Maintenance
Should I use a Cloth or Brush? How does it weather?
Teak
weathers to a lovely silver ash colour - almost white. Many people find this attractive
enough and are happy to see their teak furniture weather into its own rustic
beauty. Will the wood split?
Openings in the timber are a
normal feature of all wooden furniture.
You will notice openings and checking appearing on the furniture over
time. This is a feature of
timber furniture and is not normally a cause for concern. How can I look after it?
If you prefer
to keep your outdoor timber furniture in good condition you can take two
approaches to maintaining it.
Simple or Old Fashioned. Simple Maintenance
A simple
maintenance programme is to clean the furniture up once a year by lightly
sanding back the surface and applying two coats of oil. It is best to allow 24 hours between
each application to allow the oil to penetrate the timber. You may wish to add a portion of
turpentine to the first application of oil to assist with the absorption. Old Fashioned
Maintenance
A more indepth
maintenance of the furniture involves cleaning out any mould in openings and
proceeding to sand back the surface. Sanding back assists in cleaning the timber by removing any
body oils and other marks. It
also primes the timber in preparation for oiling. Rather than
using a weather proofing oil, warm a portion of the oil and add some
furniture wax, such as bees wax.
When all the wax has mixed in with the oil proceed to apply it to the
furniture. Again, a portion of
turpentine mixed into the solution will assist the timber absorb the initial
application of oil. Leave the
timber to dry. When the teak
is dry to touch, apply a second coat of oil. You can continue adding coats of oil and wax to the timber
until oil literally pools on the surface. This ensures the timber is saturated. You have a
choice of wiping the excess oils off the timber before use or putting the
timber away in storage.
Maintaining the timber in this manner will only be required every
other year or even longer and will ensure many many years of happy enjoyment! Should I use a Cloth
or Brush?
A cotton cloth
is preferable to an oiling brush.
The cloth will ensure you apply the oil evenly and thinly – building
up each application rather than drowning the timber. Going Going Gone |
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