Replies

1. 
   RSRose | Sep 06, 2002 04:17am | #1

   Joanne,

   You've done nothing wrong! Sanding the weathered gray wood down to fresh unweathered wood is perfectly alright.

   However, if you want that beautiful teak warm red-brown color to last, you'll have to finish it and bring it indoors! Many people try to finish teak to keep it from turning gray out doors. But that's almost always a losing battle unless you want to refinish almost every year.

   Teak needs no finish to protect it, precisely because it develops that gray patina, and does not deteriorate further. If you want to keep the brown color, you might try one of the (so-called) UV protectant, weather sealing products such as Olympic. Or you might want to do what us old salts (sailors) do with teak trim on boats: sand it smooth (150-220 should be fine for a bench) and apply the best marine Spar Varnish you can get. The more expensive, the better. This is a real case of you get what you pay for. The best grades have the most UV inhibitors. You'll need 2-3 coats. It will look gorgeous! But be prepared to revarinsh when the finish starts to look old. You may get more than a year if you're lucky.

   Rich

2. 
   jeffn7 | Sep 06, 2002 05:21pm | #2

   Rich is right on. You can slow down the weathering of teak, but doing so requires constant attention (which is one reason why old boats are known as holes in the water that you fill with money!).

   I am a fan of spar varnish for outdoor applications, but as Rich indicated, don't go cheap on spar varnish as they are not all created equal. The more expensive brands are generally better at protecting wood from UV rays.

   Another option is a finish I have been using on Ipe (very simmilar weathering characteristics to teak) called Penofin. This is not a varnish that forms a protective shell over the wood, it's a oil that penetrates the wood. This is significant because it cannot be stripped off like a varnish, it's more or less permanent. I do not have a long term performance report, but the finish is a marine grade finish with UV protection. Also, very important, this finish does not preserve the natural brown tones of the wood, Penofin is a rich burgundy in color (it's called rosewood oil, but doesn't actually any rosewood in it). Quite honestly, it is just stunning when finished.

   In either case, if you choose to finish teak and leave it outside, you will have to periodically recoat it. How often is a function of what part of the country you live in. By the way, congrats on scoring a teak bench at a garage sale, that's a nice find!

3. 
   MichWdWrkr | Sep 07, 2002 04:45pm | #3

   Hello Joanne,

   Have you considered cast aluminum outdoor furniture? We purchased a complete set a few years back and find that it still looks great with zero maintenance after several rough midwestern winters. It's also quite confortable and very attractive.

   Also, how confident are you that your bench is made of teak? Perhaps if you would let your husband buy that digital camera he wants, you could provide the forum with a photograph of the wood grain to confirm the species.

   By the way, thanks for hospitality over the weekend.  We had a great time. 

   Tony