Tiny cracks that occur on the ends of your teak furniture (in fact all outdoor furniture made from wood), such as the tops of legs or front of arms, are known as “end check.” Checking is caused by shrinkage differences between the surface and the interior of drying lumber. Since the ends dry first, they tend to shrink first but are restrained by the swollen interior. This differential results in stresses building up near the surface, which causes the teak to check. End checking is completely normal for teak furniture (again for all wood furniture used outdoors) and does not affect the structural integrity of the furniture.

Gray or gold? How do you like your teak furniture? From our 25 years of experience in the outdoor furniture industry we have learned that it’s a 50/50 split between those people who prefer their teak furniture develop its classic silver-gray patina and those who want it to stay its original golden color. But what is this patina? And for those so inclined, how can they prevent or remove it?

One of the characteristics that makes teak virtually impervious to the elements is its high oil content. Over time the teak oil rises to the surface and is exposed to natural sunlight. The sun’s ultra violet rays then oxidize the oil over a period of 12 to 18 months and turn it gray. Thus the patina you see on aged teak furniture is simply oxidized teak oil on the surface of the wood.

As I said earlier, many of customers enjoy the distinguished, timeless look that the patina gives teak furniture. However, if you are among those who like teak’s natural hue, how can you maintain the golden color? There are a few ways, but it usually comes down to two words - elbow grease. Whether it’s annually restoring the teak furniture to its original color or simply trying to maintain it, you (or your staff) likely will have to put in some work.

Washing and Sanding: Remember, the patina is simply oxidized teak oil on the wood’s surface, not the teak itself turning gray. So the patina will come off. Once the outdoor furniture turns or begins to turn silver-gray, you can wash it with water from a garden hose and then sand the furniture lightly. Sounds simple. However, this process can take many hours as sanding is a laborious process, and you need to make sure to get into every nook and cranny so that the teak furniture takes on an even tone.

Power Washing: A faster way to remove the patina is simply to power wash your furniture with water. Although I know of customers who do power wash their teak furniture, I do not recommend it. Over time the high-pressure spray strips the teak of its natural oils and makes the wood less durable.

Preservatives: There are many products on the market that are purported to preserve the golden color of teak once applied. However, I have not been impressed with the results. Most of these chemicals discolor the outdoor furniture and do not last very long. The ones that seem to work the best, although not perfect, still do not last more than three to six months. Thus you will need to put a fresh coat of preservative on the teak several times a year, not to speak of the initial application (three to six coats) that needs to be put on the furniture once you first receive it.

Covered Areas: Since the sun’s rays are what oxidize the teak’s oil and create the patina, you can keep the furniture either indoors (many of our customers are actually furnishing the inside of their homes with our outdoor furniture now) or under a covered porch, patio, or terrace. By shielding the teak from direct sunlight you will be able to maintain the teak furniture’s golden tone for years if not indefinitely.

Now for the answer to last week’s brain teaser:

The man who invented it doesn’t want it. The man who bought it doesn’t need it. The man who needs it doesn’t know it. What is it?

A coffin.

As a teak furniture manufacturer, we at Arthur Lauer feel a responsibility, in fact we always have, to contribute to the green movement through clean, sustainable practices. At the risk of tooting our own horn, here are some of the ways in which we’re green.

Sustainable teak: The teak we use in our furniture construction is harvested using careful land management practices and responsible replanting techniques.

The benefits of wood:

1. While the raw materials for other products (aluminum, stainless steel, etc.) must be fabricated using energy-intensive and chemical-laden processes, our primary raw material (teak) grows naturally with no need for energy input.
2. Once the useful life of a wood piece of furniture is at its end, the wood will biodegrade in the landfill.

The benefits of teak: With its high durability (25+ years), teak furniture will last decades longer than furniture made from other woods. Consequently, fewer trees will be used as it will need to be replenished much less frequently. Further, although teak furniture is biodegradable, it will be decades before it even needs to be thrown out and end up in a landfill.

Our Cabot stain: The Cabot stain that we use is water based, cleans up with soap and water, and is VOC compliant.

U.S. Made: Our competitors ship their teak furniture from overseas to the U.S. partially assembled, which means that boats are wasting much fuel by (i) carrying air (the space between parts) across the ocean and (ii) shipping more container-loads than necessary because of this inefficient use of space. Further, the more ships used by our competitors, the more air and water pollution they cause to the environment. Arthur Lauer, on the other hand, manufactures its furniture in the United States. Consequently, we ship cut lumber from overseas, which can be packed incredibly efficiently (with little to no space between the pieces) given its regular, square dimensions.

Waste management: According to a waste management company we hired, through our current recycling program we divert more than 87% of our waste away from landfills each year – equating to over 237 tons and 1,785 cubic yards of waste that is either being recycled or reused.

Clean waste: Most of what little waste we do produce is environmentally friendly saw dust, which is primarily hauled away and used for horse bedding. We do not produce any metal shavings or toxic chemicals.

Nowadays there are so many options available from teak trellises to teak dining tables, and beyond teak furniture there are a variety of materials available, including aluminum, stainless steel, and all-weather wicker. The variety can be daunting if not confusing. Creating a primer on everything you need to know about buying outdoor furniture would take months and months and hundreds of pages. Since I don’t want to bore you to tears or take up all of the memory on our server, I’ll just give you a helpful hint.

Ask yourself “How do I want to use my outdoor home?” Once you answer that question, you will have a much greater sense of what type of outdoor furniture meets your needs.

“I want a place to eat with family and entertain friends on special occasions.”� Obviously what suits you best is an outdoor dining set. Although a nice little bistro table and two side chairs may suit newlyweds or empty nesters, most families need a 4- or 6-seater (48″� or 60″�). If you entertain friends and relatives as much as you eat with your spouse and children, then an 8- or 10-seat arrangement better fits your lifestyle.

“I am looking for a relaxing setting to chat and enjoy the company of friends.”� Now what you’re talking about is an outdoor living room collection, often referred to as a deep seating or conversation group. This outdoor furniture style is fairly new, and its rise coincided with the vast improvement in outdoor fabrics. Large plush cushions on generous metal, resin, or teak furniture frames make this style ideal for relaxing outdoors. These collections typically consist of a club chair, ottoman, loveseat, sofa, and accent tables.

“I want to create a sanctuary in my garden or yard. A setting that creates a scenic view yet has some practicality.”� Here you’ll want to think about the traditional garden chairs and benches as well as trellises, arbors, and fencing. These pieces (especially the teak furniture versions, in my opinion) can really beautify your garden or yard by breaking up the endless rows of flora with elegant outdoor furniture that also can serve as a nice place to rest on a sunny day or a border to better define your yard or keep out nosy animals (no, I don’t mean your neighbors).

“I just want relax on the porch, read a nice book, and slowly sip a tall glass of lemonade.”� Swings, rockers, and Adirondack chairs are right up your alley. These simple, practical pieces have been around for decades, if not centuries, and are cost-effective ways to create a special place without purchasing an 11-piece outdoor dining set or 6-piece outdoor living room collection. If you simply want an area outside your home to relax alone or with your spouse, one or two rocking chairs will fit the bill nicely.

Don’t let me mislead you though; outdoor furniture today is very versatile. You can just as well buy two deep seating club chairs to relax on the porch rather than a swing or use garden chairs around your pool instead of a steamer. My point is, once you know how you want to live outdoors, you are better able to put everything into context and make the right purchasing decision for your lifestyle.

Happy Tuesday. I hope everybody had a nicer weekend than our poor friends in the Midwest who were walloped by snow. Here’s looking to brighter days ahead.

As promised, this week I’ll be talking about the wondrous characteristics of teak. So here we go—the ten things you should know about teak so you can make an educated purchase choice and be the life of any cocktail party:

1. Teak’s genus name is Tectona Grandis. And unlike many other woods (Shorea or Eucalyptus, for example), there is only one teak. If you see companies marketing “teak-like” products or furniture made from “African teak,” you can be sure you are not looking at the real thing.
2. Contrary to popular belief, teak is not a rainforest tree. Teak is a deciduous tree native to Southeast Asia (it spreads naturally from India through Myanmar and Thailand to Laos).
3. To ensure the responsible harvesting of teak, plantations have been established across the world in Asia, Africa, and South & Central America. At Arthur Lauer, we are proud to say that our teak furniture is made from this sustainably harvested teak.
4. Teak has a high natural oil content that enables it to resist cracking, rotting, splitting, termites, and other borer insects.
5. In addition to its natural oils, teak’s dense grain helps it combat harsh elements such as rain, snow, hail, heat, and humidity.
6. Teak has been used in ship building for centuries because of its durability, beauty, and unique ability to prevent rust and corrosion when in contact with metal. In fact, teak is still used today in the manufacture of yachts.
7. Teak originally made its transition into outdoor furniture when old ships were no longer seaworthy. The ships’ decks, which were still in excellent shape, were dismantled and made into teak furniture.
8. There are teak benches in parks across England that are nearly a century old.
9. After several seasons outside teak furniture will develop a graceful silver-gray patina. The patina is actually the teak’s natural oil that has risen to the surface and been oxidized by the sun’s ultra-violet rays.
10. Teak’s durability and elegant appearance, combined with its long history of use in luxury applications, give it an unparalleled prestige factor. (This may not technically be a scientific fact, but it’s true nonetheless!)

Welcome, everyone to the Arthur Lauer blog, or as we affectionately call it around here - the teak journAL (Get it? AL.). When we originally began discussing the idea of the teak journAL, my first reaction was “Is this right for us?”. When I think of blogs, I think of teenagers with online diaries or political pundits weighing in on the latest legislation. Hardly imagery that comes to mind when I think of luxury teak furniture.

But as I spoke to more people, did some reading, and listened to more customers, I began to really see a need for reliable information on outdoor furniture in general and teak furniture in particular. I heard questions that needed answering, “facts” that needed correcting, and myths that needed busting. Also, I love talking. So I’ll take any chance I can get to express my opinions, and here in the teak journAL you’ll hear me wax poetic about such topics as how best to clean and care for your teak furniture, the differences between various types of outdoor furniture materials, and the hottest trends in the outdoor furniture industry. Plus, we have so many fantastic things going on at Arthur Lauer that I just needed a place where I could brag a little and let you all in on the excitement.

And just to mix things up a bit, every Friday I’ll post something purely for fun. Who knows, one time it may be a great joke I heard while another time it might be my take on the Oscars. The way I see it, if you can’t inform and entertain at the same time then get off the stage.

By the way, please feel free to comment on any of my entries or ask any questions weighing on your mind. I always enjoy interacting with our customers and fans, and this forum seems especially conducive to doing so. With that I’ll shut up for today, and get to my topic of cleaning your teak furniture next week.