How To Apply Teak Oil to Garden Furniture
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Teak garden furniture is robust, reliable, and long-lasting. These are just three of its desirable qualities. However, despite being the best of the best in terms of outdoor furniture, you still need to maintain teak furniture to keep it looking its best as it ages. This is where teak oil comes in. Applying teak oil will help to preserve your furniture and prevent any cracking or damage to the surface. It will also help the furniture to mature colour-wise and should prevent drying and splintering.
If you aren’t certain when or how to apply teak oil to garden furniture, read on for our expert advice.
Why Is Teak Oil Good for Treating Teak Outdoor Furniture?
Teak oil has endless benefits when it comes to protecting and maintaining teak garden furniture.
- Prevents damage – one of the main pluses of teak oil is that it can go some way to prevent damage to your furniture. Teak naturally has resistance against mould and mildew, but the oil helps to maintain these qualities. Regular teak oil application helps slow the ageing process of teak and stops the teak from becoming weathered and grey.
- Restores colour – some people like the ashy, grey colour that teak becomes as it naturally ages. But if you’d prefer to retain some of the teak’s golden hue that it has when it first arrives in your garden, teak oil can help with this. Although the ageing process is natural to teak and is impossible to stop fully, regular and proper teak oil application will help to keep the honey-like colour in place for much longer and bring out the natural beauty of the wood.
There are other protectants you can use, such as wax, but teak oil penetrates the surface of the wood in a way that other products can’t, giving deeper protection.
Shop our range of Teak Protection products
How To Apply Teak Oil to Garden Furniture
Teak oil application isn’t complicated, but you should do it thoroughly to ensure the whole piece of furniture receives protection. A patchy application might mean some spots weather faster than others, which would make for unattractive-looking furniture.
You will need
- Newspaper/paint cover
- Gloves
- Dusters and cloths
- Quality teak oil
- Wide paint brush
Step-by-step guide
Wait for a clear, dry day to oil your garden furniture. Rain will ruin the application of the oil and cause a big mess.
- Thoroughly clean, dust, and wipe down the furniture. Leave it to dry completely before moving forwards
- Place furniture on top of newspaper or paid cover to catch any drips and spills. You can clean up excess oil with mineral spirits
- Dip your paintbrush in the teak oil, using the side of the tin or container to wick away any excess
- Sparingly brush the oil over your furniture, avoiding any pooling. Ensure it is covered evenly over all surfaces. Do another layer if needed and keep going until the wood has a matte look about it – this means it can’t absorb any more
- Leave the oil to soak in for 15 minutes and wipe down with a dry, soft cloth or rag
- Buff the surface with a second clean cloth or rag
Re-apply when the wood starts to look dull, at least once a year. You should make sure to clean your teak garden furniture before and after storing it, and a couple of times in-between. We’d recommend re-oiling before or after your furniture goes into storage. Be sure to clean up any spills that touch the wood as soon as possible, so they don’t have a chance to stain.
Read more: How to clean garden furniture
Does teak oil protect from rain?
Yes, teak oil protects against rain and protects against staining. However, you should invest in furniture covers and take care to store your furniture in a dry place over the winter if possible.
How long will teak oil last?
Most teak oil brands will last for 5 years in the bottle[i]. We recommend re-oiling your furniture at least once a year, or when the wood starts to look dull, to ensure it is working at full capacity.
Sources
[i] https://woodworkly.com/does-teak-oil-go-bad/
Anna is the marketing and office manager for Garden Benches – a premium supplier of high-quality wooden benches and other outdoor furniture.
