The answer to the question, does teak outdoor furniture last? Is a definitive YES. The reason teak furniture lasts for long is because teak is dense and oily. The natural oil protects against pests such as termites and keeps water from seeping into the wood.
This makes it possible for you to leave the furniture outside exposed to heat, wind, rain, and even cold for years.
If your modern outdoor furniture is skillfully crafted and you take good care of it, it can last for generations. How do you take care of teak outdoor furniture? Here are tips on how to go about it –
Clean the teak outdoor furniture
Besides keeping the furniture looking great, cleaning also lengthens the life of the unit. The beauty is that teak is one of the easiest products to maintain, as all it needs is basic cleaning to remove dirt and prevent external mold growth.
For the best outcome, do the cleaning on a sunny day to make the furniture dry out faster.
If you have the budget, use a specially formulated teak cleaner, but go for soapy water if you don’t have the budget.
Use a non-metallic brush to scrub the wood surface gently. Scrub in the same direction as the grain and don’t use too much force. Once you are done, use a garden hose to rinse off the furniture.
As a rule of thumb, don’t use a pressure cleaner as it will damage the wood.
After cleaning, pat the wood dry with a towel and let it sundry.
Get rid of stains as soon as you notice them.
Stains make your teak furniture look cheap and old, and you don’t want this, do you? To keep your outdoor or garden furniture looking spectacular, make a habit of getting rid of the stains as soon as you notice them.
Luckily, most stains aren’t a problem when you clean up the spills quickly and wash the furniture with soapy water using a soft-bristled scrub brush.
If there are already coffee, red wine, and other stains on your wood, clean them using a commercial teak cleaning product.
If the stain doesn’t come off, chances are it has set in pretty well, and to remove it, you need to sand the wood surface. The light stains will require light sanding, while the deeper ones will require you to use coarser sandpaper then finer grain sandpaper, so you have a smooth finish.
Seal the teak outdoor furniture
When new, teak wood has a golden honey color, but with time, it naturally fades into a light gray patina. The color change does not affect the strength of the wood, but if you prefer the golden color, you can always seal the furniture to retain the original color theme.
The beauty is that sealers aren’t hard to apply, and even anyone that has never come across sealers in their life can apply them. For the best outcome, reapply the sealer every 6-12 months, depending on how frequently you use the outdoor furniture and your environment.
