Outdoor Living Furniture

Teak is a hardwood mainly from Southeast Asia.  It is one of the most popular woods used for vintage outdoor furniture because of its strength, weather resistance, and being pest proof.  It’s so popular that teak is now on the endangered list due to too much foresting of it.  There are three types of teak:  Common, Dahat (from Burma), and Philippine.  This has led to plantation grown hybrid teak that is not as durable as traditional antique teak.  Know the source of the teak furniture before purchasing.

Pure teak does not rot like most other woods.  It is rich in oil and has a good measure of rubber substance.  This combination makes for a natural water repellent material great for outdoor conditions.  Thus, for centuries, teak has been the prime choice in building ships.  Untreated teak will oxidize and turn to a grey silver only with a few months of sunshine but you can coat your pieces with a color guard to help preserve its original golden brown look.  To keep the rich wood look, apply a teak oil every couple of years to rejuvenate its natural oils.    Even if you don’t do anything to it, your wood will not rot.  For your whole life, it will remain a solid strong piece of furniture. 

You can clean teak with a 3 to 1 mixture of laundry detergent and chorine bleach.  Anything stronger can destroy the wood.  Scrub the solution in brushing with the grain.  Give a good rinsing after a few minutes.  Occasionally, mildew can form on your furniture.  A good product to remove mildew is called Jomax.

Teak has become a status symbol of quality outdoor patio furniture.  The major players in the teak outdoor furniture market are Kingsley Bate and Country Casual.  Like wrought iron, quality teak patio furniture requires highly skilled artistic design.

Strength, weather resilience, style, low maintenance, and longevity make teak wood a perfect choice for your outdoor patio.