I renovated (rebuilt from pretty much scratch) our garden bench two years ago and it turned out well with really rich colouring in the Sapele slats.
Sunlight, rain and overwintering have turned the wood grey on the exposed surfaces but left the back of it that was against a wall, and the under-surface of the seat, still a good colour.
So how do I get the colour back? A quick wipe over with the same Teak Oil as I used last year isn't bringing it back.
Thanks. Will oxalic acid cut through any remaining teak oil?
I doubt it will. But if it's grey, it's dry...
You will likely need to sand the wood after oxylic acid and water anyway, as I'd expect the wood to go a bit fuzzy.
Thomas Prufer
I'd be inclined to sand it back. I wouldn't like to be depending on teak oil as that is not a defined product so one manufacturers formulation could be well different to another. I use Osmo (
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