Teak Aftercare

Our Teak

Teakunique furniture is strong and long-lasting, and requires very little maintenance. This is because it is expertly designed and made to the highest standard using the finest teak available - mature heartwood teak, a dense hardwood rich in protective oils. These natural oils help your garden furniture against the elements, rot, pests, fungus, and mildew.

We also slowly kiln-dry our furniture, both before and after construction, to a low moisture content which further enhances its durability, and reduces the risk of warping, cracking and mould build-up. Although this makes-up about one-third of production costs, it is an important step in the creation of durable teak furniture.

Although Teakunique furniture doesn't need the regular maintenance necessary for lower quality teak products, a little TLC will help prolong the life and ultimate enjoyment of your furniture.  We hope the below helps guide you through what to expect and how to manage it to ensure you benefit fully from your investment in Teakunique furniture.  

All our tips apply to Teakunique furniture only.

The Weathering Process

High-quality teak furniture will remain strong and is unlikely to significantly warp, crack or weaken.  However, teak is a natural product and changes in colour, slight grain movement, hairline cracks and minor warping is normal as your furniture adapts to its new environment, especially in extreme conditions such as a heatwave or prolonged rainy periods.  And whilst teak is renowned for being resistant to mould and mildew, it is still occasionally susceptible, particularly if new furniture is exposed to damp conditions. 

COLOUR VARIATION

New top-grade teak furniture is identified by its close even grain and honey-coloured appearance. Given its a natural product, variations in colour, grain and other features can occur. Over the first 3-6 months outside, it will naturally weather to the beautiful silvery-grey patina of aged-teak.  There may be some uneven colouring during this transition period.

If you have an Orchid Extending table, we suggest keeping it fully extended for the first few months so the extension leaves change colour and the wood expands and contracts in unison with the rest of the table top.

GRAIN MOVEMENT

Teakunique furniture is kiln-dried to reduce warping and cracking. But occasionally changes in humidity and temperature may cause the teak wood to expand and contract, creating hair-line cracks known as 'checking' - usually found on the end grain sections.  The cracks will come and go, and eventually settle. Most importantly, the inherent longterm strength and performance of the furniture is not affected by this natural grain movement.

Most customers don’t mind some natural grain movement, however if you do want to reduce the appearance of 'checking', we recommend that you wait at least four months from receiving your furniture for the weathering process to settle, and then apply exterior grade PVA glue to the checked area, wipe off any excess glue, and once dry, sand along with grain using 150-180 grit sandpaper.

Spring Cleaning

We recommend an annual spring clean to keep your furniture looking its best, and to remove any stains or mildew spots which may have developed:

RINSE

Use a hose on a standard setting to release any ingrained dirt. Never use high pressure settings as this will damage the wood. 

CLEAN

On wet garden furniture, use a soft bristled brush and mild detergent or a water-based teak cleaning product (Teak Cleaner) and brush gently along the grain. Rinse off.  (Any mould can be removed with a mild vinegar solution!)

SAND

Once your teak furniture is completely dry, use 150-180 grit sandpaper along the grain to smooth the surface, if desired.

Avoid Oils, Varnishes & Artificial Products

If you’ve invested in high quality teak furniture, we strongly recommend not using teak oils or artificial products. The natural oils found in the heartwood of mature teak trees (used to create all Teakunique furniture) are sufficient to protect your furniture from the elements.

Teak oil products do not help extend the life of good quality teak furniture as many contain chemicals that deplete the wood of its natural oils faster, thereby weakening the wood, removing teak's self-cleaning properties, and becoming reliant on regular treatments instead. 

Teakunique furniture treated with varnishes, oils, or other artificial products do not meet our guarantee terms. 

Additional Tips

STORING YOUR FURNITURE

To maintain the lifespan of your teak garden furniture, we advise storing in an outbuilding or garage during the winter months if possible.  Larger items, such as teak tables or garden benches, left outside year-round should be positioned in an area with direct regular sunlight as this will naturally kill mould and mildew.

Teak furniture should always be kept well-ventilated to avoid damp and mould, however if you prefer to cover your furniture, we strongly suggest using a cover made from a breathable material such as Tyvek.

REDUCE RISK OF WARPING

The following tips will help reduce the risk of warping:

Place your garden furniture on an even surface. Uneven surfaces may also create issues with moving parts.

Don't place your garden furniture near outdoor heaters or in heated buildings.

If you disassemble your Orchid, Lily or Daisy garden table, ensure that it is reassembled by connecting the correct corresponding parts.

JOINERY & MOVING PARTS

We use the best joinery methods to create strong garden furniture, and try to use wood joints to limit the use of hardware where possible. 

Moving Parts: We suggest fittings are checked regularly and are not too tight as this may crack the wood around it. Should your hardware fail, please email us with a photograph of your furniture, your name and order address, and we will send you some replacement hardware. 

Orchid Extending Tables: lubricate the extending aluminium sliders annually. 

Borneo Recliners & Gili Steamers: the correct way to fold and unfold reclining chairs is to ensure the seat-back is fully reclined and then fold or unfold.  Folding and unfolding reclining chairs when in the upright seat-back position may cause cracks in the wood around the joints.

Need Help?

Don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like any further help or advice on caring for your Teakunique furniture.  Most importantly, we wish you many happy moments enjoying your Teakunique furniture over the years!