With the inevitable UK climate, one thing we can 100% guarantee is that any outdoor furniture is certainly going to get rained on! But is this a problem? Should I cover my furniture? Should I store it indoors? Hopefully we can shed a little light on this subject with our latest blog.
As we all know, teak is the perfect timber for your outdoor garden furniture due to its high natural oil content. Being a hard wood, it has a very dense grain pattern which all help to make it the number 1 choice for any garden furniture. Teak will naturally mellow over time. The sun and rain will turn teak from its lovely golden-brown ‘new teak’ colour to a silver-grey patina. This usually takes a period of months, but this can depend on the level of exposure. It is not the wood deteriorating in any way, this process is caused by oxidation. The rain and sun causes this change. The beauty of teak is that it will stay structurally strong despite this change in appearance, which is probably the one thing that sets it apart from many other timbers.
As I sit here writing this blog, I can see yet another yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for us down here in Cornwall and the rest of the south coast. It really feels like January and the start of February have just been weather warning after weather warning and our poor teak garden furniture, for those that cannot store it undercover, has been taking a real pounding!
The key thing to remember with teak is to not allow water to get trapped anywhere on the surfaces of the wood. For example, you might have water pooling on a table top, legs sitting in mud/wet grass or leaves pilling up around the base of your furniture. This is how mould and mildew can start to form, which can start to damage the wood if especially wet and left to its own devices.
The high oil content that teak naturally has is it’s saving grace here. The oil will help to repel the water so it does not soak in easily. Water may bead on the surface and then slowly absorb, but this is not an issue as long as it is left to dry naturally. The teak can darken slightly when it becomes damp but as it dries naturally, it will return closely to the finish it had before. Constant wet/dry cycles can cause small cracks to appear in the grain, sometimes known as end grain checking, which is a completely natural process as the teak adjusts to its surroundings in differing atmospheric conditions and from being wet/dry. Many people think this is detriment to the furniture as the cracks appear, but this is a totally natural process as the wood settles into its new environment.
To ensure you are doing everything you can to help your teak patio furniture, ensure that any water that pools on the wood surface is removed if possible. This pooling can cause staining and roughness of the grain of the teak. Allowing your furniture to dry naturally then say a couple of times a year, it is always worth cleaning your teak with a mild soap and water solution. By following the grain in the wood and using a small soft scrubbing brush, you can cleanse your teak garden furniture and avoid any unnecessary damage.
Oiling the teak is not something that will add protection to your garden furniture as it already has its own inbuilt protection. This is done for those who wish to maintain that glorious golden brown colour that we all love from new teak. Many people will allow the teak to weather to that silver-grey patina. This is a completely natural process and down to personal choice. It will not affect the longevity of your teak whatever you decide to do.
So, to summarise, never let your teak garden furniture sit in water or any damp material (leaves etc), wipe any water that pools on the surface and allow it to dry naturally. I have not talked much about covering or storing your furniture undercover, as I appreciate not everyone can do this. But, if you do have a dry shed/garage, this would be ideal. If you do not have this, a suitable garden furniture cover can be a great investment. The only thing we would say is that when it comes to a furniture cover, ensure it is a good quality, breathable cover. Trapping moisture under a cover and not allowing the furniture to breath will cause mould and mildew to develop, which could be detrimental to the life of your teak garden furniture.
We hope this has helped a little with looking after your teak. I appreciate this is not something we can do day in day out but being aware of what your teak is going through sat all year in your garden will help you to understand how it behaves, what you can do to help it along its way and to make sure you get a long life from your investment.
As usual, we are happy to answer any questions you may have with regards to our teak garden furniture. Please send your queries to [email protected] and we will be more than happy to help and lets hope these weather warnings we are having so many of lately start to disappear!
