How to Finish Teak Furniture
Teak is the common name for Tectona grandis, a hardwood tree that originates from southeast Asia. It is a popular source of furniture due to its high oil content. Homeowners can extend the life of their teak furniture by finishing it with natural oil.
- Bucket
- Dish soap
- Water
- Clean cloth
- Copper wool pads
- Tack cloth
- Teak brightener
- Tung oil
- Fill a bucket with warm water and add a tablespoon of dish soap for every gallon of water. Mix these ingredients together to obtain a solution of warm, soapy water.
- Soak a clean cloth in the soapy water and clean the teak furniture with it to remove the surface dirt. Allow the furniture to dry in the air for four hours.
- Rub the teak furniture with copper wool pads to expose the bare wood. Clean the furniture with a tack cloth to remove the wool dust.
- Apply teak brightener to a clean cloth and rub it over the teak furniture according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Wait 10 minutes for the brightener to soak into the wood, and wipe away the excess brightener with a clean cloth. This treatment will brighten the teak wood and is most effective for furniture that has become gray due to weather exposure.
- Apply tung oil to a soft cloth and rub the oil into the teak furniture until it stops absorbing oil. This can require up to an hour for each piece of furniture, depending on its dryness.
- Allow the tung oil on the teak furniture to dry for at least two hours. Repeat step five to apply a second coat of tung oil to the teak furniture. The second coat of tung oil should require much less time to apply since the pores in the wood are already full. Allow the furniture to dry overnight.