Staining Teak Outdoor Furniture Black

Staining Teak Outdoor Furniture Black appeared first on Hardware for Creative Finishes

An unusual post in the woodwork forums.  It’s entitled staining Teak outdoor furniture black.  The question is we have a set of chairs and a table on our north-facing balcony, which is (a) looking faded and stained and (b) doesn’t really match the décor of the room, which is all black and dark brown, including the floor which has the Feast Watson Japan black treatment – 7 parts Prooftint Black and 3 parts Prooftint Teak Brown.  And so Pewit would like to stain the furniture to match the floor and the rest of the furniture, but preferably without having to varnish over the top so the process can be repeated when it fades but also to avoid transferring of the stain to clothes.

However, I know that Teak is an oily wood and doesn’t usually take up stains very well.  I have read that after rubbing down, you can bust the grain with 50/50 denatured alcohol and make it take dark colours.  Anyone suggest this treatment will work or suggest an alternative?

We’ve got one answer from Anselm Fraser, which is that there is an easy answer to this question.  At this moment in time, we are working in Switzerland and they like to keep the outside furniture of wooden houses black in colour.  How do they do it?  On wood that has no other finish on it, they use a paint of liberal coat of used car sump oil.  It is a filthy black colour and is free from any car mechanic or presumably out of your own car, but it dries completely in a couple of hours.  I do not know if it will work on Teak but you could open up the grain with a pressure hose.  I suppose he means a gurney.  In Switzerland they use Pine for everything, and by this method, Pine houses last hundreds of years.  Before the motor car, I do not know how they kept the Pine from decaying, but in the last 50 years, this method has been used unbelievably successfully.

Another answer.  I can only tell you my experience with garden furniture stain that I did many years ago.  I used the most expensive Sikkens to stain a full set of garden table and chairs and it came out beautifully.  However, since it is exposed to full sun all day, it only two years for the stain to break down.  Eventually I had to re-coat it with Wattyl external point to match my windows in colour.  Of course it does not look as nice as freshly stained, but it seems to last forever.  So it depends if your outdoor set will be exposed to full sun.  I’d suggest you think twice before you start the job.  Presumably if you put oil on it, you’re not really painting it.

And a follow-up comment.  What an interesting concept.  I’ve lived in Switzerland for 15 years and I can’t say I’ve seen it used.  But then again, I did not visit all the Cantons – that’s the states.  The concept of that is the same as a Black Japan finish on Baltic Pine floors.  It preserves the timber.  And there’s a photo with an example.  With penetrating oil, one can rejuvenate, touch up, or repair if or when necessary.  Don’t expect it to last 10 years, though, with our harsh sun, but anywhere from 12-24 months.  Due to the nature of the oils, there is no issue with using it on a table top.  If the coating is now faded then a good wash with a stiff brush, allow it to dry and the coat will be sufficient to bring it back to life.

So I’m really not sure about putting car oil on furniture.  That sounds a bit dirty, drastic and I’m not sure that you want carcinogenic car oil over your furniture but certainly an interesting idea.  And the consensus of this post, at least, is if you want it to last is paint it and otherwise get it used to brushing it down and giving it a coat of oil every couple of years if it’s going to be in the sun.  And I suppose like the thing is Switzerland is not sunny all the time so it probably doesn’t fade as quickly if you are sealing or oiling a timber.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f9/staining-teak-outdoor-furniture-black-169446/?highlight=question

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