Restored some teak benches....

Sinngetreu · Nov 9, 2020

That looks great!

mat60 · Nov 9, 2020

LordOfTheFlies said: ↑

Finally got around to putting the second bench together. I think this shall work just fine....except I don't know about this teak oil. The first bench has really lightened up a lot and it's already sitting under a canopy of 75ft oaks and a few huge japanese maples....so it's not even in direct sunlight for most of the day.

Now the first bench was a bit lighter to begin with but it has gotten noticeably lighter since and I already need to touch it up before the winter comes.

View attachment 280411 View attachment 280412 View attachment 280413 View attachment 280414

Here's the first bench.

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When your neighbor sees the benches they will wish they had kept them.

LordOfTheFlies · Nov 9, 2020

billb3 said: ↑

Exposure to the elements, not just sunshine, although sunshine can be an accelerator.
When I had my sailboat I found a really good (read expensive) spar varnish with a goodly amount of UV inhibitor(s) slowed down the oxidation/greying process quite a bit. Teak cleaner and teak oil was bit more work.
The wood bits outside was a yearly maintenance chore to keep it looking like new so I finally embraced the attractive grey patina of teak.

edit: varnish tended to flake off in places, even in the Winter under a tarp. Spar urethane (atleast the one I tried) was really shiny and almost slippery when wet and eventually cracked and peeled and ended up looking a bit like the spar varnish at the end of the year. Hard to say which one performed better, I just liked the look of the varnish ( and teak oil) better than the "plasticky" look of the urethane.
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I bought some Epifanes spar varnish which cost an arm and a leg for two wooden benches I made out of pallet wood and it flaked up and got destroyed within a year. After all the rave reviews I thought that was the tough stuff but it didn't last at all for me. I thinned it out 50/50 for the first coat and lightly sanded and gradually increased the concentration of the varnish vs thinner but it was a disappointment for sure. I've since sanded it down, reapplied the rest of the Epifanes I had, and now leave the benches inside. I'm going to use one of them as a bench in the renovated bathroom that is much larger now for putting clothes on and for me to sit on if I want to.

Sinngetreu said: ↑

That looks great!
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Thanks!

mat60 said: ↑

When your neighbor sees the benches they will wish they had kept them.
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Yeah I kind of don't want them to see it. Hahahahaha NO TAKE BACKS!

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Restored some teak benches....

Sinngetreu

mat60

LordOfTheFlies