How To Make Teak Furniture Less Orange

What is the most frustrating part about this season’s outdoor decor? We certainly have our share of favorite outdoor features, including patios and gardens. However, none of them are quite as beautiful as when we sit out there and relax on our patio furniture.

However, what is really troubling us when we look at our outdoor furnishings is the color of it. Yes, the color of our teak furniture is so bright, in fact, that we are almost tempted to wear sunglasses to relax on a perfect patio afternoon. Just kidding!

In reality, orange or red-like teak wood stain is just not an acceptable color choice for a patio set any longer. So, how can you make teak furniture less orange?

What Causes Teak to Turn Orange?

Teak is a natural material that, when exposed to oxygen, will begin to oxidize. While exposed to the sunlight, the teak will generally begin to both darken, and to present orange streaks – or if already white, strongly turn orange.

This is a natural process that will continue to occur even after the teak has been sealed, so it is important to keep this in mind when selecting a sealant. There are a number of sealants on the market that can help to prevent and/or minimize the orange streaks.

How to Prevent Teak from Turning Orange

So, how can you make teak furniture less orange? First, understand that exposure to the sun is what causes this effect. If you’re looking to keep teak white longer, it’s important to keep the wood out of the sun as much as possible.

This can be done by:

• Using a teak sealant that blocks out the sun.
• Painting the furniture before installation with a UV-protective paint
• Installing teak furniture in a well-ventilated area, or upstairs to reduce ground-level winds.
• Choosing a teak furniture that has a white stain layer, like Teak adventure core.
• Using a teak sealant that contains a colorless formula.
• Using a teak spray on the surfaces that will come into contact with the sun, like frame and drawer handles.
• Keeping the furniture dry, especially when painting or staining it. Using a interior waterfall fabric filter to add extra protection against dust and dirt when painting.

When it comes to the health of your furniture, sunlight is the number one enemy. UV rays can break down the natural oils in wood, causing dryness and cracking.

Teak sealants prevent sun damage to your furniture

Tackling this issue is crucial, as it can cause costly repairs. Not only that, but lack of oils in the wood can leave it feeling dry and scratchy. To protect your furniture from the sun, and thus keep its natural oils intact, you should:

If you’re living in a high-risk area, or if you just want to be extra cautious, you can also use a sun protectant when applying paint or stain. These often come in spray forms, and are easier to apply than regular coats of paint.

Sun protectant

Why and how it should be used

Different types of woods require different treatments to protect them from the sun. Teak, in particular, is very vulnerable. That’s why we recommend using a sun protectant when applying paint or stain to Teak wood. But there are also other reasons why we think you should use a sun protectant:

It provides added protection against the elements for up to four years. Spray-on sun protectants are easy to apply. Just make sure youre in a well-ventilated area, and wear protective gloves during application. Because the protectant is in a spray form, it is often easier to apply than regular coats of paint. regular coats of paint are necessary to ensure that the wood continues to be protected.

What to Do if Your Teak has Turned Orange

When embarking on a teak project, many people’s biggest fear is that the wood will turn orange. This can happen for a variety of reasons. The first thing you’ll want to do when your wood has started to turn orange (or any other color for that matter) is figure out why it happened. There are a variety of reasons and typically only one solution.

Specifically, you’ll want to know what caused the wood to change and whether or not the wood is salvageable. Once you know those two things, there are a few ways you can tell if your wood can be saved and I’m going to share them with you.

The first step is to remove all of the surface buildup that has developed on the wood. You can do this with a cloth and some mineral spirits or lacquer thinner. After you have removed as much of the grime as possible, it’s time to prepare the wood for staining. You will need 1 ounce of tung oil for every quart of boiled linseed oil and about 50 percent more paint thinner than what you would normally use if you were just staining wood.

Tung oil penetrates deeper into wood than boiled linseed oil does, which makes it better for preventing water damage and fading from sunlight. The tung oil will also help seal in any dyes or stains you might use after applying the linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil can be purchased at most home improvement stores, while tung oil will require a trip to an arts and crafts supply store.

Once you have the tung oil and the paint thinner, it’s time to apply them to the wood. For outdoor applications, you can brush the tung oil onto the wood or you can stain it with a rag if you are using the oil on a trim or door edge. You can also pour the ting oil into a plastic spray bottle and apply it that way. Let the oil penetrate the wood for 1 to 2 hours before rinsing it off with water. Indoor applications where you don’t want to wood to get wet can be done with a foam brush or a cotton ball.

Conclusion

So, what is there to say? For most of us, teak has been a top choice for outdoor furniture. It doesn’t require much upkeep and can hold up to the elements year after year. However, it does tend to get slightly orange over time, especially when it is exposed to the sun for hours on end. We talked about how you could make your teak furniture less orange in this article, so we hope that helps you out!