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TEAK
ABOUT TEAK
Teak is a dense-grained hardwood indigenous to Burma and Thailand and brought to Indonesia by Dutch colonists in 1816...
The Dutch colonialists in Java Indonesia (the colonial power at the time) planted seedlings of Teak (Tectona Grandis) that originated from Thailand in the year of 1816, making them some of the oldest teak farms in the world. This is well documented. These plantations are now owned by the Indonesian government agency Perum Perhutani, which is responsible for the control of these teak farms allowing the felling of a limited number of trees each year and the reforestation of these farms.
Contrary to popular belief,Tectona grandis is a deciduous hardwood tree brought by the Dutch to the dry, hilly terrain of Indonesia during colonial rule. It is not indigenous to Indonesia, but rather a Dutch import which was then planted in the many teak plantations that are still in existence today.
Teak is extremely dense-grained and highly resistant to rot, warping, shrinkage and swelling. Its high natural oil content acts as a natural preservative to the wood so it can be left outdoors for decades.
How durable is teak? The first outdoor teak benches were made of recycled decking from old sailing ships. Many public parks in England are furnished with such teak benches, some of which are nearly a century old.
Teak is comfort and beauty
Teak is very smooth to the touch and does not often splinter. It remains very neutral in temperature (no skin burns) compared to metal furniture and has a faint, pleasant aromatic smell.
Well made teak outdoor furniture is typically classic in design with clean architectural lines and timeless style. This is an important attribute for something you could expect to have on your patio for several decades.
Teak is eco-friendly
Our furniture is made from harvested trees grown on plantations following sustainable-yield practices. This process is managed and controlled by PT Perum Perhutani, an Indonesian government agency tasked with preserving this natural resource for generations to come.
You can find cheaper products crafted from "gray market" trees culled illegally from non-regenerating resources. But we think you should avoid this for obvious reasons.
Teak is an unparalleled value
Durability and timeless design make teak outdoor furniture one of the best values available in home furnishings. Divide the cost of a fine quality teak dining set over the number of years of expected use and you will find our furniture is a very good investment.
We use only the highest grade materials
At Wood-Joy, we use only Grade “A” teak. Components are visually matched to a high degree of color uniformity. There are minimal "live" knots and no dead knots or sap lines. Natural teak if left outdoors will gradually weather to a silver grey color. This would probably take about 9 months depending on the amount of sun and rain it has been subjected to. Small cracks (known as checking) and very slight warping may appear, this is a characteristic of all hardwood timbers and will not affect the strength or durability of the furniture.
This is due to changes in the seasons and the wood releasing or drawing moisture from the atmosphere. Checking and possible slight warping is not to be considered as a defect.
Machine made furniture is best
Semi-machine made furniture is produced using power tools in a factory. Cuts and bores are more precise although pieces are ultimately fitted by hand. A skilled, experienced worker with proper training and resources can produce very fine semi-machine products with a high degree of uniformity.
At Wood-Joy, most of our products are fully machine made including all our chairs and other, high volume pieces. We also selectively use semi-machine manufacturing where our quality standards can be met at a more competitive cost (which we pass along to our customers).
TEAK CARE
First of all there is not much chance of you seriously damaging your teak furniture by applying teak oil on the surfaces. We try to describe below your options and a general means to apply teak oil if desired, however it is certainly not required.
If your teak furniture requires cleaning this can be done with a normal household bristle brush [not too hard] and some warm mildly soapy (clear dish soap) water. Wash down afterwards with clean water. There are also proprietary cleaners on the market which can also be used to clean off various deposits and accumulated dirt and stains.
We do not recommend the use of high pressure hoses and steel wool or steel wire brushes. These methods should not be used at all as any metal residue left in the grain will rust and discolor the wood.
If the furniture has some stubborn and heavily ingrained stains these can be removed by sanding with a 120C grade of sandpaper, being sure to work only with the direction of the timber grain. After sanding stains away like this, if the furniture was previously teak oiled you may wish to re-oil. Or if it had previously been left natural, the fresh teak color exposed by sanding will soon mellow in with the existing silver grey patina.
We are often asked about the best ways to care for teak furniture. Because of the hard and yet forgiving nature of the timber it will withstand a great deal of abuse, but it will also repay a little tender loving care, so you may care to read through this page and pick up a few hints.
If your furniture is to be used indoors and away from a lot of natural sunlight, over a period of time perhaps six months to a year the wood will gradually become a darker shade of brown.
If on the other hand the furniture is left outdoors, the effects of the suns rays will 'bleach out' the timbers natural color, gradually turning it a soft silvery grey color. This silvery grey 'patina' which develops over time gives teak furniture a distinctive appearance. The silver grey color resulting from this natural ageing process is considered to be very attractive and allows the furniture to blend in well with many outdoor environments. Teak furniture left in this state is easily maintained and needs no treatment whatsoever to give many years of service and this is about as easy as a maintenance schedule as it’s possible to get!
Teak Finishing Treatment
Teak wood is of itself naturally oily and requires no treatment to be used indoors or outdoors and the use of teak oil or sealers won't greatly increase the life of the timber. It does change the color somewhat and it can also help a little to prevent stains from seeping into the timber grain. It will slow down the graying effect caused by ultra violet rays.
Manufactured teak oil is actually either tung oil or linseed oil blended with resins and other proprietary additives to guard against UV mold and mildew.
To maintain its appearance teak oiled furniture will need to be re-oiled periodically. If you decide to oil your furniture you can contact us for supplies of WATCO teak oil, or buy from your local supplier. A basic method for oiling is as follows:
The furniture will need to be cleaned first [see below] afterwards allow to dry for at least 24 hours before starting to oil. Have a good look around the furniture first and attend to any areas requiring sanding before starting work. We recommend a light sanding over all viewable and touchable surfaces to give your furniture a smooth silky touch. You will find that sanding is very fast and easy, well worth your time.
You will need some teak oil, a clean 1" and 3" paint brush, some clean cotton rags, good light and plenty of space to work in. Be sure to wear some comfortable work clothes. Wearing household gloves to keep the oil off your hands is a good idea as well. We recommend spreading some plastic drop cloths outdoors for your work station.
The oil can be applied with a clean paint brush or cotton cloth, starting from the top and working downwards. The surface should be left wet but try to avoid leaving too much surplus oil behind as you work.
If you have a large quantity of teak and want to seriously reduce the time, we would suggest using a plastic spray bottle to apply the oil. With this method you should turn all of your teak upside down, then spray the bottom side first, then turn the teak upright and spray the oil on the top side. You will find the spay method oils in between the slats very nicely.After about 5 - 15 minutes the oil will start to become 'tacky'. At this point the surface of the furniture should be wiped down with a clean cotton rag, carefully removing all surplus oil.
One coat is usually sufficient but while you are already set up it's suggested to apply a second coat to the viewable surfaces after a minimum of one hour from the first coat application. Once you've completed the oiling and the surface is touch dry, a second clean rag can be used to buff up the surface.
Please be sure to dispose of any used rags and cleaning cloth carefully and in accordance with the instructions from the oil manufacturer.
Proprietary teak sealers such as Sikkens Cetol SRD 250 can also be purchased from Wood-Joy and applied as described from the manufacturer. Wood-Joy can also provide a complete maintenance service plan if you would prefer to spend your time playing tennis or golf, etc. So turn on your favorite music and make this an enjoyable occasion. Many people find caring for their teak furniture a real feel good experience. Others simply hire a teak service person to handle the rejuvenation. Then again most just let their teak age gracefully with no maintenance whatsoever. Regardless, teak outdoor furniture requires less costly maintenance than most other high end types and offers a continuing rich natural look for many decades.We guarantee you will love your furniture!
Compliments of Wood-Joy
Wood-Joy
78-474 Hwy 111, Suite A
La Quinta, CA 92253
760-397-5557
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