Teak is one of the more popular material choices for outdoor furniture. More stylish and sophisticated than plastic patio furniture, teak is known for its resilience and strength. Teak is extremely weather-resistant, withstanding hot and cold temperatures and rain without much help or care. No material is perfect, though; teak may not need a lot of care, but make sure you care for it properly and it will last you. Does this Spark an idea?
Unfinished Teak
When you make the decision to use teak for your outdoor furniture, you will have to decide what sort of look you want. Finished teak will look more like wood, and will require more work to keep that shiny brown color. Unfinished teak can be cared for rather easily, and will fade to a silvery gray color with exposure to the sun.
To care for faded, unfinished teak, all you really need to do is wash away dirt and grime. Pre-wetting the furniture will loosen dirt buildup. Mix dish soap or laundry detergent with warm water and scrub dirt and grime away with a sponge or scrub brush. Always wash in the direction of the grain to avoid scratches. Rinse with clean water from a hose; a pressure nozzle on your hose might help you get into tricky nooks or crannies. For tough stains, purchase a teak cleaner from a wood supplier or hardware store.
You can also use a pressure washer to clean teak furniture, but be very careful. These washers can easily damage or destroy a wooden surface if not used properly. The pressure from the washer should never exceed 1200 pounds per square inch. Use a fan-tip nozzle, and keep the nozzle at least six inches from the furniture's surface at all times.
Cleaning --- especially with a power washer --- may require you to lightly sand the surface of the teak afterwards, as trauma to the wood will raise the wood's grain and leave it uneven. Sand lightly with fine-grit sandpaper, and always in the direction of the grain.
Finished Teak
Furniture manufacturers and hardware stores offer kits that will help you to care for your finished teak. The finished teak will maintain its wooden color and shininess as long as teak oil is applied to the surface regularly, whenever fading begins to occur.
Follow the instructions on the kit for the amount of oil to use, checking to see whether it needs to be diluted before being applied.
Generally, you will need to clean the furniture and allow it to dry fully before applying oil. You may also need to lightly sand the surface to make it more accepting of the oil. Remember if you sand to wipe away all sanding dust before applying the teak oil.
Teak oil can also be applied to restore color to faded teak. Wash, sand and apply teak oil as recommended above. Remember that if you want to prevent it from fading permanently, you will need to finish the furniture with sealant.
Other Tips
When teak is new or newly restored, it will tend to bleed teak oil after being exposed to rain.
Make sure the wood is completely dry before putting cushions or covers on the furniture, to avoid staining.
The wood will not bleed oil if you have allowed it to fade to the silvery-gray color of exposed teak.
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