When new, teak wood furniture has a rich golden color and will age to a soft silvery patina over time. This process takes anywhere from six to twenty-four months depending on the climate and seasonal exposure. The weathering process moves faster in moist climates but will all even out in the end, leaving you with a stunning end-result: Furniture pieces that, just like fine wine, age beautifully with time.
Teak wood contains natural oils which help prevent it from rotting or deteriorating even in wet climates. When the teak is new, these oils move to the surface of the wood and cause the teak to turn gray or even black due to mold and mildew, which is feeding on the oil. Before placing cushions on your new teak furniture, remove dust from manufacturing by wiping the furniture piece with a damp cloth. Some of the oil in the new teak will bleed out following the first few rainfalls. To protect your cushions, bring them inside. Cushion stains from teak bleeding are not covered under warranty. Once the teak has begun to grey out, it will not bleed out oil and stain the cushions.
To protect your sling furniture, move sling chairs out from under teak tables for the first few rainfalls. This tip also applies to fabric umbrella canopies used on teak umbrella frames. Again, after the aging process has begun and the teak has begun to grey out, it will no longer bleed oil.
During the weathering process, you may notice “checking” or small cracks that appear in the end grain of the wood, caused by a slight expansion and contraction of the surface. Checking is cosmetic and will not impact the structural integrity of the furniture; therefore, will not be covered by our warranty. You may also see some lifting of the grain which will disappear at the end of the weathering process, sometimes you will even get water spots or other kinds of discoloration. Regardless, your furniture will end up with a lovely soft silvery patina, which will always even out over time and with periodic cleaning.