Teak furniture having spent considerable time soaking it in teak oil and now in excellent condition?
Question:I was told that covering it in order to protect it from the rain can have the oppersite effect. Told it would make it sweat then warp !! . Should I just leave it out in all conditions but take it in during the winter !!any ideas please
Answers:
There are two main ways of looking after teak, 1) regular coatings of teak oil will keep it more or less like new and brown in colour. 2) Leave it out in all weathers and it will 'grow' its own silvery protective coating, which should be left in place. Either way it will last for a long time, I have a teak garden bench which is now about 26 years old and has a beautiful silver coat which I prefer, it has never been oiled, and is as good as new.
Teak oil is minimal protection from weather. Teak is very weather resistant on its own, so if you did nothing it would probably last decades unless you live in a rain forest such as Seattle, okay so I am exaggerating a little. If you really want to preserve its appearance, you can apply spar varnish after removing the teak oil with acetone, this will keep it well preserved but require several coats and some maintenance. If you want to color it, you can use semi transparent or solid color stain, but you won't see much of the beautiful teak anymore.
I'm new to Teak furniture but in Florida I have a rocker that is indestructable outside. They told me that if I left it alone it got that ash color of nature and a patina. If you didn't like that look, use an oil to preserve the color. Nothing seem to be needed to make it last longer.
Oil won't make it warp and NOW, well oil soaked wood is hard to change or put anything more on it.
Where you live might be different and oiled wood may need something to keep off soaking dampness from a home in deep woods, maybe the rain of Washington State, or near salt water.
If you want more information, go to a Marine shop. Teak is used on yachts for a reason. Salt water is a real bear on wood. They can tell you what to use and why. If you need to treat it and why not
One reason NOT to treat it. When you put finishes on wood to seal it and keep it that new look, you then have to worry about the artificial add on's upkeep:
Lacquer will crack and peel .. this means your sanding and doing 'do-overs' ;
Stains will fade or wear on places like the arm rest and seat.. so you have to re-stain to even out the color...
What people don't tell you about stain is: that you can fill the wood with as much stain as it will take over spring freshups Then to hide the color change, your have to move to a stain with color to conceil it or a darker stain to hide the wear.
So, maybe you should do as I did. Keep the natural look of Teak or NOW.. just live with the oil.
Talk to any boat owner about refinishing the teak on his boat. Gives you strong muscles, tough knees and a good tan.
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