Teak seat

**jx2mad** · 8th April 2013, 10:01 AM

I have been given a new teak seat. This will be located under cover on a verandah. My question is should I apply a teak oil finish or would being under cover suffice? Jim

**PerthDisco** · 8th April 2013, 11:17 AM

Hi Jim

I have spent a long time trying to work out the do's and don'ts for teak decks on boats.

The just sanded look is wonderful but only lasts a short time before the timber will naturally turn greyish / silver in the air. This is actually the natural finish for teak that regularly sees salt water.

For furniture teak other contaminants may push the teak to become much darker or black looking after time. Definitely not nice. Mould and mildew may also be a factor (something the salt water prevents).

Once you coat it or oil it you are committing to a continuous cycle of maintenance. Typically (for boats) oiling is not recommended as it is said to trap dirt and create further problems.

I use a product from Semco to 'seal' the teak after it is cleaned. It is non-oily and seems to fade away after a time. It's really good and the best from a wide range of 'snake-oil' products on the market.

**Chucaro** · 8th April 2013, 11:52 AM

Another option is using Wattyl Weathergard Marine Varnish which will give your chair a good UV protection.

**PerthDisco** · 8th April 2013, 05:23 PM

That is the full monty deluxe way of preparing teak if you like a high gloss finish. It takes 6-8 coats laboriously built up to get that glossy finish. The surface needs care and will not take bumps or scrapes. Spot repairs are not easy.

I have one small table and a flag pole I prepare in this way - its a big and fiddly job to do right over several days of sand - varnish - dry - sand - varnish - dry etc. If left in the sun it is an annual job. Out of the sun will last a long time.

The other absolute DO NOT for teak is any form of high pressure cleaning. It will look good but what you are doing is tearing the soft pith out of the wood leaving only the growth rings. Teak will very quickly develop a rough rippled finish if treated this way. It is a very soft wood that needs great care.

Marine shops sell a Part A and Part B teak deck cleaner. Part A is an acid and Part B is a neutralizer. It cleans the teak back to new look but does this by removing a lot of teak. You might get away with doing it once a year but the ultimate effect is the same as high pressure cleaning.

Ultimately you need to sand it back to get an even finish. With all this cleaning a teak deck can wear at a rate of 1mm-2mm per year making that $20,000 8mm finished thickness deck last less than 10 years!

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