With the increased desire to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living spaces, the quality of outdoor patio & deck furniture sets has improved dramatically. Styles and fabrics may look like something designed for a living room, however technically it has been constructed to stand up to damaging outdoor elements. That being said, there are still measures one should follow to maintain the original beauty and increase longevity of use of your patio furniture.
A prime example would be Garden furniture made from Teak, the most popular wood for outdoors. You can actually control its appearance by how you choose to care for it.
Teak furniture requires low maintenance when weathered naturally, producing a distinctive silvery gray finish. A rinse with a hose is sufficient for a quick weekly cleanse.
For more stubborn dirt, a mixture of water and a small amount of bleach will remove mold and aid in the overall weathering to achieve an even toned surface, shown as Step 1. In the event that the wood is extremely dirty or stained, use a good cleanser made especially for Teak. If you prefer to keep the golden tone of new Teak furniture there are products designed for this. With new outdoor furniture, simply coat with a protective sealer made for Teak prior to use. This will require a reapplication two or three times a year depending on the amount it is exposed to sun and rain. If your Teak furniture pieces are already weathered and gray, use a Teak cleanser first to remove most of the gray, example shown as step 2. Then touch up with light sanding for stubborn spots. Once the gray is gone, you can apply a protectant that will revive the faded gold, as shown in Step 3. Follow this with the sealer as described above. Avoid using polishes or oil-based products, as this can cause mildew or irregular color.
Whether it’s silvery gray or golden, it’s completely your choice. Whichever style you choose, you can expect many years of enjoyment with Teak furniture in your outdoor living space.
-Sylvr
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I like the weathered look in outdoor furniture! Is there a faster way to make them look as such? Well aside from exposing them to the natural elements!
I love the weathered look, too! You can speed up the process by using a 50/50 mix of water and bleach to wipe it down. The more often you do this, and the more exposure to sun it gets will determine how quickly it weathers. Teak has a great natural oiliness that protects it from being damaged by the bleach and sun.
Whoa, that looks pretty cool. Interesting how you can easily change up the color of the chair with a little elbow grease!
The weathered look of Teak looks very cool, yet the faded gold colour is definitely my favourite. I like your three easy steps to colour transformation – great article. It’s so important to care for your outdoor furnishings for lasting results.
Nice Idea! Teaks have always proved themselves durable for outdoor use. An exciting feature of weather naturally makes this furniture popular for long term use.
Your essay made it more simple to clean such furniture in my lawn. Since 2005 I have been using teaks furniture in my lawn. It gets clean easily with little effort. However, a sealer should be applied before use.
Hopefully, you will write more about other materials as well.