How to Renew Teak Wood
Finished teak usually does not need much care but unfinished teak may require care to renew the wood. Unfinished indoor and outdoor teak are cared for slightly differently, but both need some maintenance to keep their desired appearance. Luckily, it is easy to take care of either outdoor or indoor teak with minimal supplies and some easy steps. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soap
- Water
- Rag
- Teak sealer (for outdoor teak)
- Teak oil (for indoor teak)
- Paintbrush
Instructions
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How to Renew Teak Wood
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1
Wash the teak. Marthastewart.com recommends washing teak with soap and water as a primary step (see References). To do this, simply rub the furniture with a rag drenched in soapy water. If your teak furniture is finished with a good quality finish, washing dirt off is the only thing you need to do to make it look nice again.
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2
Let the wood dry. If the teak is unfinished, it will need to be coated either with teak sealer or teak oil. Before applying either teak sealer (for unfinished outdoor teak) or teak oil (for unfinished indoor teak), the wood must be completely dry.
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3
If your teak furniture is kept outdoors, apply teak sealer. According to Marthastewart.com, this is necessary to protect it from the sun. Teak sealer can be bought from Amazon.com (see Resources section) and is usually just brushed on with a paintbrush.
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4
Apply teak oil to indoor teak as Fineliving.com suggests (see References). Olive oil may also be used, but it does not last as long. A good way to apply teak oil is to brush on a light coat with a paintbrush and allow it to soak in. If the wood still looks dry, add a second coat.
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5
Allow the sealer to dry or the teak oil to soak in before using the furniture. Once it is dry, the furniture is ready to use.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Teak is a very hard and durable wood, so it usually does not need much maintenance. A good way to tell if outdoor teak needs sealer is if it has dirt accumulating on its surface and dark spots soaking into it, or if the wood is becoming more silvery and aged than you would like.
Keep pets or young children away from your furniture until the oil or sealer has dried.
