Maintenance

For centuries it has been harvested by the marine industries for its straight grain, ease of working and its high oil content which gives it great resistance to rot and termite etc.

This oil content is what gives teak its amazing properties as a decking material, but with modern cleaning materials and normal use these oils are slowly removed from the timber.

Care should be taken to not only replace these oils but also not to scrub the teak excessively, as scrubbing removes the soft pith between the woody solid annual rings – this results in your deck becoming rough in texture, only occasionally scrub with a soft brush across the grain.

It is recommended that teak specific oil be used as these help prevent blackening of your teak and your local chandlery has these on the shelf. If these products are used every couple of months the teak will remain a rich colour, if not applied it will turn grey and possibly after a period of time crack along the grain.

The exposure to sunlight that fades the timber grey can be resolved with a light chemical washing process of a product suited to use with the teak – many brands are available, please follow the instructions carefully.

Interior teak requires only a light oil and should not ever need aggressive scrubbing.

Light oil spills, peanut staining, etc can be removed with the use of aerosol products such as K2r (this is a powder stain remover spray). Clean up any excess oil with an absorbent pad then spray the affected area once it has sat for a while – simply hose away and repeat until stain is removed.

With minimal time and materials your teak will remain in good condition. The investment in these products is worthwhile as teak is a slow growing exotic tree that is expensive to replace.