Teak Garden Furniture - what oil/treatment?

[oblio]

We are thinking of getting some teak garden furniture but I'd like to understand what the best oil or treatment for it would be. I'd like to treat it as soon as we get it and then annually after.

Could I please ask what products you use and would recommend?

Thanks

[craig1912]

These are pretty good

https://alexanderrose.shop/collections/treatment

Our stuff is Roble wood not teak but the cleaner, protector and shield work well

[Ranger 6]

We had Alexander Rose furniture in the past, it survived well with their own stuff. But that was covered all the time unless in use.

We now have an oak porch which is open to the elements all year round and Osmo oil is the one we use now.

[119]

Teak oil.

It’s what it’s made for.

[Simpo Two]

119 said:

Teak oil.

It s what it s made for.

Exactly!

[Danns]

Simpo Two said:

Exactly!

No
No
No

Not if you want your furniture to look as good as the day you got it and last.

Semco teak sealer applied annually is what you want.

[stemll]

Nothing, it doesn't need it and will just wash off as the original wood's surface oil did as the wood turned grey.

Only reason for oiling it is to maintain the colour, the wood absolutely does not NEED it. Putting a cover on it just encourages mould as you restrict air flow.

[119]

Well, i have been treating ours with it for years and it is still looking like new.

[Simpo Two]

Danns said:

Not if you want your furniture to look as good as the day you got it and last.

Semco teak sealer applied annually is what you want.

Perhaps Semco teak sealer is magic, but keeping outdoor furniture in showroom condition is realistically an impossible task. The best teak furniture IMHO doesn't look like it's just been delivered from a garden centre, it looks 'comfortable'. Teak is an oily hardwood and doesn't really need anything. Natural silvering looks nice and takes little/no effort.

Anyway, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so at least the OP has choices

[RichB]

Simpo Two said:

Danns said:

Not if you want your furniture to look as good as the day you got it and last.

Semco teak sealer applied annually is what you want.

Perhaps Semco teak sealer is magic, but keeping outdoor furniture in showroom condition is realistically an impossible task. The best teak furniture IMHO doesn't look like it's just been delivered from a garden centre, it looks 'comfortable'. Teak is an oily hardwood and doesn't really need anything. Natural silvering looks nice and takes little/no effort.

Anyway, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so at least the OP has choices

We have quite a lot of teak furniture, some of it well over 10 years old, and the company we bought it from said that it does not need oiling, simply washing down. It obviously goes silver over the years but that's the way it is.

[Simes205]

So when we bought our last teal bench we were told not to oil and leave it alone.

[Danns]

Well I think we are in two camps

Want the silvered weathered look - do nothing just give it a clean

Want it to look just like it was when purchased - use a sealer, ie Semco. It’s not cheap, but it is a very effective product. (Which I’d suggest is the better option for table / chair sets where you want to maintain the hygienic clean appeal)

What I’m trying to put across is the misconception that teak oil is the correct product. As I’m sure everyone now knows - it doesn’t contain any oil derived from teak, sits on the surface and can invariably do more harm than good.

Feel free to confirm with your AI of choice etc

[Chimune]

Teak is used on yacht decks - never oiled, never covered and exposed to extreme weather and salt, for a reason.

I know of a yacht whose teak seats were just replaced after 30 years.

[Pheo]

craig1912 said:

These are pretty good

https://alexanderrose.shop/collections/treatment

Our stuff is Roble wood not teak but the cleaner, protector and shield work well

I have a folding tea set from them I got for a steal at the local garden centre (they’re based about 5 mins drive from me!) the cornis oil worked well. But it’s really for appearances as noted rather than any particular need in my mind.

[Danns]

Chimune said:

Teak is used on yacht decks - never oiled, never covered and exposed to extreme weather and salt, for a reason.

I know of a yacht whose teak seats were just replaced after 30 years.

I don't believe you can directly compare garden furniture to teak decks.

For one, I'm not sure about you, but I don't have a crew to be tasked at teak maintenance when in port who are subsequently given a few lashings if they are caught cleaning with the grain. Or, on the smaller scale scrub the furniture down after every use.

Salt water vs rain water + plant debris are two other considerations which don't directly correlate.

Some yacht owners do indeed use teak sealer, it is how I got onto the product I use and what it is marketed for.

[craig1912]

Danns said:

I don't believe you can directly compare garden furniture to teak decks.

For one, I'm not sure about you, but I don't have a crew to be tasked at teak maintenance when in port who are subsequently given a few lashings if they are caught cleaning with the grain. Or, on the smaller scale scrub the furniture down after every use.

Salt water vs rain water + plant debris are two other considerations which don't directly correlate.

Some yacht owners do indeed use teak sealer, it is how I got onto the product I use and what it is marketed for.

I work on a 70 year old vessel with partial teak decks. Maintenance is minimal with a scrub probably once a year.

[PM3]

craig1912 said:

Danns said:

I don't believe you can directly compare garden furniture to teak decks.

For one, I'm not sure about you, but I don't have a crew to be tasked at teak maintenance when in port who are subsequently given a few lashings if they are caught cleaning with the grain. Or, on the smaller scale scrub the furniture down after every use.

Salt water vs rain water + plant debris are two other considerations which don't directly correlate.

Some yacht owners do indeed use teak sealer, it is how I got onto the product I use and what it is marketed for.

I work on a 70 year old vessel with partial teak decks. Maintenance is minimal with a scrub probably once a year.

beasue SALT water. reason why washing down rain soaked decks with sea water Totally irrelevant for land based teak exposed to rain water and all maner of tree and plant moulds/fungus etc
My 13year old teak garden furniture was left with the house when I sold this year in great condition. It will be genuinely good for another 10 plus
Once a year clean, light sand ( some areas ) and TEAK OIL . left out 9+ months a year , south of England

[Chimune]

Fair point but are you saying teak exposed to rain water is will last less time than that exposed to salt ?

The seats I refer too got nothing in those 30 years. Not even a scrub with a stiff brush. And no canopy either. Full UV. Outside on west coast of Scotland for 30 years.

[richhead]

I have loads of teak garden stuff, left out all year round uncovered, some is 30+ years old, i clean it every year with a course brush and soapy water, let dry and spray on teak oil, used to brush but use a pump up brake cleaner type spray bottle now, it is all fine, but looks its age. In fact i prefere the aged look