Teak wood is one of the commonest types of wood used in the world. The wood comes from deciduous trees and is known for producing long-lasting valuable timbers.
All over the world, teak is used for building window panes, outdoor furniture, chairs, tables and so much more.
Since teak was popular in South East and South Asia, teak was used to build many temples. And interestingly, the temples are still standing, and in good condition. That’s how strong and long-lasting teak is.
With that being said, teak furniture is still very common. Obviously, when you have furniture around, you may want to switch things around after a few years. You may want to stain or add colors to your teak furniture to make it look amazing.
This will take you to the question of “can you stain teak wood?”
The simple answer is yes! But there are some risks to staining teak wood. But if you’re careful with how to go about staining teak wood, you can get good enough results.
Steps to staining teak wood
Before you learn of the steps for “can you stain teak wood?” you will need these things:
- A dirty rag.
- A paintbrush.
- Sanding paper for 120 grit and 220 grit.
- Sanding sealer.
- Wood stain.
- Wood varnish or polyurethane.
Step 1:
Teak wood is sturdy and is full of teak oil. The oil helps in maintaining the natural color of the wood.
But that also gets in the way of staining teak wood, which is why you need to clean the wood. The first two steps of our “can you stain teak wood guide” are extremely important.
The first step is to clean the entire surface of the teak furniture you want to stain. Ensure you clean out dirt, debris, and dust off the surface of the furniture.
When you clean furniture, do not use cleaning products on the wood. This will damage the wood.
Step 2:
The next step is to smoothen out the rough spots on the table with 120-grit sandpaper. As mentioned above, the oil will become a problem for your staining project.
Use the sandpaper to rub the entire surface. During sanding, remember to make sure that every spot is evened out. Uneven surfaces do not look good when you paint over.
Step 3:
After this, use the 220-grit sandpaper over the teak furniture again. You need to prepare the surface so that it can absorb the stains.
When you use the 220-grit sandpaper, make sure the entire surface is smooth. Run your hands over to check if the surface is smooth or not.
Sanding with 220-grit sandpaper will help you open the pores of the wood, which makes it easy for the wood to absorb the stains.
Step 4:
The fourth step in the can you stain teak wood guide in applying the wood sealant on the wood furniture.
Bring the sealant out, and apply a layer of it on the furniture’s surface. If you want a smooth surface, you need to have a foam brush.
Usually, sealants will have a darker tone for your furniture. If you want it to look lighter, then you can add some mineral spirits to dilute the sealant.
Once you apply a coat, wipe off the excess with a clean piece of cloth. Make sure you don’t leave small puddles or pools of sealant on the wood. This will make the surface have bubbles here and there.
Leave it to dry. Once it is dry, you just need to use the 220-grit sandpaper to smoothen it out. After that, use a cloth to wipe off the dust before moving on to the next step.
Step 5:
This step in our can you stain teak wood guide is staining the teak wood. Oil-based colors are often recommended for teak wood furniture. The reason for it is that since teakwood naturally has oil on its surface, oil-based paints would be a good option.
But then again, water-based paints can be used for staining the wood.
That said, you should have a wood stain handy. Find a brush you want to use. You can also use the same foam brush as you did for the sealant. Before using the brush, make sure you clean it.
Apply the coat on the teak furniture’s surface. Once done, you should wipe off the excess stain on the surface. Use a clean and dry rag to wipe the excess stain.
Leave the wood to dry.
Step 6
Once you see that the wood has dried out, remember to apply one more coat of wood stain. This layer will help you to get a darker shade of color on the surface.
Remember, after the first coat, if you want a dark shade, you should wipe the wood with the first coat of wood stain after a long time.
Similarly, if you want an even darker shade, this second layer should be added on top of the first coat.
Step 7:
The last step in can you stain teak wood guide is to add wood varnish or polyurethane. Add a layer of either of the two to add the finishing touch to the furniture.
Once you add a layer, leave it to dry. Give it plenty of time. Apart from wood varnish or polyurethane, you can also make use of lacquer can be used as well.
Conclusion
The steps above will help you find the right way to stain teak wood furniture. Before you take on a project at home, remember that furniture for outdoor use should have an oil-based wood stain.
The reason for using oil-based stains for outdoor furniture is that these are not easy to damage. As for water-based wood stain options, they are not water-resistant. That means your beautiful teak wood furniture will not have the right surface.
With that said, make sure you follow the steps mentioned above properly. Remember to use a clean rag to clean off the paint or sealants. Using dirty rags will leave marks on the new surface.
