Teak Care
Care and cleaning of teak wood
Teak wood is known for its resistance against natural conditions. Teak is impervious to the effects of snow, ice, rain, sun, heat, cold, and humidity and withstands weather better than any other wood. You can literally leave a piece of teak furniture outside and come back in 80 years and it will not have rotted or worn away due to the weather. That is one of the big reasons that teak wood is chosen for yacht and ship decks. Concerned about where you live? No worries! No matter where you live: Alaska, Florida, Maine, Vermont, Hawaii, Sahara Desert, Mojave Desert, Tibet....teak furniture WILL NOT degrade like other woods. And that is without any preservatives whatsoever!
Over time, however, you may need to clean your teak wood. Although cleaning is not necessary, it does enhance the color of your furniture. Over time teak will turn a soft grey which many teak furniture owners love. However a few teak owners prefer to keep the wood its original light brown color. This can be done with our Teak Protector and Cleaner. Once again, the resilience of teak wood is encouraged, and we recommend to let the teak furniture weather to its beautiful silver sheen. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO SEAL, STAIN, OIL, VARNISH, or PAINT your teak furniture!
But if you insist on keeping the brand new color that the furniture comes in, then you will want to consider using Teak protector, the only product that you have to apply once a year as opposed to every few weeks like you have to do with Teak Oil. Why? Because Teak Oil is an organic product that encourages the growth of Mildew. We have not found any Teak Oil that can do what Teak Protector does, and only have to be applied once a year. Below is an example of what Teak Protector can do for you. Application details are below the picture.
First off, Westminster Teak does not recommend oiling your furniture with teak oil! Oiling of teak furniture will ultimately result in mildew. It also creates a maintenance schedule that you must follow diligently in order to keep your furniture looking good. The more you know about teak, the less time and energy you'll need to spend trying to make it look good. Teak is a unique and beautiful wood, and given the minimum care outlined below it will maintain its attractiveness and enhance the beauty of your furniture for years to come. The first step in dealing with teak is to FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT CLEANING AND SEALING WOOD PRODUCTS!! Teak is a different animal! Natural oils that saturate teakwood are its blessing and, improperly cared for, its curse. The reason boat builders use teak is because of these oils, which give it a pleasing appearance, and more importantly, inhibit the natural tendency to rot. The sun brings the natural oil to the surface, where it dries to a discolored gray, ultimately becoming black, due to the growth of mold and mildew.
Westminster Teak now offers Golden Care Products, a new type of sealer and cleaner for teak wood. If your teak has deteriorated to the point that it must be sanded to be restored, then be sure to sand before cleaning. Sand with " 50 " GRIT PAPER, then do final sanding with coarse bronze wool. Sanding teak generates both oil and wood dust, which combine to form a paste that effectively seals the grain of the wood, preventing effective penetration of Teak Protector.
You must use a good teak cleaner that is labeled as such. (Please note that household bleach is NOT strong enough to kill mold and mildew spores,) Follow the directions on the cleaner. During the final rinse buff well in the direction of the grain, using coarse bronze or stainless wool. (Do not use plastic pads - they have poor cutting action.) Rinse and buff until the water runs clear. (The gray flowing in the water is dead oil, which cleaners alone cannot remove.)
When the wood appears dry, buff in the direction of the grain to smooth the fuzz, or grain raise. If you did not achieve a grain raise, you did not get all of the dead oil off and you must repeat the cleaning process again. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST!!
Applying Teak Protector
If you are ready to prepare your teak as outlined above, you surely won't want to undermine your efforts by using a lesser protective agent. Apply Teak Protector immediately after the wood has dried, because in just a day or two the sun will draw fresh oils to the surface. For best results, apply the third coat and allow Teak Protector to cure for 3 to 11 hours.
Once applied, TeakGuard is guaranteed not to chip, peel, or fade for one year. It will however, wear from foot and hand traffic. . If it starts to look worn, or just not as good as you would like it to, clean the wood with a boat soap, let dry, give it a light buffing with bronze wool, and apply another coat or so. It will soak into itself and renew the coating. Drying time is approximately 10-20 minutes between coats, so it is quick and easy.
Just as teak is unique among wood, Teak Protector is a uniquely formulated product. Typically teak sealants chip and peel because moisture penetrates between the wood and sealer, then, acted upon the sun, the moisture escapes by causing the sealer to flake off.
Teak Protector stands alone in that it allows moisture to escape by "breathing", while at the same time sealing in the wood's natural oils. Additionally, Teak Protector protects from ultraviolet rays, through a combination of absorbers and reflectors that give 100% coverage. Teak Protector polymer resin will not support mold or mildew growth, and it will not stain fiberglass.
Teak Protector is a water based product, designed to be safe and easy to use. The product can be stored with peace of mind as it is non-toxic and non-flammable. You must use Teak Cleaner before applying Teak Protector, even on NEW furniture! Failure to do so will cause peeling, as the Teak Protector will not adhere to the surface.