Teak patio furniture care starts with one question: what color do you want in three years? RODA, the Italian maker of RODA outdoor furniture on Lake Varese, builds whole families in solid teak, and the wood behaves the same way in all of them. Left alone, it turns silver gray. Oiled, it stays honey brown.
Teak can stay out
Teak is dense and full of natural oils. Water beads on it, and the wood doesn't need paint or varnish to survive rain and sun. RODA leaves its teak frames bare for that reason, and the pieces spend the year outside.
RODA Levante by Piero Lissoni shows how far this goes. Sofa frames, chair frames, table legs and tabletops are all solid teak. The only metal in the family is a small side table in powder coated stainless steel.
Route one: let it weather
Leave it alone and the surface of the teak goes from honey to a soft silver gray over a few seasons. The gray is a thin layer on top. Under it the wood stays sound, and the change doesn't weaken the frame.
Many owners pick this route on purpose. Gray teak sits well next to stone paving, concrete planters and the smoke finish RODA uses on its metal frames. It also saves you a job each spring.
Route two: keep the honey brown
If you love the warm color of new teak, oil it. Owners of RODA Teka who want the honey tone to stay use a teak oil from time to time. Clean the wood first, let it dry, then work the oil in with a soft cloth and wipe off what the wood doesn't take.
Oil is a commitment. Once you start, the wood looks patchy if you skip a year. Pick this route for a covered porch or a small set, where one morning with a cloth covers the whole set.
The four jobs each year
Whichever route you pick, teak asks for a few jobs across the year.
A year with teak
Four jobs a teak set asks for
- Teak
- 1wash in spring with mild soap
- 2oil only for honey brown
- 3dry cushions after storms
- 4check joints in the fall
Wash the frames in spring with mild soap, warm water and a soft brush, and rinse with a hose. A pressure washer tears up the soft grain between the growth rings, so leave it in the garage.
Check the cushions after heavy rain. RODA makes its cushions with hydro-draining padding, so water runs through them, and a sunny afternoon dries them out. Stand them on edge to speed it up, and bring them in for the winter if you have a dry shelf.
In the fall, look at the joints and the feet. Teak moves a little as it takes in and gives off moisture. RODA says so on its long block and slat tabletops, such as Brick and Pier, and recommends a roof over them to keep them stable.
Pick your route before you pick your set
Your choice changes how the terrace reads. Gray teak with stoneware tops looks calm and cool. Brown teak next to gres in sand or mole looks warmer and more formal. Teka tables take gres tops in sand, mole or lead, or wavy glass in fern, navy or paprika, so you can plan the pairing now.
Side by side
Silver gray or honey brown
| Question | Let it weather | Keep it oiled |
|---|---|---|
| Look after a few seasons | Soft silver gray | Warm honey brown |
| Work each year | A wash with soap and water | A wash, then teak oil from time to time |
| Next to stone and concrete | Blends with gray paving | Stands out as the warm color |
| Next to stoneware tops | Calm, one tone | Contrast of wood and gres |
| If you change your mind | Clean it and start oiling | Stop oiling and it turns gray |
A note on light finishes
RODA also offers teak with a weather resistant white finish on Eden, which the factory calls WR. It keeps the wood pale and adds protection against sun and rain. If you want neither gray nor honey, ask about WR on the collections that offer it.
Tell us through the form below which route you prefer and where the set will stand. We reply with Levante or Teka pieces that suit it and a written price for each one.
