Teak outdoor furniture may appear identical to many of your favourite patio pieces at first sight. However, as you’ll learn throughout this course, teak is far from average.
If you’ve been debating whether or not to buy teak furniture, this is the guide for you!
So sit back, relax, and read on as we cover all you need to know, including why we adore it, the various types available, and how simple it is to handle and maintain.
But first, let’s agree on the definition of teak.
What Exactly Is Teak Outdoor Furniture?
Teak trees are indigenous to South and Southeast Asia, including India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Teak trees may grow to be 200 feet tall, which is one of its most amazing attributes. This means that a single teak tree may generate a significant amount of timber!
Teak wood was utilised by native South and Southeast Asians to make dwellings and even tools. As time progressed and the wood spread over the world, people began to use it mostly for ship construction due to its durability and ability to survive harsh circumstances.
Teak wood is now utilised for a variety of uses, including the construction of boats, outdoor and indoor furniture, frames, carvings, and much more.
Because of the material’s popularity, you may have a few inquiries. Why do so many individuals appear to favour teak over other woods? What makes it unique? Let us investigate!
Why are people so fond of teak furniture?
Teak wood has always been unique. Here’s why people love it so much.
1) It has a long lifespan.
When it comes to investing in furniture, most people desire high-quality things that will last for many years. Outdoor furniture is especially difficult to maintain since it is subjected to a variety of weather conditions throughout the year.
You don’t have to worry about that with teak because it’s one of the world’s most durable hardwoods. In reality, it has been used for almost 2,000 years as a boat-building material and is still utilised today for decks and furnishings in luxury boat-building.
Teak’s tight grain, high oil content, and high tensile strength all contribute to the wood’s exceptional weather resilience. It can survive any weather, making it perfect for wherever you reside!
2) It is not necessary to treat it.
Most outdoor furniture requires extensive cleaning and care to guarantee that it looks beautiful for many years.
In contrast, teak has a naturally warm honey tone. This progressively transforms to a silvery grey patina as it ages and is exposed to the light, which is equally stunning.
If you like a warm honey tone, you may use teak sealers, which will preserve your furniture from the sun for around a year. However, many owners fall in love with the silvery grey patina, so you might not need to fix it at all!
3) It Increases the Cosiness and Luxury of Your Home
If you’ve looked into teak outdoor furniture, you’ll see that it’s more expensive than many of its competitors. Even so, it remains a favourite among many outdoor furniture fans. Why is this the case?
Simply put, teak wood is stunning. Some grades have a glossy surface that may give a touch of elegance to your patio or porch. And who doesn’t desire a lovely outside area?
Now that you know what teak wood is and why people adore it, here are eight things you should know before purchasing it.
8 Things to Consider Before Purchasing Teak Outdoor Furniture
1) Its Natural Oils Are Unique
One of the most annoying aspects about outdoor furniture is how the weather affects it. While it may appear new, the more time it spends outside, the more the sun or other environmental factors age it.
As previously said, this is not the case with teak outdoor furniture. The wood is inherently weather-resistant, whether exposed to direct sunshine, rain, or snow.
Why? Because of the natural oils it contains.
Natural oils found in all woods assist to protect the tree. Except for teak, most trees lose their oils when they are cut down and processed. Teak preserves its natural oils and resins, which protect wood from the elements.
In addition to weather protection, these oils and resins are excellent bug repellents, so you can spend time outside without being bothered by pesky bugs!
2) It is simple to clean teak wood.
If you choose teak furniture, you will appreciate how easy it is to maintain clean.
You may remove dust, filth, and other stains from the wood using a simple mild soap and water solution. Simply rinse it with clean water after that.
If you’re having difficulties with stubborn stains like grease, teak cleaning may assist delicately lift the grease stains and leaving your wood looking clean and fresh.
3) Craftsmanship and design are important.
Teak furniture is not all the same. When acquiring teak, it is critical to understand the various grades on the market.
First and foremost, you have Grade A teak. This is the highest grade available, as the name implies. This wood comes from the heart of a fully developed teak tree and is rich in natural oils, giving it a lovely, glossy look.
Then there’s Grade B teak. The key distinction between this and Grade A is that it is sourced from the tree’s exterior heartwood. Grade B is also a bit lighter and less shiny in appearance.
Finally, Grade C teak is available. This wood comes from the outside sections of a teak tree and is less expensive than Grade A and Grade B. It will also require greater upkeep in general.
4) Teak Outdoor Furniture Is Worth Investing In
Teak is one of the most popular timbers for outdoor furniture for a variety of reasons. Teak furniture is well worth the cost because of its high quality, beautiful appearance, and ability to withstand extreme weather conditions.
Many of its competitors will provide you with a few good years at first…until the weather and other elements begin to age the furniture. However, certain grades of teak might survive up to 30 years. This means you may pass it down to your children and possibly even your grandkids!
5) The Colour Will Alter With Time
As we discussed before in this post, the colour of your teak outdoor furniture will deteriorate with time, changing from the natural warm honey tone of young wood to a silvery grey.
There is nothing you can do to totally prevent this from happening, but you can keep the natural colour of the wood for longer by treating the surface with an oil or sealer on a regular basis.
6) Oil Or Sealer Is Used To Preserve The Colour
If you wish to keep your teak outdoor furniture’s natural colour, you should use a teak oil or teak sealer.
Teak oil is nearly always made out of a combination of linseed oil, mineral spirits, and varnish. It produces nearly instant effects and restores tired-looking wood to its natural bright golden radiance.
The difficulty with teak oil is that its benefits fade after a month or two. That means you’ll need to use teak oil on a regular basis during the summer to maintain your furniture looking brand new.
Furthermore, the mineral spirits and solvents in the oil cause the wood to decay faster than if you had done nothing at all.
Applying a teak sealer once a year, preferably after cleaning, is a better way to keep your teak outdoor furniture looking like new.
Teak sealer keeps the moisture and colour of the wood from evaporating and resists the formation of fungus, mould, and mildew on the surface.
7) It Is Possible To Overclean
It is possible to overclean your teak outdoor furniture and destroy the wood’s inherent beauty, believe it or not.
We recommend cleaning your furniture once a year, either towards the end of autumn or at the beginning of spring, depending on where you reside.
If you live in an extremely dusty or humid region, you may want to clean your teak wood more frequently to keep the exposed surfaces mildew-free.
8) In the winter, teak outdoor furniture should be covered or stored.
While teak outdoor furniture may be left outside over the winter without risk of harm to the wood, allowing snow to accumulate on the surface may encourage mildew growth.
If you live in a climate where considerable snowfall is common, it’s recommended to either cover the furniture or store it within until the weather changes.
If you live in a region where major snowfall is uncommon and it is warm enough to sit outside all year, you may forgo the maintenance and leave your teak outdoor furniture alone.