Your garden is going to face all the elements of weather without any interruptions whatsoever in the Winter. However that is to be expected for the plants growing in your garden but how do you look after your garden furniture. If you have garden furniture, preferably made out of teak wood, then it becomes very important for you to carry out proper maintenance to ensure that your garden furniture does not suffer from longevity issues.

Garden furniture made out of wood looks elegant, and definitely brings about a sense of gorgeousness and sophistication to your garden. Even if you have a small garden, a simple teak wooden bench will definitely help your garden look beautiful. Yet, garden furniture is also plagued by problems in the quality of the wood used. So, you need to make a habit of checking the teak wood furniture for any kind of cracks or splintered wood after a couple of months of purchasing it. It looks good, but without proper maintenance, it can fall out of repair and would not be able to remain in that position for long time.

Generally speaking, teak wood garden furniture is known as a low maintenance option, but it is still prone to excessive swelling during the rainy season if you buy low quality items. In order to ensure that such kind of changes to not happen to your furniture, the application of teak wood oil should be done in regular intervals. You can also make use of soapy water in order to clean the surface of the teak wood furniture from any dust or dirt that may have accumulated while it remains outdoors.

Amongst other things, the use of plastic furniture seems to be the ideal method that can be employed by people that do not have time for maintenance of their garden furniture. However, as convenient as it may seem, plastic furniture is no competition to the longevity and looks of teak wood garden furniture.

Teak furniture is made from the wood of the teak tree, a deciduous tropical hardwood specie originating from the monsoon rainforests of the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia. Teak, which is scientifically classified as Tectona grandis, generates a form of organic oil that is resistant to moisture and direct exposure to water, even when the processed wood is not treated with varnish. The oil also provides a significant measure of resistance against bacteria and decay, and discourages termites and insects from burrowing into the wood. These properties accord teak wood with amazing resilience against the weather – especially when we factor in its tight grain compression and high tensile strength. Such is the durability and strength of teak, it has been a fixture in the shipbuilding industry for the last 500 years.

Besides its hardiness and long life span, teak furniture is also favoured by many due to its attractive natural earthy colours. The teakwood’s honey – almost beige – colour fits in extremely well both indoors and outdoors. Its earthy tone blends in really well under fluorescent, incandescent or halogen light. Of course, it looks its best under direct sunlight in the garden. This is probably the reason why teakwood is rarely treated with chemicals and colour. Instead, only fine grit sandpaper and teak oil is used as finishing.

Speaking of teak oil, it’s probably a good idea to apply some on teak products, particularly teak patio furniture such as benches, tables, Adirondacks and loungers, once every couple of years. The oil seeps into the wood, so there is no concern over surface cracking or peeling of the furniture. Even if they are kept indoors, nourishing furniture with commercial teak oil will ensure the teak won’t weather into a deeper shade of brown.

These combination of factors contribute to teak furniture’s higher reputation compared to other open-grained woods such mahogany, rosewood or oak, and close-grained wood like maple, poplar and birch. Coupled with the fact that teak generally takes 40 years to fully mature (although a new generation of genetically modified teaks mature in as early as 10 years!), it is perhaps understandable why there is a premium on teak fixtures, and why they are increasingly seen as status symbols. Heck, even reclaimed and refurbished teak furniture is becoming trendy now!