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Teak Furniture Care
Preserving the teak with Semco Teak Sealer
Day
to Day Care of Teak Furniture
Annual
Maintenance & Resealing
Restoring
Teak
Congratulations!
By
choosing teak you have selected the finest, most durable material
available for outdoor furniture. SEMCO Teak
Products will help protect your investment and enhance its
natural beauty. Teak
with the beauty of its grain, rich color, and timeless durability is
treasured as the best suited wood for use aboard boats, as decking on
ships, and as the choice material for premier outdoor furniture.
However, these uses present the harshest of environments. Over time the
elements will cause surface erosion, discoloration, mildew, graying,
roughness and checking. The desire to prevent this ravage of the
elements without becoming a "teak slave" gave rise to SEMCO
Teak Care Products.Because
of teak is natural resistance to rotting and insects there are several
options in caring for your furniture:
PRESERVE
If you prefer to retain the natural, honey color of the new
wood, then seal your furniture with SEMCO Teak
Care Products.
WEATHER
If you prefer a weathered gray look, then do nothing. Only under perfect circumstances will
the teak weather to an even gray color. Over time the wood will become
rough in texture and the natural oils will be depleted causing cracks
along the grain.
RESTORE
If the teak is weathered, stained or develops mildew it can
always be restored using SEMCO Teak Cleaner. |
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If
you wish to preserve the natural honey color of the new teak then seal
your teak furniture with SEMCO Honeytone Teak
Sealer.
The Teak Sealer replaces teak oils that were used on teak. There
is no such thing as "Teak Oil". Products sold as teak oil are just
linseed or tung oil mixed with solvents. Products such as varnish and
polyurethane will peel and chip and are all but impossible to remove
from intricate teak furniture.
Why?
The
teak is protected by its own natural oils that migrate to the surface of
the wood. The elements oxidize this oil, turning the wood gray and
promoting the growth of mildew. SEMCO Teak
Sealer contains UV protection and a mildewcide to prevent
this process.
Why?
The
furniture should be allowed to weather for a couple of weeks or washed
with a strong detergent prior to sealing. It is okay for the wood to
get wet and be outdoors during this period. This process will remove the
waxy feeling of new
furniture which occurs when the natural oils have been polished or
burnished by the sanding and milling process during manufacture. Failure
to remove this mill glaze will result in a blotchy appearance and early
failure of the sealer protection.
How?
1. Be sure the wood has weathered two weeks or has been washed and
is completely dry before sealing. See the can label for complete
directions.
2. Apply the sealer using a plastic spray bottle, brush or rag. Apply liberally and wipe off the excess with a rag. SEMCO
Teak Sealer is not a sticky finish and can be applied at
almost any temperature. There is no need to be concerned about brush
strokes or lap marks. The first coat will dry in under an hour.
3. Apply a second coat when the first coat is complete. Be sure to
apply both coats in the same day. The furniture will be dry to the touch
in a few hours and can be placed in service the next day. Two coats are
all that are recommended for new or restored furniture.
4. Enjoy your furniture, knowing that is protected by the finest
teak protection available. |
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After
your furniture is finished with SEMCO Teak
Sealer very little care is needed to preserve the finish.
Occasional washing with soap and water will remove normal soil.
Consider
covering your furniture with Tyvek Supra Covers from SEMCO to minimize the wear and tear on the furniture.
Oils
from foods, wine, coffee and some condiments will penetrate the Sealer
and may leave a stain. If you discover that this is a problem with your
furniture, you may wish to add SEMCO Clear Coat to the table top to improve stain resistance.
General
Soil
1.
Use a mild detergent such as dish soap and a sponge or soft scrub
brush to wash the furniture as needed.
2.
Never use bleach, a brass brush, a pressure washer or steel wool
on teak furniture. These items will damage or discolor the surface of
the wood.
3.
Food stains or other soil or stains that are not removed by this
process can be removed by using SEMCO Teak
Cleaner as described in the Restoring section of this
brochure.
Covering
Teak
Traditional vinyl, plastic and canvas covers create mildew
problems on wood furniture by trapping moisture under them. These type
of covers are hard to handle and do more harm than good.
SEMCO is pleased to offer super strong Tyvek Supra furniture covers in a smart
looking khaki color. Guaranteed for three years these tough covers
wonít tear, crack or become brittle even at extreme hot or cold
temperatures. While blocking out harmful UV rays, dust and pollen, they
allow harmful mildew causing moisture to escape. They are easily
installed in less than a minute and store in convenient pouches when not
on the furniture. SEMCO covers attach using a unique fastening system that holds them securely in
place, eliminating sagging and puddling.
SEMCO
Clear Coat
In response to our customers requests, SEMCO
is pleased to offer our Clear Coat for added stain resistance in food
service. After
applying the SEMCO Sealer, if added
stain protection is desired, we recommend
applying two coats of SEMCO Clear Coat to
the table tops only. This makes the surface stain resistant and allows
easy cleanup of food spills. We do not recommend putting this product on
the rest of the furniture as it makes the renewal process more
difficult. See complete directions. |
Annual
Maintenance & Resealing
Once your
furniture is finished with SEMCO Teak Sealer and or Clear
Coat the following maintenance procedure is recommended to
maintain the furniture and finish. The finish can be maintained for many
years with this procedure.
Why?
Previously
sealed teak should be resealed on an occasional basis to compensate for
traffic and environmental wear and tear.
When?
The length
of time that the finish lasts is more a function of wear and tear than
of time. Typically once a year is sufficient for residential
applications away from salt air. Commercial and maritime applications
may require twice a year recoating. When the color fades and water
dashed on the surface soaks right in, it is time to recoat.
How?
1. Clean the teak with mild detergent to remove and soil.
Wet the wood with a
hose.
Use a Scotch Brite
pad or a soft scrub brush to gently clean the surface of the wood with a
mild detergent such as dish soap.
Never use bleach, a
brass brush, a pressure washer or steel wool on teak furniture. These
items will damage or discolor the surface of the wood.
If any stains or
soil remain, sand lightly with fine sandpaper to remove the mark. If
this method does not remove a stain you may have to use the Restoring
directions on the next panel of this brochure.
2.
Ensure that the wood is completely dry before applying the
Sealer.
3.
Apply a single coat of sealer using a plastic spray bottle, brush
or rag. Apply liberally and wipe off the excess with a rag. One coat
should be sufficient to recoat most applications.
Clear
Coat
To reapply Clear Coat,
sand lightly and then apply a light coat with a brush or rag. Allow the
first coat to dry completely before applying a second light coat. Allow
to dry completely before placing back in service. |
Restoring
Teak
If your
furniture has been allowed to weather or is stained by food or other
marks or if you wish to remove the Teak Sealer and start again, SEMCO Teak Cleaner will
restore the wood to like new condition.
Why?
When teak is
exposed to the elements without finish, has been oiled or is stained
with food or other stains the surface becomes dirty gray and mildew
often develops. SEMCO
Two-Part Teak Cleaner removes the effects of mildew,
weathering and food and water stains.
When?
Clean at any
time during the life of the furniture when cleaning back to the original
unfinished wood is desired. It is not recommended that this type of
cleaning be employed on a regular basis as it may contribute to the wood
becoming rougher over time.
How?
1.
Wet the wood with a hose and keep the wood wet during the entire
process.
2.
Apply Part 1 Cleaner to a
small area at a time.
3.
Use a Scotch Brite pad or soft scrub brush to scrub the area.
4.
Rinse if necessary to remove debris and keep wet.
5.
Apply the Part 2 Cleaner to
the same area and scrub lightly with a soft brush or clean Scotch Brite
pad.
6.
Repeat steps 2 through 5 on the next small area. Work on a small
area at a time working from top to bottom. Larger areas can be worked by
using a garden type sprayer to apply the cleaners.
7.
Rinse thoroughly with water. Repeat the process on any stubborn
stains. The wood will lighten as it dries.
8.
Read and follow complete directions on the Cleaner bottles.
To preserve
the natural honey color of the wood, and protect the teak from weathering and stains follow the steps outlined in the Preserving The Teak section of this brochure.
Thank you
for considering SEMCO
Teak Products for the care of your teak furniture. With these
simple procedures your furniture will provide many years of beautiful
service. |
#1
Cleartone
Contains no pigment, looks like
oil; not as weather
resistant. |
#2
Natural
Our best seller for boats; gives wood the golden-tan glow of
slightly weathered teak. |
#3
Honeytone
with its rich honey color that looks like new teak. |
#4
Goldtone
Original shade gives wood the reddish-brown luster of freshly
sanded teak. |
#5
Classic Brown
Darker brown
similar to the color when wet. |
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Copyright © 2001 Semco Teak Products, Inc.
Revised: April 03, 2002.
E-Mail sales@shipstore.com with any questions.
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