Teak Collection

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FAQ

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We wanted to make your understanding of our wood types as easy as possible & have put together some common questions and answers. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Teak

I know teak is a type of wood but whats so great about it?

Teak (tectona grandis) is type of tropical hardwood native to south & southeast Asia. Teak is an exceptionally strong, durable, resilient and beautiful wood.  It is resistant to rotting and warping when exposed to the elements, with or without treatment.  The wood has a very tight grain and is packed full of its own natural oils.  This produces a smooth weather resistant finish—perfect for quality garden furniture and mainly what makes teak great.

Doesn’t wooden furniture mean a lot of maintenance & hard work for me?

This is a common misconception & contrary to popular belief teak requires little or no maintenance at all. Over time both treated and untreated teak will simply weather to a distinguished silver grey.  If you spill food, wine, tea, coffee or anything else on the wood, a simple scrub with a nail brush and soapy water should be sufficient to clean your teak.  You can of course buy a proper teak cleaning kit and follow the instructions.  Once the wood starts to weather you can, as and when necessary, sand the wood with fine sand paper.  Don’t be afraid of teak, it is incredibly resilient and will withstand a lot more than you think.

As said, teak will, sadly like a lot of us turn grey with age, but this can make it even more beautiful.  For those who prefer and want to maintain the original golden honey colour, treatment with teak oil will be required.  This should be done on the day of purchase or you should try and keep the furniture somewhere dry until you are ready to oil it.  Do be aware that oiling the wood will initially change its colour dramatically.

Oiling the wood is purely a cosmetic process and does nothing to preserve or extend the life of the wood. Never use a varnish or paint on teak wood.  You should also avoid letting the furniture sit outside for any length of time before oiling since it will absorb moisture/rain and the possible result after oiling will be the appearance of black mould spores.  This can be extremely difficult to remove and requires a specialist product, so if you want to save yourself the hassle, oil it when its dry.

After you have oiled your furniture, it is recommended you repeat the process at least once at the beginning of every season and thereafter as and when necessary.  It is also recommend that you store your furniture somewhere dry over winter or at least cover it to offer added protection from the elements.

Do I need to do anything when I get my teak ?

When you receive your teak it will either be boxed or cardboard wrapped.  Take care when removing it from its packaging as there may be instructions, allen keys etc inside which you will need. Always get someone else to help if the box is heavy.   Assemble the furniture where necessary taking care to read the instructions and use the appropriate hardware provided.  Do not force any fixings, and you should use a rubber mallet when required and not a standard hammer.  Once complete, you should wipe your teak well all over with a damp cloth to remove any teak dust.  You can also do this using a soft brush.  Should you get any teak dust on your clothes don’t worry, it will wash out.

If you want to oil your furniture you should do it straight away and allow to dry before use.  If you don’t want to oil it, get the bottle opener out and light the BBQ!

What happens over time?

When exposed to the elements natural weathering occurs and it is not unusual for small cracks or splits to appear. This is perfectly normal as the woods expands and contracts.  It will not affect the durability of your furniture.  Over time the wood may roughen slightly—this is purely cosmetic and not a maintenance issue.  A light sanding will help this.  Teak is timeless and an investment purchase.  If properly looked after it should provide you with many years of pleasure.

 

Hardwood

So what is hardwood then?

Hardwoods come from broadleaved, flowering trees (dicotyledonous angiosperms). The term however has no reference to the actual hardness of the wood. Hardwoods grow in warm climates and tend to be more expensive than softwoods. Woods such as pine are known as softwoods.  In the main, hardwood furniture (excluding teak), is easily identified by its rich brown colour.  Hardwoods are usually much darker than the light honey coloured teak, with most woods producing a reddish brown hue.  Traditional types of hardwood include Mora, Keruing, Meranti, Balau and Eucalyptus.

Will my hardwood furniture need a lot of work to keep it looking good?

Hardwood is very different from teak and will require a little TLC. This is because the grain is much less dense and it may “open up” or “dry out” over time. When you first get your hardwood, it is likely that it will have already been treated with a hardwood sealer oil so you don’t need to do anything to it, it is ready to use straight away. Over time and through exposure to wet & dry conditions this will weather & the wood will turn silver grey like teak. Unlike teak however, over time, it will dry out & may eventually split if not maintained. 

In what way is it different to teak?

Hardwoods do not have their own natural oils so they do need to be re-oiled regularly to keep the wood supple & looking good.  The grain of the wood is also much more open than teak and this, combined with the lack of natural oils means the wood needs a little care.  This isnt difficult to do and it is really quite quick and easy to make your wood look good. Should you spill anything on it the same rule applies as for teak, a light scrub with a nail brush or cloth and some soapy water will do the trick.

What do I need to do?

Treat your wood once or twice a season.  This can be done easily using a good quality hardwood oil.  Once your furniture starts to weather you can lightly sand it to remove any roughness that has begun to occur and then oil it for the perfect finish.  Do not varnish or paint your hardwood furniture. It is generally recommended that you protect your furniture over the winter either by storing indoors or covering it to offer added protection from the elements.

 

Softwood

What is softwood furniture then?

Softwoods come from trees that possess seed-bearing cones - known as coniferous trees. Coniferous trees are evergreens - they keep their leaves and grow all year round usually in colder climates- and tend to have needle-like leaves.  The only softwood furniture we supply is pine.  This has been crafted in its natural state and is very pale in colour.  Although beautiful to look at “naked” it must be treated with a wood stain or preservative.  You can stain it any colour you like to suit your garden or your mood!  It is as easy to stain it before assembly as it is once assembled, just follow the manufacturer’s instructions and you will have a beautiful softwood set, that will last for many years.  Again a very light sanding a couple of times a year and a fresh coat of wood preservative/stain will ensure you get the best from your softwood.

As with teak & hardwood, a light scrub with soapy water will remove any tough stains, although these should be repelled by the wood treatment you use.

 

Parasols

You will notice we supply a range of parasols – wooden and aluminium but there are a few bits of information you should read about Parasols in general which we think will ensure you get the best from your purchase.

Firstly our parasols are classed as showerproof but they are not waterproof.  If they get wet, ensure they are dried out fully before folding away.

Secondly parasols in tables – mainly linked to wooden ones, though it can affect the metal ones too.  So many people make the same singular mistake – leaving their parasols in the table, in the open position, all the time!

Please please please, close your parasol and remove it from the table after use.  So many people leave their parasols up like a permanent feature and then along comes the wind and tries to lift it out of the hole. Of course most parasols are supported by a base, but the wind can move them enough to cause serious damage not only to the parasol top, but to the shaft and the table.  If you must leave your parasol in the table you should leave it closed it is best to protect it with a cover specifically designed for parasols.  However, we recommend you always remove your parasol after use and keep it somewhere cool & dry.

 

Gazebos

These are fantastic for BBQ’s, garden parties, covering kids paddling pools, hot tubs and offering protection from the hot sun and we can offer you many different kinds.

Please do however bear in mind that no matter how big or small, how expensive or cheap, a gazebo is a temporary fixture designed to use for short periods of time only.  Sadly there are those who neglect to take their gazebo down and pack it away after use.  The gazebo is left erect to face the wind and rain.  These people then wonder why the poles get bent or the fabric tears, or worse the whole thing collapses broken. These customers then think they should have a refund but sadly this cannot be the case. 

So please bear in mind that your gazebo does need to be taken down after use.  You should only pack it away when it is dry and take it from us, it really is worth the effort to take the time and treat it with care, even if you are suffering the day after an especially enjoyable night before!