Gray Teak Furniture Information

We’ve blogged before about gray teak furniture or “weathered teak furniture” and here is a refresher and some more photos.  As teak furniture ages, it takes on a beautiful silver patina. Recently, this rustic look of weathered teak furniture has become popular.

Achieving Gray Teak Furniture

weathered teak chairs

Premium teak wood will naturally obtain the beautiful weathered look you desire. What protects your teak furniture and makes it the best wood for outdoors is the unique combination of high density and high natural oil content.

When the natural wood is exposed to sun and wind, the cells on the surface get dry and turn to the gray/silver color. Unfortunately, many mass retailers are selling pretreated gray teak furniture. They achieve this by using acid washes and other chemicals on the wood. This not only creates gray teak furniture but damages the wood and can affect the overall moisture resistance of the wood.

Premium teak wood products should never have any stain, finish, color, sealer, etc. applied when they are brand new. Therefore, the only thing we recommend ever putting on outdoor teak furniture is teak oil. See our cleaning and maintenance FAQs and blogs for more information.

Is Gray Teak Furniture a Sign of Deterioration?

No. On premium, Grade A, teak from indigenous countries the gray color is not a problem. The cells on the surface have dried but the teak wood below is still dense and oily. So, if you scrub or sand the surface, you will see the original brown teak color. This may not be the case for lower quality raw materials.

Here are some of our products that have already weathered. After more than a year outdoors in all the elements, not only is the weathered teak furniture as beautiful as you’d expect, but all the joinery is still perfect.

gray teak furniture

teak furniture joints

How long will it take my furniture to weather naturally?

The time it takes for teak to achieve the desired silver patina depends on the amount of sun and wind that the furniture is exposed to. In most locations, in full sun and no shade you can expect the furniture to be fully gray in about one year. Likewise, if the furniture is on a screened porch, covered deck, etc. it will take longer.

weathered teak chaise lounger

weathered teak furniture

In summary, the weathered teak furniture look should always be obtained naturally without and chemicals or washes. Be patient. Your new furniture will be silver/gray soon enough.

Read our other blogs and visit our teak furniture website to learn why teak from Thailand is the best and how not all teak furniture is created equally.