So you have gone out and purchased or are looking at purchasing some teak patio furniture. Now what do you do to keep it looking its best? Outdoor furniture has to be tough to survive the elements outdoors, (rain, wind and sun) and no wood is as rugged and desired for its beauty and legendary durability as teak.

Teak is known to last for decades with absolutely no maintenance. This makes upkeep more a matter of personal preference than a requirement. Some people prefer the golden color of new teak, while others prefer the distinguished silver-grey that teak becomes as it weathers. This will make a difference on the way you maintain your furniture.

Regardless of which you prefer there are a few steps that will make sure your teak furniture stays in tip-top shape for decades. Here are a few tips.

1; First of all and maybe most importantly make sure you have a top quality product to begin with. Pay attention to the wood quality and construction techniques used in the furniture, as this will certainly affect the furniture’s longevity. Also check on the fittings the furniture has. It should be solid brass to last as long as the furniture. Brass plated or painted steel fitting will tarnish and or rust. This will make for some effort on your part to maintain.

2; Make sure you are buying real teak, not a “teak-like” or “as good as teak.” Only real teak has the natural oils that give this wood it durability outdoors. You may have concerns about over harvesting Teak trees and you should be but most teak used in furniture today is made from environmentally friendly plantation grown trees in Indonesia. You may want to check on this though where you’re looking to buy.

3; Check the grade of teak that is used in the furniture you’re buying or have bought. A top grade should be without knots, cracks or pits.

4; If you prefer the natural look of weathered teak, you can look forward to virtually no maintenance. If your furniture is left outside, you will want to clean off mildew, sap and pollen annually with a good quality deck wash. This will clean it and keep dirt and pollen etc. from building up and shorten the life span of your furniture.

5; There are several steps you can take to preserve its rich golden honey color if that is how you prefer your teak to look. After thoroughly washing the teak you can treat it with specialized teak cleaners and restoration products. These products however take some time and effort to use. I might recommend that you either allow the teak to age naturally, clean it with a deck wash or hire a professional outdoor furniture maintenance service to use the more specialized products.

6; If you’re using the furniture indoors, consider finishing it to protect it from stains by sealing or varnishing it. But DON’T use teak oil, varnishes or sealers on furniture if you’re using it outside, since this may cause it to turn black with mildew.

7; Clean the fittings on the furniture as well. Many times the fitting are made from brass which stands up well to the elements but will tarnish over a period of time. Clean the surface to give it back its luster and also keep it clean so that it continues to function smoothly.

One last thought. Don’t wait until it looks like it needs some maintenance before you decide to clean your Teak furniture. This is usually too late to make the job easy. Do your maintenance once a year in the spring and then you will be all set for the rest of the year.

Continually developing “ideas for outdoor living”

1. Bess Says:
   March 6th, 2009 at 12:49 am

   I don’t have Teak furniture but I do have wood and I think it can’t be a whole lot different.
   I will be getting mine out soon so I will be using this info.

2. Q Faisl Says:
   March 20th, 2009 at 2:04 pm

   I like teak and what you have to say. I think is good

3. Cassie Says:
   April 6th, 2009 at 2:31 am

   This is really good info. My furniture needs some TLC right now thanks.

4. Dree Says:
   May 4th, 2009 at 4:20 pm

   This is important isn’t it!