Teak Facts and Finishing Tips

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What is Teak?
• Teak wood is an extremely dense course grained hardwood used for thousands of years for ship building and furniture making.

  Where Does Teak Come From?
  

• Natural Teak Wood is found primarily in India, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and Java. Tectona grandis is the Latin name for Teak, and Jati is the Indonesian name for Teak.

• Our Teak outdoor furniture including the Teak Steamer Chair, Teak Folding Chair and Teak Patio Table are all made from environmentally friendly Plantation Teak in Jakarta, Indonesia.

  Responsible Forestry
  

• The TeakWood used to make our products are from renewable plantation forests in Indonesia which are regulated by a government agency called Perum Perhutani. Guidelines are set as to the number and size of trees which can be harvested and the number of trees which are replanted to maintain the productivity of the teak forests for future generations.

  Teak Longevity
  

• A common fact about the characteristic of teak is its durability.
• The high level of resinous oil present in the timber helps to act as a natural insect repellent making the wood highly resistant to rot caused by fungal decay or attack by termites and other wood boring insects.
• This attrubutte allows the wood to last many years without any treatment or finishing.
• Teak has withstood the test of time as demonstrated by the boat building industry. Its common knowledge that many municipal parks and conservatories use teak wood to make their outdoor furniture last.

  Do I Need To Finish Teak Outdoor Furniture?
  

• Teak wood contains within its fibers natural oils which resist rot and decay due to insect attack. Therefore teak furniture requires no treatment to be used indoors or outdoors. Applying oil or wax will not increase the life of the timber - These products only serve to maintain the fresh appearence already apparent when you purchase your new teak furniture from All Things Cedar.
• When teak furniture is left outdoors, the effects of the sun's UV rays will 'bleach out/fade' the timbers natural colour.
• Therefore gradually over time the teak wood will turn a soft silver-grey colour.
• Many consider the distinctive fade to be naturally attractive and allows the furniture to blend in well with many outdoor environments.
• Teak Patio furniture left in this state is easily maintained, and needs no treatment whatsoever to give many years of service. **This is about as easy as a maintainence schedule as you can possibly get!

  What Should I Use To Finish My Teak Furniture

• As mentioned above the use of teak oil, wax sealers or other products won't increase the life of the timber - that is already accomplished by the inherent nature of the wood itself.

• However the application of a teak finishing product teak oil or tung oil will keep your furniture looking new. It will prevent stains from seeping into the timber grain and will maintain the "baby-bottom smooth" factory finish found on all of our products.

• All our Teak products come factory finished with a special teak sealer that prevents the garden furniture from turning grey due to the effects of the sun.
• It is suggested that a teak finishing product such as teak oil or tung oil is re-applied once or twice a year, or more in extreme exposure areas (hot sun) to maintain its fresh and new appearence.

• To apply teak oil - simply add a small amount to a soft faced cloth and wipe your teak furniture down.

• We discourage the use of varnish or any type of polyurethane finish or stains, or sealers as teak is an oily wood and the urethane sealers don’t adhear properly resulting in blotchy finish and the need to refinish the wood in the future.

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