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Maintenance of Teak Patio Furniture
by Kathryn Whittaker
When the weather gets colder, many homeowners face a dilemma:
to keep their patio furniture outside, with proper
weatherproofing, or take it inside and try to accommodate in a
basement or garage. But with teak patio furniture, you will no
longer want to stash the patio set in the basement. Instead,
you will want to flaunt it all year long.
Teak patio furniture is becoming more popular each day, with
more designers exploring the timeless charm of teak wood. This
wood, which grows in Burma, Indonesia and other exotic
locations, is extremely durable, light and convenient, and it
ages with a stunning grace.
According to historians, woven wicker furniture was first used
in ancient Egypt. But since that time teak has become a
favorite of garden furniture manufacturers only in the
beginning of the 20th century, when white garden furniture has
been labeled as boring and the prominent garden decorator
Gertrude Jekyll claimed that gray-or green-toned garden
furniture is more attractive. Since teak weathers to a
beautiful silvery gray, it has soon become a popular wood of
choice for many garden and patio furniture manufacturers.
Teak is one of the most valuable woods today. Teak wood grows
in severe climatic conditions in Burma and Indonesia. Teak is a
very hard wood resistant to wind, pests, sun, and humidity. In
addition, teak does not splinter. For centuries, teak was used
in marine building, which means that teak patio furniture can
be easily left outside even in harsh climate conditions.
One of the most remarkable features of teak wood is its ability
to change color with age. When new, its color varies from light
to dark brown and over years becomes a light silver gray. The
first “gray hair” in teak furniture will be noticeable after
three to four months of use, depending on how contrasting the
climate conditions are in your area. For example, if you have
cold nights and hot sunny days, teak patio furniture will turn
to gray faster. Natural teak will become gray in about a year.
To preserve this beautiful taupe shade of gray, you can wash
the teak patio furniture every spring with mild detergent and
water. To prevent dust accumulation you may wash the furniture
with your regular garden hose, keeping the water pressure at
low.
Even though teak wood does not splinter, it may develop small
cracks with time. Teak wood contains a high amount of natural
wood oils, so it will not develop deep structural cracks. There
is no need to treat teak wood with any kind of wood sprays or
oils to protect it; however, the teak wood oil does create a
pretty surface sheen. You may apply oil when you plan to leave
the teak furniture outside for a long period of time, or when
the wood starts to show gray.
Since in most cases teak wood is left untreated when used for
teak patio furniture, you should avoid spilling food or drinks
on the wood surface. If you do happen to “leave your mark”,
don’t use any harsh detergents to remove it. Any marks will
eventually fade with time. When the stain is noticeable, you
may scrub the area with mild sandpaper. Ultra-violet rays also
damage the sheen of the teak furniture, and an annual treatment
with properly labeled teak wood oil is recommended. Make sure
that your teak wood furniture is clean and dry before treating,
because you don’t want to trap any water under the coat of oil.
Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number
of different topics. http://www.teak-wood-furniture.org/teakfurniture-articles/.
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