How to take care of your solid teak furniture ? - WariHow

How to take care of your solid teak furniture ? - WariHow
2018-05-28 08:18:01 visibility WARIHow

WARIHOW | Teak Care & Maintenance 

To comply with possible warranty requirements, cleaning and maintenance are usually obligatory, so ensure you can prove that care and maintenance has been performed as described below.

How to take care of your solid teak furniture.

Typically, we recommend that maintenance be carried out every (+/-) 6 months depending on usage or weather conditions (If kept under cover, then maintenance will be required less often). Ideally you should clean your furniture with a dry cloth on a weekly basis to take off potential dirt and other accumulations, and maintain luster. 

Note that while teak is durable, it is subject to discoloration, mildew & natural cracking. Furniture in a coastal environment or strong UV exposure will require more frequent maintenance.

!! Exposure to solvents during daily cleaning or from guest usage of sun lotions, hand creams and hand sanitiser will damage the finishing on your teak furniture. Do not use products other than gentle soap and water to clean your teak furniture !!

Teak Oil & Fabrics/Upholstery

Newly purchased outdoor teak furniture can experience natural oils/tannins rising to the surface, so we advise to rinse the teak frame with water and let it dry, then rinse and allow to dry one more time before placing the cushions to avoid any marks or stains on fabrics. This should be done whether your teak furniture is finished with or without teak oil. Areas where the natural oil has surfaced will look like reddish watermarks, and can be removed by gentle washing as explained below. After refinishing, this rinsing process must be carried out before placing cushions back onto the newly finished frames.

 

How to wash Warisan Teak Furniture:

Our favorite way to clean outdoor teak furniture is to use a soft brush and some gentle hand or dishwashing soap diluted with plenty of water. Brush following the grain of the wood.

!! We strongly recommend not to use a metallic brush as it can easily damage the wood !!

  • The pressure washer has become quite popular as an alternative. Note: we strongly recommend keeping enough distance between the nozzle and the wood. Close, high pressure can damage the wood and joinery. 
     
  • When using soap, always rinse the furniture with clean water after and let it dry before moving on to the next step. Once the piece is dry, it will be easier to notice areas that might need a bit of extra attention. After taking care of these spots, lightly sanding the furniture before applying teak oil will help to reduce any rough patches.
  • If the furniture is in a saltwater environment, rinse weekly to remove the salt deposits.
  • Whether teak oil or any other finishing products, we recommend studying and following the instructions provided by the supplier to avoid unexpected results.

When furniture is not in use for an extended period of time, you can protect it with our custom-fit outdoor covers. Before covering, make sure your furniture is cleaned and dried. Cushions should be removed and stored in a dry place if possible.

How to Reapply Teak Oil:

Outdoor teak will naturally turn a silvery-grey shade and possibly inconsistently accorss the piece depending on exposure. It is best to regularly apply teak oil at first notice of discoloration in the golden teak appearance. Teak oil acts as nourishment and a protector for the wood. Furniture in a coastal environment or strong UV exposure will require more frequent maintenance.

There is a wide variety of teak oil products on the market; if you need support please contact us directly. Teak oil cannot be shipped by air. 

Depending on the level of discoloration, gentle cleaning as mentioned above, and in some cases light sanding would be the first step. Make sure the furniture is completely dry before applying the teak oil. Otherwise, it can lead to unequal tones and stains on your furniture. 

You can apply the teak oil with a spray system, sponge, brush or simply with a piece of fabric/cloth. Our favorite remains the brush.

Apply a thin layer with the brush/cloth/spray system and then wipe with a clean cloth in order to remove any excess oil. The furniture can dry in your outdoor area.

Once the teak oil has dried, rinse the furniture with clean water and place in the sun to dry, then rinse once more and allow to dry again before placing any cushions on the teak frames, Note: Do not rinse on a porous or light coloured surface that could be stained by the teak oil.

Also note, teak oiled furniture can bleed onto light coloured surfaces, creating stains.

!! Exposure to solvents during daily cleaning or from guest usage of sun lotions, hand creams and hand sanitiser will damage the finishing on your teak furniture. Do not use products other than gentle soap and water to clean your teak furniture !!

How to Reapply Teak Shield? This product is for those who wish their furniture to age and develop a grey patina.

Teak Shield is a colourless, water based product that allows the teak to go naturally grey. It gives a water repellent layer that provides some UV protection and a very minimal amount of food stain resistance.

Once the furniture begins to look too aged/dirty, gentle cleaning as mentioned above, and in some cases light sanding would be the first step. Make sure the furniture is completely dry before applying Teak Shield. 

Apply a layer of Golden Care® Teak Shield using a soft lint-free cloth, and allow it to penetrate into the wood. Allow it to dry for 4 hours and apply a second coat. Allow the furniture to dry for 24 hours before exposing it to weather conditions.

Furniture in a coastal environment or strong sunlight will require more frequent maintenance.

!! Exposure to solvents during daily cleaning or from guest usage of sun lotions, hand creams and hand sanitiser will damage the finishing on your teak furniture. Do not use products other than gentle soap and water to clean your teak furniture !!

How to Reapply Teknos:

Teknos is a water based product for outdoor use.

1. Cleaning:

The surface of wooden elements should be gently cleaned as mentioned above twice a year, or as needed depending on the severity of your environment.

2. Care:

Following installation and subsequently every six months (but not during periods of frost) a care lotion should be applied. Care lotion gives a new shine and refreshes protection but does not replace the traditional renovation of the damaged coating.

3. Renovation:

Check the cleaned surfaces for damage. Any damage must be treated as follows:

a) In the case of minor surface damages, where wood is intact, the damaged areas (preferably these alone), should be sanded lightly with sandpaper (grain 180-220) and thoroughly brushed to remove sanding dust. Please note that the primer should not be sanded through. Then treat the surface with two applications of topcoat (use a brush for acrylic-based products).

b) If there is deep damage where the naked wood is exposed, sand the damaged area with sandpaper (grain 180–220) and then apply one coat of water-based wood preservative(*). Then apply one coat of primer – opaque or translucent (to arrive at the same underlying colour as for the rest of the treated wood. Finally, finish with two coats of topcoat – again either opaque or translucent (use a brush intended for acrylic-based products).

Depending on if you have selected Teknos Blond or Teknos Golden, Warisan can provide you the systems sheet for which products are required and these products are able to be shipped by air when not available in your local region.

c) The following should be observed when applying:
Application of the wood preservative (*), primer and topcoat may not be performed at outdoor temperatures below +8°C or at a relative humidity in excess of 85%. Products like the above mentioned which are diluted with water can only be stored for a limited time. In closed packaging and when stored above 5°C, the shelf life is approximately 24 months. In high humidity environments, please consult Teknos for advise to accomodate refinishing. Warisan should be able to provide you with the name of a local Teknos representative to assist you.

!! Exposure to solvents during daily cleaning or from guest usage of sun lotions, hand creams and hand sanitiser will damage the finishing on your teak furniture. Do not use products other than gentle soap and water to clean your teak furniture !!

How to maintain outdoor PU - Sayerlack:

PU topcoat when exposed to UV will begin to break down over time, and what starts as minimal deterioration will quickly be noticable.

Once the top coat has been penetrated, the wood underneath can discolour, or exposed patches can be stained.

Sayerlack recommends reapplying top coat only before any minimal deterioration has occured, and suggests (depending on your site conditions), at least every 6 months.

If top coat deterioration and discoloration is already evident, a full strip back and refinishing process may be required. 

!! Exposure to solvents during daily cleaning or from guest usage of sun lotions, hand creams and hand sanitiser will damage the finishing on your teak furniture. Do not use products other than gentle soap and water to clean your teak furniture !!

 

To comply with possible warranty requirements, cleaning and maintenance are usually obligatory, so ensure you can prove that care and maintenance has been performed as described above.

 

Visit also:

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SOFA 

Back to news