Much loved for its exotic beauty and durability, teak is a popular choice for premium outdoor furniture. How do you prevent your teak furniture from graying? According to Los Angeles teak expert Chris Putrimas of Dr. Teak, graying is a natural and expected reaction to rain and sunshine when teak furniture is left outdoors. Keeping your teak furniture looking great over time, he says, requires the use of a sealer to block out dirt and water and to minimize the effects of the sun.
Why Does Teak Furniture Become Discolored?
All wood furniture, not just teak, is subject to the effects of water, dirt and sunlight. “Wood naturally weathers,” Putrimas explains, “and all kinds of wood become discolored in response to the elements. It’s a state that wood enters into to protect itself from damage.”
Teak, Putrimas says, is grown in water and, as such, is very porous. “It’s kind of like a sponge,” he says. Teak furniture that’s left outside doesn’t just absorb rain water; it also pulls in damaging pollutants like vehicle exhaust, construction dust, dirt, smog and more. Those pollutants, he says, are what can cause the teak to become discolored in ways most furniture owners dislike.
Is Graying Always a Problem?
Graying, Putrimas says, isn’t always considered a negative. “There are two kinds of gray,” he says. One is a silver-ish shade, which many teak furniture owners find desirable. In Los Angeles, however, because the air is so polluted, teak tends to turn more of a dark gray shade. Sometimes, it can even become moldy.
How Can You Protect Your Teak Furniture?
Because teak is commonly used on boats, Putrimas says, many people with teak furniture treat it the same way teak has traditionally been treated on boats – they oil it. “Oil is fine,” Putrimas says, “but unless you’re doing something to lock the oil in and keep water and dirt out, you’re not doing anything to protect the wood.”
The best way to prevent your teak furniture from becoming discolored, Putrimas says, is to apply a sealer. Because the teak is porous, a sealer can be used to block out moisture, dirt and other harmful elements, allowing the wood to retain its natural color for much longer than if it had not been sealed.
Dr. Teak, Putrimas says, offers a variety of sealers. “Our sealers range from a varnish or polyurethane finish to a very basic, natural-looking, water-based sealer.” Sealer should be re-applied, Putrimas says, every six to 12 months for the best results.
What Can Be Done if My Teak Furniture Is Already Gray?
Even if your teak outdoor furniture has already become discolored, its natural beauty can be restored. According to Putrimas, restoring teak involves using special cleaning agents and techniques to extract dirt and pollutants from the wood grain. This process, he says, can “rough up” the grain. Once the wood has been cleaned, the furniture should be sanded thoroughly and then a sealer applied to prevent the teak from graying again.
“Teak furniture tends to be fairly expensive,” Putrimas says. “While it certainly can be restored if its become discolored, teak furniture will look better for longer if a sealer is applied in the first place. That’s what we recommend to our customers.”