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Classic teak chaise lounge

Elegant teak furniture is regarded the premium choice of outdoor furniture. Its natural oil content, stability and smooth good looks, make it a discerning choice of furniture.

Let us cover what to look for in a quality teak outdoor furniture and how best to care for your setting.

Origin of the wood

Always ask or try to research about the origin of the wood. You want to know if its manufacture is according to sustainable forestry practices with a viable future for the local workers.

Look for the quality of the wood

Quality teak comes from the lower core section of mature trees – this is the strongest section of the log. You can recognize quality teak by the uniformity in the grain and the color of the timber. A younger tree or timber, sourced from the higher part of a log, will have more knots in the grain. This shows evidence there were branches growing from the trunk. Quality teak should also feel very smooth and silky to the touch, which indicates fine sanding work.

Quality of craftsmanship

Indoor or outdoor furniture manufactured with metal screw joins or staples will not last long. Metal screws have a tendency over time to wear away at the timber, making the furniture wobbly. Quality teak furniture has timber plugs. These naturally expand and retract with the timber.

Caring for Teak furniture.

New teak furniture has a beautiful honey color, however, after some time; the color fades to a silvery gray. Some people prefer this aged look, however, if you prefer to maintain the rich honey color you will need to oil your teak furniture occasionally.

Although oiling your teak furniture preserves the natural honey color, it will not add any extra life to the timber. Therefore, there is no need to oil your furniture, other than for the color maintenance.

If you choose to oil your furniture, do not apply the first treatment until at least 8 weeks after purchase. Use only high quality teak oil from a reputable furniture store and follow their instructions. Make sure the timber is clean and dry before applying the oil with a clean rag or paintbrush.

On the other hand, if you are happy to keep the aged silver looking timber, you need only clean your furniture setting with warm soapy water as required.