Teak furniture

Teak is used for making boats, furniture, and other things which require resistance to the elements. Teak is used for outdoor furniture but is not recommended for full exposure to the sun. Being more expensive than most other woods, teak furniture has become something of a status symbol. Not only is it common for a teak bench, chair, or table to last 70 years with the correct care plan, it is also common to pass down such furniture to future generations as an heirloom.

Types of teak furniture

Teak furniture can remain outdoors in any climate year round, and can be left unfinished or protected. Plantation teak wood can be considered eco-friendly due to its long life expectancies. To ensure the reduction of impact teak furniture has to the environment, many forestry companies produce sustainably managed plantation teak.

Tables and dining sets

In places and seasons where eating outdoors is common and pleasant, it is common to find wooden dining tables and chairs in gardens, backyards, deck areas, patios, pool yards and sun rooms. Teak is an excellent material for this application, because it will not be broken down in the sun like plastics, it is less prone to the elements like other woods, it is lighter and cooler than iron, and will not easily bend or break like tubular metals.

Benches

Benches are perhaps the most common use of teak other than marine applications. Teak benches are ideal for commercial use due to their strong nature and natural resistance to decay and termites, and are available in an endless variety of designs.

Sun loungers

Teak is popular for chaise longues and other recumbent seating because it is more durable and better crafted than most plastic loungers and will not get hot in the sun like metal loungers. Since these chairs are heavy, they often have 2 or more wheels for easy transport from place to place.

Adirondacks

Adirondack chairs (also known as Muskoka chairs) are comfortable with their high backs, their contoured seats and their wide arm-rests. The arm-rests provide ample room for food and beverages for comfortable meals while reclining with no table required, making them popular with outdoor cafés and bistros as they offer seating and a small place for food without the need for a table.

Umbrellas

Teak is a popular and traditional wood for the frames of large umbrellas such as shade umbrellas and market umbrellas. While teak provides the durability, weather resistance and lightness needed for such an application, metals like aluminum are more popular and generally a cheaper choice.

Deep seating

Complemented with weather resistant and outdoor cushions and similar to living room furniture, deep seating patio furniture is becoming more and more popular in places with warmer climates. With landscaping and outdoor décor being such a popular trend, furniture to sit in and enjoy the space has followed suit. The teak wood construction allows patio furniture sets to last years longer than other wood furniture.

Caring for teak

Staining and preserving

Teak does not need to be protected. It is a unique wood that if left in its natural state, is virtually maintenance-free. Teak can be left outside year round, surviving even the most extreme weather conditions. Therefore, teak is often considered the gold standard for outdoor furniture.

Over time, untreated teak furniture which is exposed to the sun will patina and turn a silvery, grey color. This process is cosmetic and does not harm the strength or quality of the wood.

Teak sealer is often used to preserve the natural honey color or to darken the color of the wood. Teak sealer contains UV protection to keep the sun from graying the furniture as well as a fungicide to prevent the growth of mold and mildew on the surface of your furniture. Teak sealers can be applied to new teak or old teak furniture after it has been cleaned. Sealer is not the same as varnish. It is meant to preserve the color of the wood and is breathable, letting the natural oils escape without bubbling or peeling like varnish. Sealers and preservatives serve both as protectants and stains. Generally, the darker the stain, the more sun protection it provides, and the less often it needs to be reapplied.

Teak is protected by its own natural oils that migrate to the surface of the wood and make the wood virtually impervious to water. As such, the use of varnish, water sealers, and oil (especially linseed oil) on teak furniture is not recommended by most experts. Products such as varnish and polyurethane may peel and chip and require vigorous sanding to remove. Oiling teak does not prevent the wood from graying, and often results in mold and mildew growing on the furniture. Removing mold and mildew on the surface requires washing the furniture with bleach and soap followed by sanding.

It seems that companies who sell teak oil promote the benefits of its use on teak furniture. Whereas specialist retailers of teak and authorities on the timber itself tend to advise against the use of teak oil.

Restoration

To clean weathered teak, a two part cleaner consisting of a step involving a base such as caustic soda and a step involving an acid, such as phosphoric acid. This product is easy to use and will produce dramatic results. First remove the piece from any finished surface or remove any items that might be affected by the cleaning process. Teak cleaner will not hurt the lawn or fiberglass but it may damage painted surfaces or stain a patio, always wear rubber gloves and goggles when using this type of cleaner. Using a hose, wet the wood thoroughly. Open the applicator lid of the first cleaner. It is best to work on a small area at a time, overlapping each area and working from top to bottom, not allowing the cleaner to dry on the wood. If the base is scrubbed with a dish-washing abrasive sponge or a soft bristle brush, the wood will turn a deep brown color. Rinse thoroughly, then apply the acid to the same area and scrub in the same fashion, the wood will then turn much lighter. Finally rinse the area thoroughly with water, the teak should appear obviously lighter and cleaner, if any stains remain repeat the process. The wood will lighten further as it dries.

Teak cleaner will remove teak oils, food stains, the residue of varnish, and teak sealer. Any solid surface coating like varnish must be removed before using two-part cleaner. Never use a brass brush or a pressure washer to clean teak, these methods will scour the soft grain of the wood causing a rough and splintery surface. Never use steel wool to clean teak because it will produce rust spots in the wood. Brass wool is acceptable but a Scotch Brite Pad is the best tool to clean teak.

Once the gray pigmentation and stains are gone and the furniture piece is dry, sanding any roughness of the grain can make the furniture seem just like new again.

References

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