6 replies to this topic

[VitalBodies]

Preserving, Cleaning and Refinishing Teak For Indoor Use.
We have some teak furniture we recently bought that is for indoor use - side board, coffee tables etc. The teak is solid teak and looks great for the most part.



A larger Image: Teak Detail

For the parts that look great they likely need a yearly coat of what ever one coats teak with.
Would that be teak oil and what teak oil is recommended or would that be Tung Oil?
I have read that teak oil can be really nice or some odd product that is questionable.
I must have read 10 articles on dealing with teak but never quite felt satisfied.

The other parts that do not look as great might need a cleaning and re-coating - mostly the bottom 3" perhaps from shoes/feet?
The top (of a hutch) needs to be sanded down to wood as there is quite a water stain from watering a plant to the point the wood is dry looking and the oil was displaced.
I am wondering if that is going to be difficult to match the top if sanded and oiled or if there is nothing more to it...

I would like to keep it simple and natural if possible.

Would the proper oil be PURE Tung Oil rather than Tung oil finish or the like?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil

[VitalBodies]

I bought some PURE tung oil on Rockler and will learn as I go...

[VitalBodies]

I figured out my answer and got amazing results!
http://www.vitalbodi...e-tung-oil.html

[RyanLincoln]

Teak furniture can add an totally new level of style and sophistication to the interior of our home. Teak is beneficial because it's durable but if it's not cleaned and oiled regularly, it will turn a weathered gray, losing the beautiful golden glow that teak is famous for.

[Mike M]

Indoors, teak doesn't "weather" like it does outdoors. We have solid teak DR furniture and end tables that we bought over 20 years ago as well as a buffet I built about 15 years ago. I oiled it when I first bought it and haven't touched it since.

Dusting and an occasional wipe with a damp cloth is all the care it gets and it still looks good.

Also note that Teak darkens with time. If you sand the top it might not match the rest of the piece at first but will age into the same color.

Mike

[VitalBodies]

I find that having teak furniture is a great investment. The pure Tung oil is great for the teak and other projects.

So far sanding teak (and some other furniture pieces) has worked out, as the difference between dark and light is minimal.

Have you even seen a white cube? Or even one drawn and shaded in 3D.

Very Well Drawn Inkscape Cube Drawing: (I did not draw this)


If you look at one closely they do not appear white on every side as the light and shadow make each side more or less gray and every side ends up looking a different shade if you see the cube in a profile view.

Furniture is that way also. If one is very careful what they sand and do not sand that cube lighting effect takes over and you can not really tell one surface is lighter unless it is way way lighter. Often the top looks lighter anyway.

[annielee13]

Because your teak is being used indoors there is no NEED to use any oil on it. From my experience, what makes teak weather includes outdoor elements (sun, rain, weather in general... whether it's under a covered porch or exposed, etc). Indoors it will take teak a VERY long time to weather, if it does. If you want to keep the teak at the new "tan" color what I do is wipe it down annually, but every 5 or so years I use a teak cleaner on it. The teak cleaner will basically restore the original color of the teak. That has the least amount of maintenance. You can use teak oil if you want, but be careful for leaching getting onto the carpet! You may also have a 'less than desired' smell in your house for some time if you do it inside, or move it inside too quickly.

Like I said, I solely clean it to have the least amount of cleaner. Mine is a water based product and gets the job done to my liking!

http://www.westminst.../Furniture-Care

I have teak outside too and this works wonders on it!