Basic notions
In principle, teak wood does not require care and maintenance, not even when the furniture remains outdoor. The natural oil content of wood protects it against rotting, and oil, wax or glossy dyes applied do not get into the deep layers of wood.
In the cases when teak wood remains untreated and is exposed to bad weather conditions, on the surface layer, by continual moistening, mould fungi are formed that, in time, lead to the change of the wood color into grey, respectively a "silvering”, called "patina" takes place. In principle, this process can be observed in all types of wood, but the grey hue attained depends on the type of wood. As a result of high density and saturation, already mentioned, of the wood with natural oils, this layer is extremely fine, and the patina in teak wood has a tint of light silver, which gives a special note to the old furniture, respectively a noble shining.
The main difference to the autochthonous wood is found in another feature of teak wood:
as a result of the extremely fine construction of the structure, teak wood does not have the tendency of peeling off, the surface remaining after tens of years of use smooth and soft. However, the softness encountered in new furniture deteriorates slightly with the time passage, when rain and the bad weather influences wash out the wood dust. You will be amazed to find out that after the normal process of adjustment, the furniture will not change its aspect for years, tens of years.
Therefore, the treatment of the teak wood surface is a pure cosmetic action, which represents neither a measure that can influence the life duration nor the process of wood rotting. |
