What Is The Best Finish For Teak Wood Furniture ?
We all know how durable and tough teak wood furniture is – what many don’t know is that teak will over time turn silvery gray when left outdoors and exposed to sunlight. This is what some people like and look for when buying teak wood furniture and the main reason why the teak wood manufacturers nowadays do not treat most of their products anymore.
However, for customers who like their furniture treated this can be curbed with an appropriate finish for outdoor teak wood furniture. There are so many substances for finishing teak wood furniture but most of them are not effective because they all have one shortcoming or the other which can be confusing.
This is why Specialty teak-wood oils are the best finish for teak wood furniture. They are very effective and they have no side effects. They are much better than common oil.
Don’t ever make the mistake of treating teak wood with lacquer or other kinds of paint. The result is usually counter-productive as explained below:
Some of these paints still absorb some water. The water will eventually find its way into the teak wood and when it is exposed to sunlight, the water will expand and build up some pressure in the wood. Besides, some of these paints do not prevent the growth of mold.
Lacquer is highly flammable so a lacquered piece of furniture has higher potentials for an explosion and for catching fire than all other furniture. Besides, lacquer gives health issues when inhaled. This is another good reason you should never use lacquer for your teak wood furniture.
As mentioned earlier, application of teak wood oils is the best finish for teak wood furniture. However, some teak wood oils are better than others. The best teak wood oil is the all-natural, non-toxic premium teak wood oil that does not contain petroleum distillates. These products can usually be found in any neighborhood hardware store.
An additional major advantage teak wood oil has over other oils is its resistance to the Ultra-Violet rays of the sun. Applying teak oil also nourishes and beautifies the wood – in other words it will give it a more saturated, darker tone and it will either restore or preserve the color of teak wood no matter how much it is exposed to sunlight.
Once your teak wood furniture has been oiled with teak wood oil it is a good idea to repeat once a year overall if the furniture is exposed to the sun all year long. Doing that you can be sure that it will never fade or turn gray. If the wood is not treated for a number of years, it will over time turn silver-gray again.
Be aware that oils are available in different stains and ask a store partner for your preferred stain such as natural or any darker tone.
Below are the simple steps to apply teak wood oil effectively.
- Apply it with a piece of cloth, spray or soft brush, making sure that the furniture is oiled all around
- After the first application, allow the oil to penetrate the wood for about 20 minutes and then you can wipe away the remaining oil without waiting for it to dry up
- For best result, you should apply the oil one more time after about 24 hours. If the wood is extremely dry due to being abandoned for a long time, you can apply the third coat after another 24 hours
- The oil should be applied once a year but it can be re-applied before 12 months or after a year depending on the circumstance of being exposed to the sun all the time or kept on an outdoor patio or even indoors.