Teak Furniture: Information on Material, Maintenance and Care
1. First Grade Plantation Teak
Barlow Tyrie and Giati make their teak furniture only from the highest quality "First Grade" plantation teak (Tectona Grandis) in their own factories in East Java. The teak plantations on Java in Indonesia are under the supervision of the government and are managed as renewable and sustainable resources.
2. Colour
New teak furniture can sometimes show a reddish colour, which results from the kiln drying process. It disappears within a couple of days after the furniture has been exposed to sun light.
3. Hairline Cracks
During the aging process teak chairs and benches can develop short hairline cracks at the face side of back rests and arm rests. The hairline cracks only show that the wood is undergoing a natural process of adapting to the climatic changes in humidity and temperatures. They do not influence the stability and durability of the furniture and are therefore not a reason for rejection.
4. Cleaning Instructions
For routine light maintenance when your furniture looks dirty or has water spots, clean with soap and water using a wet cloth. Rinse your cloth and repeat as necessary. Some water or other spotting may remain. To thoroughly clean your furniture, we recommend a solution of warm water with laundry detergent or dish washing soap. Using a soft bristle brush, wet and lightly scrub the entire piece. Do not allow the solution to dry on the furniture. After cleaning, thoroughly rinse your furniture with fresh water. This process will remove surface dirt and pollution, kill mildew (known to grow on almost anything), remove or lighten most black mildew spots should they occur, and allow the silver-gray patina to develop more evenly. This will also remove most raised wood grain fibers, returning your furniture to a feel similar to its original smoothness. After about a year and the first few cleanings, you can switch to a bleach and water-only solution without any scrubbing. If nothing else, periodically hose off your outdoor furniture with plenty of fresh water and allow it to dry in the sun.
5. Year-Round Exposure
One of the big advantages of teak furniture is that you can leave it outside all year-round without any special treatment and it will gradually develop the sought-after rich silver-gray patina. Regular cleaning in Spring and Fall will keep the silver colour in a beautiful light shade.
6. Treatment with Protective Care Products
As mentioned above you can leave your teak furniture outdoors all year-round without any treatment. If you wish to keep the golden honey-coloured tone of the teak wood you may treat your pieces with teak oil or other protective agents likestain guards, colour guards, uv inhibitors, etc. Please keep in mind though that these protective agents will get washed out by the elements and will gradually loose their effect. Therefore, you have to repeat the treatments on a regular basis. Timing is the challenge because you need to reapply the protective agent BEFORE your furniture shows signs of weathering. Treating partly weathered furniture that already shows aged and gray spots will result in blotchy, unevenly coloured surfaces!
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions about the care and maintenance of your teak furniture.
Next page: Material Information Cast Lead Ornaments.