Sealing outdoor teak furniture.

[jim]

There seems to be a difference of opinion as to how best to finish off a new outdoor teak table.

Opinion 1: As per Wikipedia: Teak is sufficiently oily and weather resistant not to need oiling or varnish or any other finish.

Opinion 2: Also in Wikipedia: Use "teak oil" which is a mixture of "Tung Oil" (obtained by crushing Tung nuts) and Linseed oil.

Opinion 3: Avoid oiling the wood as that will seal cracks and defects in the timber allowing water in which could allow green stuff & other wildlife to take up residence &/or may lead to freezing damage.

What is best?

TIA

[Mike Barnes]

I'm not sure what the difference between 1 and 3 is but I've had teak tables and chairs out in an exposed garden in all weathers continuously for about twenty years now. I pressure-wash the crud off it most years in spring but that's the only care it gets - no oils, etc.

Structurally it's all perfectly sound. The surface is quite rough, presumably due to the pressure washer, but I quite like the grain effect. The colour is a very pale tan after washing but it quickly goes grey.

So it's lasting well without oil, but a lot depends on what you want it to look like and how much time you're prepared to spend on looking after it. I prefer a rustic look and to spend more time sitting on it than working on it, but others may view things differently.

[Chris Hogg]

Go for option 1: do nothing!

We used to linseed-oil our teak bench regularly every year, until we got bored with the whole process and found better things to do. Since then, it's been pressure washed once which IIRC stripped off all the old linseed oil treatment and more-or-less took the surface back to the original wood, but apart from that nothing's been done to it since. It sits outside in all weathers and not under cover, looks nicely weathered with a pleasing silvery grey colour, and is well over

30 years old now.

One thing I would suggest: make sure the feet don't stand in water after it's rained, otherwise they will rot, eventually.

[Stuart Noble]

Amen to all that. Each teak oil application creates a film, which you end up having to remove because UV degrades it. Why bother? Go rustic

[N C]

replying to Chris Hogg, N C wrote: How do you keep feet from standing in water after rains/downpours since their present place is under all weathers 24/7/365 on concrete patio? Water stands for awhile but drains right away. I live where it rains alot & near 1/2 mile from lake, extreme humidity. Thanks

[Weatherlawyer]

Red paint on holly seems to be poplar from a distance, GPagO.