Teak furniture is a great investment, but you need to care for it properly if you want your furniture to look great for years to come.
You might have heard the best way to do this is to use teak oil and now be wondering which teak oil to use. Let’s take a look at the best teak oil for outdoor furniture.
Teak needs a little TLC and a regular coat of oil to stay looking its best. Credit: Shutterstock
What’s the best teak oil for garden furniture?
All teak oils may look very similar, but they aren’t all made the same. Different brands use different mixes of ingredients. This leads to differences in quality as well as price. Before you run off to buy teak oil, however, you might want to know that the best treatment for outdoor teak furniture is NOT teak oil.
If you’re doing research online or buying teak furniture from an online store, you might unintentionally be given bad advice. A lot of the online stores don’t have contact with the furniture and therefore doesn’t really care if the care instructions are correctly given or not.
You don’t need to apply teak oil to newly bought teak furniture. Teak wood contains its own natural oil that will keep the wood safe from weather, pest and rot damage. By applying more oil, you can create a sticky residue on the furniture since very little oil will be absorbed. This happens due to the wood being already saturated with its own oil.
Worst case scenario, applying extra oil may actually lead to the natural oils being depleted. Commercial teak oil contains ingredients that may contain some chemicals that break down natural teak oil. Over time your furniture will start to look dry and become vulnerable to outside damage caused by pests, weather and rot.
Why teak oil can harm your outdoor teak furniture
Teak is one of the best woods for garden furniture and may look great with that golden hue after being oiled, but over time you will notice the colour of your furniture fading away faster. Even the best teak oil doesn’t seem to keep up with the damage being done to the exterior of your furniture.
This is due to the oil actually causing the damage. If you apply teak oil to furniture that still contains its own natural oils, the teak oil won’t be absorbed by the wood. This creates a moist residue on your furniture and the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, mould and fungi. You may notice dark spots appearing on the surface of the wood. These black spots are caused by fungi or mould growth that is fed by the unabsorbed surface oil.
Artificial teak oil also contains chemicals that break down natural oils in the wood. This exposes the wood to rot, weather damage and pests.
How to keep your teak furniture looking as good as new
Teak wood naturally turns a silvery grey colour as it ages. If you don’t mind this process, you can simply let it happen and your wooden furniture will look great for years to come. The wood will stay weather, rot and pest resistant for much longer as well.
Aged teak furniture can look beautiful. Credit: Farawayfurniture
To care for your teak furniture, simply use teak cleaner to deeply clean your furniture every few months. This will keep your furniture dirt-free and looking great.
If you would like to keep the stunning golden hue of newly bough teak furniture around for longer, you can consider using teak sealant to lock in the colour. Teak wood fades due to oxidation and UV ray damage. If you seal the wood, the oxidation process is slowed down and UV rays are blocked from the surface.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean the wood won’t lose its colour over time. There are special sealants on the market specifically designed for use on teak. These sealants shouldn’t affect the natural oils in the wood keeping it weather, rot and pest resistant. The sealant will only need reapplying once a year if done correctly.
The best oil for teak
If you still prefer to oil your teak furniture instead, there are a few options to choose from.
Before and after applying teak oil. Credit: Shutterstock
Keep in mind that you will need to reapply the oil every one to three months to keep your furniture looking great. If you’re not scared to do the work, consider the following oils for your teak furniture:
Starbrite Premium Golden Teak Oil
This oil has a reputation for preserving the golden hue of teak for a long time. This oil is also quite gentle on your teak which means it will keep the surface in good condition for longer than most. Once your teak gets older and loses some of its natural oils, this teak oil will penetrate the wood preventing it from getting damaged.
Furniture Clinic Teak Oil
This oil is quite thick in viscosity and is often used to resurrect old, damaged wooden furniture. It is meant for teak and other hardwoods. The main ingredients in this oil are tung oil as well as linseed oil. It does take much longer to dry than most oils so make sure not to apply it too thickly.
FAQs
Is there a difference between teak oil and danish oil?
The main difference between teak oil and danish oil is the way they dry. Teak oil usually dries to a matt finish where danish oil has a more glossy finish.
How often should you oil teak garden furniture?
Every 2 to 3 months. The oil will only preserve the teak colour for around two to three months before it will start fading. At this point, you will need to reapply the oil.
How do you protect outdoor teak furniture?
The best way to protect outdoor teak furniture is to apply a teak sealant. The sealant will prevent oxidation and UV damage which in turn will preserve the golden hue of your furniture for longer.
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