beautiful teak patio furniture, how do you make sure it keeps its natural beauty for a long time?
Teak is a very durable wood that wants only a little care. After all, teak was the preferred wood for the decks of sailing ships. It stood up to blistering tropic sun, howling gales and frozen artic spray for years. It will last just as long and just as well for you with minimal care.
Sorrento Furniture, manufacturer of teak patio furniture known round the world, has offered some advice on how to care for their fine products.
To know how to care for your teak patio furniture, you first need to know how it is finished. It will be one of two ways, fine sanded or oiled.
Fine Sanded Teak will show only the natural color and grain of the wood. If you keep it indoors, away from sunlight, in six months to a year, it will age from a its original yellow-brown-olive color to a darker shade of brown. If you use your teak patio furniture outdoors, in direct sunlight, the original color will bleach out to a soft silver-gray color. Many people find this color very attractive. Whether indoors or out, you should not have to treat the wood in any way except to wash off surface dust and dirt.
Oiled Teak is already a mid brown color and has a soft sheen because of the oil. Kept indoors, the wood will keep that same color for many years. If you use your oiled teak patio furniture outdoors, it will age to the same silver-gray as un-oiled teak, but the process will be much slower. Whether indoors or out, you will want to apply a fresh coat of oil from time to time.
Re-oiling teak patio furniture requires oil, a little time and some elbow grease. First, make sure the wood is clean and free of surface dust and dirt. We will discuss that more a little later. Inspect the furniture carefully and see if any areas need a little sanding. If so, sand lightly and carefully. Now, you will want teak oil, a clean 1 or 2- inch paint brush, some cotton rags and plenty of room to work. You will probably want to wear gloves to keep the teak oil off your hands. Brush on the oil, working from the top of the furniture down. Use just enough oil to leave the surface wet, but not enough to run. Now, let the furniture set long enough for the oil to penetrate the wood thoroughly. How long will depend in the temperature and the relative humidity where you are working. Five to fifteen minutes should be enough. When the surface of the oil gets tacky to the touch, wipe the wood down with a soft cotton cloth. Be sure to get all surplus oil off. Wait until the surface feels dry, then use another clean cotton cloth to buff. One coat of oil is almost always enough, but if you feel a second coat is necessary, wait at least an hour before you apply it.
Cleaning surface dirt off of teak, whether oiled or not, is easy. We live on a gravel road, so some dust likes to collect on our teak patio furniture. Most of the time, a soft cloth is enough to wipe off surface dust. If dust and dirt get caked on, or if the cats track dirt on it, we use mild soapy water, not too hot, and a medium to soft- bristled brush to get into the crevices. Never use steam or high pressure hoses. In rare cases, you may have gotten a stain in the wood. If that happens, use some fine sandpaper, always sanding with the grain of the wood. If the teak was oiled, apply fresh oil according to the directions above. The sanded area will be the original color of the wood, but it will age to match the rest of the piece.
With only a little care, you teak patio furniture will stay serviceable and beautiful for many years.
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