- With the experience of working directly with Indonesian suppliers for teak garden furniture since 2013, we often get asked by customers about care and treatment of their teak outdoor furniture. This series of 3 guides focusses on recommendations for taking care of your teak garden benches, teak garden chairs, and teak garden tables as well as parasols and outdoor cushions during the winter and autumn in the UK.
- Can I leave my teak garden furniture outside all year round?As a natural material teak, it is an ideal wood for outdoor furniture. The grain construction and naturally occurring oils in teak protect against insects and provides durability against the weather. However as with any natural material it will weather with use and exposure to the environment. During the autumn, and winter months all outdoor furniture, including teak outdoor furniture is likely to weather more than during other times of the year and require less preparation when come to be used again in the Spring (see our teak treatment and Spring preparation blog).
The same is true of your garden parasol, and outdoor garden cushions whose fabric will maintain its colour and durability for longer if stored away over the autumn and winter period. Outdoor cushion filling, whilst man made will keep its shape and comfort for longer if not left outside all year round.
Taking care of outdoor furniture and accessories during Autumn and Winter
There are different ways in which you can take care of your teak garden furniture, parasols, and cushions during the autumn / winter (as well as periods of inclement weather). Here are some of our recommendations if you put your outdoor furniture into storage.
Apply Treatment
If you have previously treated your teak garden furniture and are going to leave it outside during winter, then you may also want to consider topping up the teak treatment ready for the harsher weather. As with selecting the right furniture cover, a breathable treatment specifically for teak wood is essential to protecting and not harming the wood.
Preparing your teak garden furniture for treatment
For this process you will require household bleach, light washing powder, tap water, non-scratch brush or pad.
- Choose a warm, dry and if possible sunny day and choose an area that isn’t going to be affected by any of the cleaning products listed above.
- Rinse down your furniture with a garden hose to give it a good clean, keep it on a normal setting as a high pressure one might damage the wood grain.
- Take 2 Litres of water, 30 ml bleach and 75g of a light washing powder and mix well. With a natural bristle-brush or a non-scratch scouring pad remove mildew using smooth strokes along the direction of the grain.
- Take the hose again and rinse the furniture down gently taking care to remove all of the bleach/washing powder solution. Pat dry with a towel, and then leave in the sun to dry.
- Treatment Application
- Once cleaned, a Teak treatment can be applied to bring back the teak colouration and provide a layer of protection during the winter. This will also slow down the appearance of the naturally weathering wood. We recommend the Hydrosol Woodsealer1 that is designed to protect boat decks against the damaging effect of the sun, rain and frost whilst allowing the wood to breathe. Also, this sealer’s formula is environmentally friendly so any wash-off into your garden isn’t hazardous. However various products are available. To apply, use a paintbrush or cloth to gently rub small amounts of oil into the wood.
Try to apply a little at a time to ensure that you don’t oversaturate the wood.
How Field & Hawken Can Help Customers Protect Garden Furniture During the Winter
Aerocover Range at Field & Hawken
At Field & Hawken we stock the outstanding Aerocover range for outdoor furniture, parasols, and cushions. Available in a huge range of options for most teak garden furniture, rattan garden furniture and outdoor accessories each cover comes with a 2-year guarantee as standard.
The Aerocover range waterproof and breathable material technology means that it is the only range of outdoor furniture covers and cushion bags that we have ever made available to our customers on our website.
Delivered in just 2 working days, find the whole range at Garden Furniture Covers | Outdoor Furniture Covers | Field & Hawken (fieldandhawken.co.uk)
Treatment
Any treatment for teak should allow the wood to breathe whilst enhancing its natural weather resistance properties and natural beauty. Burgess Hydrosol Woodsealer is “once a season” treatment and is a non-toxic, non-flammable alternative to teak oil or other treatments. Also used on marine vessels it protects against UV and water degradation and provides a matt appearance allowing the wood to breath.
Delivered in just 2 working days, find the whole range at Teak Woodsealant Treatment Non Toxic – 1 Litre Bottle – Field & Hawken (fieldandhawken.co.uk)
