Caring for Outdoor Teak Furniture

Written by

Outdoor Elegance

07 August 2024

 • 

10 min read

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Teak is one of the most durable and stable hardwoods in the world and thanks to its high density and natural oil content it is considered to be the best timber for use in outdoor furniture. It is naturally resistant to water and insect damage. Our outdoor teak furniture is manufactured to the highest quality standards and while it can remain perfectly functional if left unchecked, you can take steps to maintain the colour and protect it from staining. At Outdoor Elegance we use and recommend products from Golden Care to maintain and protect our teak furniture.

Protecting new teak product

Treating your teak furniture will depend on its state at time of treatment. New product will require different treatment compared to weathered teak. Our furniture will come in its raw state with no treatments applied. We highly recommend protecting your new teak furniture against spills and stains. This is especially the case for teak tables that will have food and drinks placed on the them. The good news is we have just the product for you.

Recomended Products

Teak Shield by Golden Care is a transparent shield used to make teak repellent to water and moisture. This gives you protection from food, wine, coffee and tea. Water based, it is easy and quick to apply giving you an almost invisible protective layer and the piece of mind that you have it protected. 


How To Apply

  • Follow guidelines for PPE and be wary of the area you are working in. If over pavers or tiles a dropsheet should be used
  • Shake the bottle before use and apply a thin layer of Teak Shield with a soft cloth or paint brush. A paint brush tends to work better on recycled teak as it it penetrates any grooves.
  • Allow to dry for at least 4 hours and apply a second coat
  • Let the teak dry for 48 hours before exposure to moisture. 


When to Re-Apply

Retreatment frequency to maintain this protective coating will depend on exposure to the elements and the usage it recieves. Give it a test once in a while with some water to check if it still beads up. When moisture starts to absorb into the teak your coating will be ready for topping up. 

Cleaning your teak furniture

General cleaning and maintenance can be done as required with a brush or a cloth. Regardless of any protective coating having been previously applied it is always recommended to clean up any spills immediately with a cloth or sponge. Warm soapy water can be used with a hard brush on recycled teak or a soft brush on smooth teak.

Cleaning in Preparation for Protective Treatments

When it comes time to cleaning your teak ready for the application of protective coatings then a little more is required. To apply coatings you need to make sure any dirt, grime surface oils etc have been removed so it is ready to absorb the protective solutions. 

 

Recomended Products

Please note, these products are to use in preparation for treating your entire piece of furniture. They will strip back the colour to a light blond tone. They are not suitable for spot cleaning.

  • Teak Cleaner by Golden Care is specifically designed to tackle stains and deep cleaning in preparation for protective treatments. 
  • 30 second outdoor cleaner available from your local hardware store helps with stubborn stains, mould and mildew.

 


How to Apply - Quick Guide

  • Follow guidelines for PPE and be wary of the area you are working in. If over hard surfaces a dropsheet should be used to prevent damage to other areas. Where at all possible we would highly recommend cleaning over grass. 
  • Moisten the furniture to be treated with water. 
  • Apply teak cleaner with a soft cloth or sponge and allow to soak in for around three minutes
  • Brush the furniture clean with a soft brush in the direction of the grain. On Recyled teak a harder bristle scrubbing brush can be used.
  • Rinse the furniture well with water

Note that if Teak Shield has been previously applied make sure the entire piece you are working on has been scrubbed so there is no "shield" remaining.


Restoring the honey-brown colour in teak

With exposure your teak furniture will turn a silver-grey colour as the pigments in the surface of the timber fade away. This is normal and for some it is the preferred look. If however you wish to restore the original honey-brown colouring of the teak it is relatively simple.

Recomended Product

Whilst there are oils and sealants made for teak we can not go past Teak Protector from Golden Care. We have used this extensively over the years on our teak product as we find it brings out the most natural colour in the timber where other products can turn the timber more orange or dark brown. It is also water based and incedibly easy to apply.

Teak Protector not only brings out the colour but will help protect against black spot which can occur with teak oils and will last 2-4 times longer than other alternatives. 

 


How to apply - quick guide

  • Follow guidelines for PPE and be wary of the area you are working in. If working over hard surfaces a dropsheet should be used to prevent damage to other areas. Where at all possible we would highly recommend working over grass. 
  • Prepare the teak as instructed above and make sure the teak is 100% dry before applying. It is recommended to try a test area first to be sure you are happy with the results.


  • Shake the bottle before use and apply a thin layer of Teak Protector to the product. If working with a smooth teak finish we recommend a soft cloth and for recycled teak a paintbrush to be able to get into the grooves. Have a cloth on hand to wipe up any excess amounts and keep the coating uniform.
  • Allow to dry for at least 30 minutes and apply a second coat.
  • Regardlless of how easy this is to apply we recommend only two coats. With multiple coats the colour can start to look unatural. 
  • For further protection against spills and moisture apply Teak Shield once dry, as per instructions.


How often you repeat this process will depend on how much weathering your furniture will receive and your personal preference for its look. 

Maintaining Grey Teak

As noted teak will naturally turn a silver grey as it weathers. Some new teak product will even be pre-treated with a "greywash" to achieve this look. If you want to maintain and protect a greywash finish or turn a natural coloured teak grey the solotion is Instant Grey by Golden Care.



Recommended Product

Instant Grey as the name suggests will turn teak from its natural state into a grey finish. It can also be used to protect an already Greywashed or weathered piece of teak.

 


How to apply - quick guide

  • Follow guidelines for PPE and be wary of the area you are working in. If working over hard surfaces a dropsheet should be used to prevent damage to other areas. Where at all possible we would highly recommend working over grass. 


  • Prepare the teak as instructed above and make sure the teak is 100% dry before applying. It is recommended to try a test area first to be sure you are happy with the results.


  • Shake the bottle before use and apply a thin layer of Instant Grey to the product. If working with a smooth teak finish we recommend a soft cloth and for recycled teak a paintbrush to be able to get into the grooves. Have a cloth on hand to wipe up any excess amounts and keep the coating uniform.


  • Allow to dry for at least one hour and if you are working with natural timber it will have turned a driftwood grey.
  • For a more intense grey apply a second thin layer.


  • For further protection against spills and moisture apply Teak Shield once dry, as per instructions.

Teak Ageing process - what to expect

As a natural material, teak wood goes through a settling and ageing process after being harvested, sawn, kiln dried and finally manufactured into outdoor furniture. During this settling process, some small cracking or “checking” may occur on the table edges.  This is perfectly normal as the wood expands and contracts naturally outdoors.  This breathing of the teak will settle as the wood becomes acclimatised to its local climate conditions. It does not affect the structural stability of the furniture in any way.

Recycled Teak - what to expect

The natural oils of teak migrate to the surface giving it natural protection from the elements meaning that teak can last for many decades, even centuries. Recycled or reclaimed teak is utilising pieces of teak from old buildings and giving it a new life as a beautiful piece of furniture. This timber not only is well weathered but it has character. Being recycled it does not come in pefectly smooth consistent pieces, we have to work with it by hand to produce the final furniture pieces that we sell today.

Given its history and the fact that when it was orginially produced it wasn't necessarily a "perfectly" dimensioned and smooth piece of timber we may find all manner of elements that we address. The timber can exhibit a number of natural features and evidence of a former life like knots that have to be cut out and nail holes. We deal with each individually and it is part of the character of the table. In some cases we insert a block to fill what was a naturally occuring space or a knot that has been removed. Bear in mind that when you receive the furniture these blocks have not long been put in and there has been no time to weather. In most cases these are barley noticeable but on inspection you may find the block may be a slightly different shade.Over time as the product weathers and as treatments are used these will continue to blend into the timber around it. 

Note that no two tables using recycled teak are the same. We strive for consistency but a table you may see in a showroom floor will differ slightly from every other table due to its recycled nature. We hope you can embrace these features of the table as part of its story. If you are looking for a table that has a consistent smooth finish we recommend looking at our natural teak collections.

 

Helpful Hints

  • When using treatments always test on an inconspicuous area first such as inside a leg or the underside.
  • Use coasters to prevent stains and wipe up any spills immediately.
  • Dont leave table decorations or pot plants on the table in the same position for prolonged periods.
  • Be aware that an extension table that is left contracted outdoors will mean that the folded extension pieces will weather at a different rate to the rest of the table. This can result in some colour variation. 
  • Teak is ultimately forgiving. Stains, spills and weathering can all be addressed so don't panic. Some just may take a little more work than others to rectify.
  • If nothing else please use Teak Shield and keep it topped up.
  • We do not recommend the use of varnish as it will peel and chip. 

 

Warranty

There are different grades of teak depending on where on the tree it has come from and we also use recycled or reclaimed teak extensively in our collections. 

  • Plantation Teak - One year warranty from date of purchase
  • Recycled teak - Three year warranty from date of purchase
  • A Grade teak - Five year warranty from date of purchase

Regular care and maintenance must be carried out for warranties to apply. Warranty excludes wear and tear, misuse, stains, spills, blocking, weathering, greying, oil leaching, lamination, checking and splitting.