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CARE
AND MAINTENANCE OF TEAK WOOD FURNITURE
Summer has turned to fall and you may be wondering what to do
with your beautiful teak patio furniture.
Many will attempt to rearrange their
basements, garages, or rent storage units to
make room for their patio furniture.
If you own real teak wood patio
furniture, then you don’t have to worry about
this problem as teak can stay out in the weather
year around.
This should bring you joy as you imagine
enjoying your morning cup of coffee while
reading the Sunday paper on a crisp autumn
morning while sitting on your teakwood bench,
chair, or at your teakwood table.
Teakwood is found in Burma and Indonesia, and is possible the
hardest hardwood.
Teakwood is also extremely resistant to
damage caused by wind, insects, sun, and
humidity. In
addition, teak wood is water-resistant.
Another benefit of teak wood is that it
does not splinter, which is why the British Navy
used teak wood to construct their warships
during the 1700’s and 1800’s.
Because of teak’s durability is has
been used for shipbuilding, furniture, and even
in the construction of homes.
When teak wood is left to the elements, it changes color.
This color can vary from light to dark
brown, as it ages eventually turning light
silver gray.
The first signs of ageing that you will
notice are small gray streaks.
These will appear in about three to four
months after the teak furniture has been in the
weather. However,
the precise time it will take before your teak
wood begins to show signs of aging will depend
upon the climate conditions in your area.
For instance, if you live in an area that
has cool nights and warm bright sunny days, then
your teak furniture is more likely to age
faster, than if your climate had more constant
temperatures during the day and night.
In order to help your teak furniture age gracefully, we
strongly suggested that you wash your teak
furniture at least once a year with a mild
detergent and warm water. This will remove any
mold and mildew as well as any algae that may
grow on your furniture.
Algae and mildew are more likely to grow
on your furniture if it is placed in a shaded
area. To
help remove the dirt, and pollen that can
accumulate I always wash down my outdoor teak
furniture whenever I’m watering my outdoor
plants. As tempting as it may be, never use high pressure or a
pressure washer to clean your teak furniture, as
this will cause damage.
Depending on the climate of your area, you may start to
notice small cracks developing in your teak
furniture.
This is natural and is caused by the
drying of the wood.
To minimize the appearance of these
cracks, you can apply a coating of teak oil. However, it is important to keep in mind that because teak
naturally contains a high content of wood oils,
it is not necessary to treat teak wood with any
preservatives, varnishes, or oils. If you do use teak oil, then make sure that you read and
follow the instructions thoroughly.
The teak furniture has to be completely
clean and dry before you apply the oil, if dirt
or moister is trapped under the oil it will
cause your furniture to turn black.
Another important fact about teak garden
furniture is that teak wood that is weathered
will stain from food or drink spills.
However, these stains will naturally fade
from the sun and with time.
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