How to treat a teak table, indoors and outdoors

A table is the hardest-working teak piece you own. Indoors it’s coffee, wine, grease and hot dishes; outdoors it’s sun, rain and birds on a horizontal top that holds water longer than a chair arm. That’s why the table gets a page of its own. For the general choice (keeping the colour or letting it go grey), see the complete guide to teak care.

The first question is simple: is the table indoors or outdoors? The advice is opposite, especially when it comes to oil.

Garden table: the top deserves extra attention

Why the table top is different

Gloster advises applying its protector to teak once a year, but to table tops twice a year, in April and October, because those horizontal surfaces are the most exposed and go into winter better protected that way (Gloster). Even if you simply let the top go grey, it stays prone to stains: according to Vincent Sheppard, untreated teak is not stainproof (Vincent Sheppard).

Treating a garden table, step by step

1. Clean with water and a mild detergent or a teak cleaner, using a soft brush and working along the grain. No pressure washer, no wire brush (Gloster).
2. Let it dry completely. Rough after cleaning? Then sand lightly along the grain (Gloster).
3. Protect with a protector (the top may go grey) or a sealer (the top stays brown for longer). Apply thinly, let it soak in and apply a second coat (Tribù instructions).
4. Let it cure. Tribù: protect from rain for 24 hours and don’t cover recently treated furniture (Tribù instructions); Gloster: let the protector dry for 48 hours after the second coat before using the table (Gloster).

The full method, the differences between brands and winter storage are in outdoor teak care.

Table habits that prevent stains

From the Tribù instructions (source):

• Move vases, pottery and plastic coasters regularly: they can leave dark marks.
• Avoid plastic tablecloths.
• Remove spilled food and drink, leaves, berries, blossoms and bird droppings as quickly as possible.

And new teak gives off oil and pigment in the first months. Gloster advises against putting a new table on light, porous natural stone until that “bleeding” has subsided, which takes about two to three months (Gloster).

No oil on the garden table

Gloster advises against teak oil or other wood oil on outdoor teak: regular oiling risks mould on the remaining oil, the teak gradually turns black, and you can only get that off again with heavy sanding (Gloster). Tribù also warns about mould (Tribù); Vincent Sheppard advises against oil because it adds no extra protection (Vincent Sheppard). According to Gloster, lacquer or varnish adheres poorly to oily teak and will peel (Gloster). To see the products side by side, read teak oil vs sealer.

Indoor dining and coffee tables

Treat it or not?

The Dutch retailer Teak.nl writes that a new teak dining or coffee table is usually delivered untreated. You can leave it like that, and with little use that’s a realistic option according to them, but then coffee, tea and wine soak straight into the wood, so blot spills immediately. With intensive use (eating, working, games) they do advise a protective layer (Teak.nl, Dutch). The Dutch furniture company Meijs Wonen explains why wiping up quickly matters: the natural colourings in untreated wood dissolve in water, which can cause odd colour differences (Meijs Wonen, Dutch).

The options side by side

Finish	Look	Protection	Maintenance
Untreated	Pure, unchanged	None; stains soak in straight away	Sand out stains if needed
Water-based colourless protector	Colour barely changes	Dirt and moisture; less against grease	Top up 3 to 4 times a year
Water-based impregnating oil	Matt; may darken slightly	Water, grease and oil	2 to 3 coats the first time
Oil	Warm, matt	Fair to good against stains	Several times a year
Wax or hardwax oil	Warm, slight sheen	Limited against moisture	2 to 3 times a year
Lacquer	Depends on type, including ultra-matt	Very good against water and dirt	Little: wipe with a slightly damp cloth

Sources: Teak.nl, Dutch, Troedoor, Dutch, Meijs Wonen, Dutch, Muubs.

Teak.nl honestly warns that even a good impregnating oil never reaches the protection level of a high-gloss lacquer (Teak.nl, Dutch). Centrum Hout lists oil and nitrocellulose lacquer as common finishes for teak and notes that table tops are often finished with acid-curing lacquer, an industrial lacquer you usually come across as a factory finish (Centrum Hout, Dutch).

How to apply it

Always first: clean and degrease the top, let it dry well and test the product on the underside of the top (Teak.nl, Dutch).

Water-based colourless protector (Troedoor, Dutch, Teak.nl, Dutch):

1. Spread generously and evenly with a cloth or brush, then rub in well.
2. Leave to dry for at least 24 hours, then apply a second coat.
3. For a first treatment, 2 to 3 coats.
4. Before a later new coat, degrease first so dirt doesn’t end up in the new layer.

Water-based impregnating oil (Troedoor, Dutch):

1. Apply in a room at 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 °F), with a brush or roller.
2. Wipe off excess oil with a cloth.
3. After about 3 hours, check whether the fibres have risen; if so, sand lightly with fine sandpaper and remove the dust.
4. Second coat; 2 to 3 treatments in total. More coats give more sheen and more protection.

Oiling a teak table (for tables delivered oiled): the furniture brand Muubs advises oiling its oiled indoor tables monthly for the first six months and then about 3 to 4 times a year, and treating all sides the first time to prevent warping. Strong soap or harsh cleaning products dissolve the oil (Muubs).

Hardwax oil (Troedoor, Dutch): apply thinly on a cloth, rub in with circular movements, leave to soak in for 1 to 5 minutes (no longer), wipe off excess product and finish along the grain; repeat 2 to 3 times a year. Caution: the used cloth can catch fire by itself. Rinse it thoroughly with water or keep it in a closed tin.

Lacquer is a job for the experienced. Troedoor, for example, describes a two-component PU lacquer, which it prefers to apply itself, that must be applied at least three times on untreated wood and only takes full loads after 7 to 14 days (Troedoor, Dutch).

The water-drop test

Muubs gives a simple rule of thumb for oiled teak: if water forms beads on the surface, it doesn’t need oiling yet (Muubs). Tribù says the same of its sealer outdoors: while water is beading on the surface, the sealer is still active (Tribù instructions). If the water soaks into the wood, it’s time for a new coat.

Stains and everyday use

• A stain that has soaked in? On untreated teak you can sand it out, according to Teak.nl; the wood lends itself well to that (Teak.nl, Dutch). Use very fine sandpaper and sand along the grain (Meijs Wonen, Dutch). Then treat the spot again with the same product (Troedoor, Dutch).
• No hot pans or dishes directly on the top, whatever the finish: they can cause colour differences that may not be repairable. Use mats (Meijs Wonen, Dutch).
• Keep at least 2 metres (about 6½ ft) from a stove, open fire or radiator and keep the humidity reasonable (Meijs Wonen, Dutch).

More on stains, rings and dirt is in cleaning teak. For cabinets, sideboards and other indoor furniture, read indoor teak care.