just had a teak wood patio set given to us. it never had a finish on it and has a grey look to it from being out in the elements. i like the looks but would like a finish on it. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

research teak care & finishing before you change what is there now.
start here:
http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/...akwoodcare.htm

one caveat:
traditional varnishes are often problematical on teak. This is why you seldom see "varnished" teak.

 

Boxarocks is right about teak. It contains a lot of oil, which is interesting, there's only a few woods that have this (most all are tropical exotics). Teak is a very, very durable outdoor wood. It's used as a boat building wood in it's native areas and in America where some folks have more money than they have sense. It's 'spensive stuff.

The oil makes it hard to finish. Laquer, when sprayed on it, hikes up it's skirt and head for the hills. Wipe on and brush on stuff just won't give a long-lasting bond without cleaning with naptha first.


You can buy a bottle of teak oil and wipe it on if you have company coming over you want to wow, but you'll need to reapply it every month or six.

Your best bet is to do the following, but I'd only try it on one piece to see how it will work on this weathered stuff. BTW, old teak stuff is awesome. Consider yourself lucky!

You need two products:

1) Naptha. Use this to wipe very, very, very clean the entire surface of the teak. This will remove the oil from the surface.

2) Marine Spar Varnish. An outdoor grade varnish that doesn't dry as shell-hard as polyurethane b/c wood expands and contracts much more in outdoor environs. One or two coats should do it. Takes a while to dry.

 

If you plan to leave the furniture outside all year round,you must ensure that it is robust enough to withstand extremes of weather.The specifications for the materials construction and finish needs to be very different from that of pieces for interior use.
Left on its own without maintenance,teak wood furniture will weather and eventually turn a soft grey colour and sometimes it will turn a greenish colour.In order to prolong the life and appearance of your teak wood furniture, it is vital that you treat the wood atleast once a year.

The best way to treat teak furniture is:

1.Wash it with a mild soap and warm water.You can use any mild soap or detergent.Washing the wood removes the surface dirt and also mold,mildew and surface oxidation.
2.Rinse the wood with a garden hose,(don’t use a jet wash) thoroughly to remove all dirt and soap residue and let the furniture dry overnight.
3.Sand down the wood with a fine grain sandpaper.Sand with the grain ,never against it.Only sand enough of the teak wood surface, so that it exposes its natural colour of the wood.
4.Wipe of all the residual sawdust, using a clean, dry soft cloth.Be sure to clean the sawdust in corners and where the pieces of teak wood overlaps.
5.Use a soft-bristle paint brush to apply a coat of teakwood oil to all of the exposed surface.Apply oil liberally, don’t over saturate the wood.
6.Allow first coat to dry for a least one day, then apply the second coat.Continue until your teak furniture is the colour you want it to be.
With a little bit of maintainence and care you should get many years of enjoyment from your outdoor teak furniture.

 

I thought i'll share with you some interesting facts about history of teak wood.
Teak Wood boasts both rubber and silica in its makeup, which means it is ideal for ship decks and boats as it will give traction when wet, where any other wood simply becomes slippery. It is easy to infer, then, that teak is the wood of choice among those who enjoy maritime pursuits. In fact, teak’s lack of splintering under gunfire is what endeared it so much to naval sailors in the 1800s, who were, during times of battle, being killed more often by splintering wood than enemy fire.
The Chinese of the Ming Dynasty used teak extensively in their ship fleets, too, and this tradition continued into modern day, where the battleships of the United States Navy continue to be decked in teak to prevent slippage.

 

There are no battleships commissioned in the U S Navy. Perhaps you meant war ships.

Teak (why is teak always followed with "wood"?) is essentially a weed in southeast Asia and the silica (sand) makes it a nasty wood to craft as the sand dulls cutting tools rapidly. Teak scraps make excellent firewood as it burns hot and slow with a minimum of ash.