subject: Myths About Oiling Teak Furniture [print this page] Over time teak wood, when untreated, naturally weathers to a silver-grey shade, but if you want to keep your furniture its original rich golden-brown, many manufacturers recommend using teak oil. However, oiling wood is purely a cosmetic process and does nothing to preserve or extend the life of the wood.
Its important to follow the rules when oiling teak furniture its vital that you dont leave the furniture outside for any length of time before oiling because this will allow it to absorb moisture and that moisture will bloom back through the wood after oiling as black spots which cannot be removed.
Once oiled, wood should have the oiling process repeated at the beginning of every summer and probably should be protected against the worst of the elements by being brought indoors and/or covered.
Never forget that the benefit of oiling exterior teak furniture is extremely short-term. Teak will last just as long if you don't oil it in fact it may even last longer, because - scrubbing the wood before oiling actually wears the wood away. However, oiling teak isn't about protecting the wood as much as maintaining that golden glow that makes teak such a beautiful wood in the first place.
Most teak oils are primarily either linseed oil or tung, with additional resins to make the treatment more durable: linseed oil tends to darken the teak, but is significantly cheaper, tung oil doesn't darken the wood, and it is more water resistant than linseed. Proprietary teak oils will also contain pigments, UV filters, and mildew retardants.
