Hi...I have two teak pieces I had made in Indonesia. I oiled both and am now very sorry I did. I'm thinking about acetone to remove as much as possible of the oil surface (its been on there about two years). I cant haul out these immense pieces so that they can benefit from the effects of sunlight...what can I do indoors to really cool down the color of the teak, either toward a very cool dark brown, or a grey? Also, there are gaps in between boards; I dont know if they were figuring on seasonal expansion/contraction - is there anything at all I can do? Thanks! Maria
how to tone down warm tones in teak, and a repair question
Jan 04, 2012
2 Replies
Teak doesn't age to cool dark brown. If the oil was linseed oil, it oxidizes to a dark warm brown. How dark depends upon how much oil was absorbed and/or trapped in the wood grain. It is unlikely there is enough oil to do that though. The usual color of oiled teak is a warm medium brown.
If teak is topcoated it is normally a warm medium brown becoming lighter and yellower with age and sunlight.
Unprotected teak outdoors weathers to grey - like most any wood - and becomes rough which is why it is popular for boat decks.
The only effective way to get rid of the oil that I know of is sanding. No idea if the gaps are normal, don't know what your pieces are.
I recently made a piece of teak furniture. To get my glue to stick, I used acetone to remove the oil before gluing. I do not know if that will do a permanent job or just a temporary job but you might try doing it on a piece that won't be too visible.
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