Teak wood is an extremely popular material option for making furniture, and especially outdoor furniture like garden benches. The hardwood has higher percentage of oil that helps in protecting it from the elements including sunlight, rain and extreme weather conditions. As teak wood is extremely strong and durable, it can last for several decades with minimal amount of maintenance. Teak ages with time and develops a silver coating known as patina. There are a few things that you can do to enhance the looks of your teak garden benches and extend their lifespan.
The following points would help you take good care of your teak garden benches. The benches should be cleaned every 6 months with some cleaner that is made especially for wooden furniture. Use a soft rag for carrying the cleaner and then wipe all the dust, dirt and stains. You can purchase teak oil and apply it on the surface to ensure that the finish remains well maintained. The ideal method to apply teak oil is to rub it with the rag. You can also use a paintbrush and paint the oil on the surface ensuring that the paintbrush is moved in the direction of the grain.
The second thing you must do is to improve the looks of the silver patina on the garden benches. This can be done by wiping off the natural oils on the material with the help of a dry rag. You would find that every 3 to 6 months, the patina develops on the surface. However, if you want this layer to come faster, a good method is to dry off the natural oil. This is something you would want to do if you like the rustic look the patina gives the furniture.
If you want to change the looks and make the teak garden benches look brighter, then you should refinish it. This would involve sanding the wood with sandpaper and then applying wood stain with a paintbrush or rag. If you want to protect the furniture from extremely low temperatures, it would be better to keep them indoors on cold days. If you want to keep mildew away, it would be best to bring it inside during heavy rain or snow.
If you don’t want the rustic look of the patina, then you can clean and oil the furniture every 3 months. This would help maintain the original brown colours of the garden benches. You can apply multiple layers of oil so that they get soaked by the wood and create a protective layer. Teak oil and tung oil are both good options because they are natural and don’t cause any damage to the wood.
Make sure that the teak garden benches are cleaned regularly without concern whether they are old or new. This is going to help increase its lifespan. Bird droppings can accumulate on the benches after some time. So make sure that you check and clean the benches at least every 6months. This would also ensure that they remain worth sitting on.
There are many other things that you can do to make your teak garden benches http://www.sustainable-furniture.co.uk/garden/garden-benches/cat_199.html look better. Visit the website given here to explore the different types of garden benches http://www.sustainable-furniture.co.uk/garden/garden-benches/cat_199.html that can be used in your outdoors.