If you want to use outdoor furniture, you can choose teak material. Many kinds of wood can really suffer from water damage, which is why much garden furniture is made of plastic. Higher-end garden furniture, however, is almost always made from teak, In fact, if you care for your teak garden furniture properly, you can reasonably expect it to last for decades and still look and feel good. The main reason for this is that teak is full of natural oils, which not only provide it with protection against water, but also repel common, garden pests. Here are four tips for giving your teak furniture the tender, loving care it deserves.
As a high quality teak garden outdoor furniture manufacturer and wholesaler we recommend very little cleaning is required of your furniture. Occasionally you may wish to remove any build-up of dirt. Do not use a high pressure/power hose as whilst it appears to quickly remove dirt, you are in effect removing the oil and natural protective top layer of the wood, which is the very protection that ensures tea longevity. Firstly, try to clean off any debris so that there is just surface dirt left. Teak garden furniture does not need harsh cleaning products, so by simply cleaning with soapy water and a sponge you can soon restore it back to its natural form. You will clean off the grime and the oxidized natural oils. Prepare a mild solution of warm water and detergent. A small amount of washing up liquid or similar will be fine. Use only a soft bristle scrubbing brush to wash your teak furniture. Never use steel wool or scouring pads and remember that hard bristles may scratch or damage your interior style furniture. Rinse your furniture with clean water using a bucket or garden hose (again, never use a pressure washer, which can damage the grain and also remove too much of the protection giving natural wood oils). Wipe off excess water with a cloth and then use a dry cloth to buff up to finish.
Why You Should’t Use Oil On Teak
While some wooden garden furniture sets may benefit from additional protection offered by oil based treatments, teak is different in that it does not require this level of maintenance. Top quality, grade A teak already has all the defense it needs to protect itself, without having to rely on additional products.
In fact, oiling outdoor teak furniture may actually result in more work for yourself, and can be damaging to the teak. There are a number of reasons to avoid oiling your teak outdoor furniture.
It will need regular coats: Once you apply a treatment, this will need to be repeated on an annual basis, if not more regularly. This is really frustrating, especially when you consider that teak is more than capable of caring for itself without your intervention.
Teaks natural oils don’t need replacing: Many teak oils are solvent based and designed to replace the teaks lost natural oils. The thing is, these oils don’t actually need replacing. The natural greying of teak is caused by the evaporation of oils near the surface, but the oils deeper in the wood are retained, which keep the teak strong and durable.
Oiling causes mildew: Many teak oil products and so-called protectors can actually cause a build up of mildew and mould, resulting in unsightly patches or irregular discolouring of the wood.