Care Tips for Teak and Cedar Patio Furniture
Written by: Kelly Marshall | Date: Wednesday, 16th March 2011

Most wooden patio furniture comes in teak and cedar for many reasons. First, these are hard woods that can withstand the natural elements of rain, sun, and wind as well as rot, termites and ants better than any soft wood can. Second, these woods possess beautiful grains that require little to no staining to bring out the beauty in each piece of outdoor furniture. Indeed, if beauty, durability and practicality are the hallmarks of great furniture for both outdoor and indoor settings, then teak and cedar furniture are the best choices.

But to enjoy all of these benefits, care and maintenance procedures must still be applied on teak and cedar wooden outdoor furniture. These are, after all, made of materials that are not exactly invincible against Mother Nature - durable, yes, but not invincible. The good news is that the ways to properly care for both teak and cedar home and commercial patio furniture are relatively easy to adopt.

Teak Furniture

The beauty of teak furniture is that it requires little to no preservatives, treatments and any other substances to shield it from the natural elements to which it is exposed to on the patio. If the teak is left outside as it is, the natural color will slowly turn into a patina of light silver gray in approximately 3 months depending on the amount of exposure to rain and sun. The patina is only on the outer surface of the teak wood, which can be removed by using a scrub brush that is poly-bristled and soapy water.

If you want the rich honey shade of the teak patio furniture to last, the application of a few drops of teak oil 2 to 3 times a year go along way. When applying teak oil, be sure that it is completely clean and dry so as to prevent the development of mildew on the surface. Expose the teak furniture to the full sun for at least 48 hours, but afterwards keep the furniture in the shade or under a sunbrella umbrella for protection.

The teak oil should be applied according to instructions often only in one light coat using a rag that is clean and lint-free or a clean paint brush. Also, always scrub off the old layer of oil before applying on the new one. For regular cleaning, just wipe off the surfaces of the teak furniture with a clean, dry cloth at two times a month.

Cedar Furniture

It should be noted that the most commonly used cedar for patio furniture is Western red cedar, which is known for being highly-resistant to rot, decay and termites than most other types of wood. Thus, cedar furniture also requires little to no additional treatment although many manufacturers will do so just to enhance the natural beauty and durability of the wood.

Like teak, cedar wood will also gradually age to a patina of handsome silver-gray. The wood grains are highlighted with darker streaks as well as look slightly raised to the naked eye. Cedar is actually handsome with the patina but many homeowners can also choose to add treatments.

These treatments can take many forms like wood sealer to prevent the raised grains but encourage the natural fading to the patina. Semi-transparent stains with ultraviolet protection and wood oil can also be applied to preserve the wood's natural color. Paint is not recommended.

Teak and cedar patio furniture are not only beautiful to look at but easy to care for even by the busy homeowner.