Frequently Asked Questions
This is by far our most frequent question when meeting with prospective customers for the first time. And the easy answer is, “Yes, we would not want it any other way.” We don’t do any photoshopping to the pictures on our website. They are all actual pictures of work we’ve done to make the grayest of gray pieces turn into like-new outdoor teak furniture. It’s always an amazing transformation and one we never get tired of seeing – one of the many reasons our crews take such pride in their work!
Most of our teak restoration jobs of 5 – 15 pieces are completed in one day, with the pieces dry and ready for use by the next afternoon. We achieve this turnaround not by rushing but rather by our level of experience. All we do is restore and maintain outdoor teak furniture and decks, and with that comes the expertise regarding methods and materials that allows us to be in and out of your yard with minimal disruption.
It is true, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We are good at what we do, including estimating the time and materials needed to do a job, even just based on a 5-minute phone conversation. We have literally restored more than 10,000 pieces of teak furniture and more than 1,000 decks over the past 10 years, so we know what to ask and how to turn those answers into a firm estimate that won’t yield any surprises down the line.
Over 90 percent of our jobs are done at the customer’s location for several reasons. First off, it is always best for the furniture if moved the least amount of time. A move of any kind can lead to unnecessary wear and tear on all the joints and connections. Secondly, by doing the work on-site, you have your teak furniture pieces back and ready for use the next day. Lastly, we go to great lengths to ensure that your backyard will look as good as it did when we arrived, actually better because now your teak or deck will be like-new! Many of our customers ensure that they aren’t even home while we are working so that they can return to a transformed backyard.
You can certainly restore and maintain your outdoor teak furniture or hardwood deck yourself, just like you can change the oil in your car or wash your windows in your home. But there are three major items that keep most people from going this route: materials, method, and expertise. We obtain only the best penetrating sealers not available at traditional big-box retailers like Home Depot or Lowe’s. We also have developed methods that allow us to do most of our work in ¼ the time any homeowner would be able to do the same. Lastly, our crews have done these hundreds of times, so they know issues to look for and ways to ensure a quality finish that only come with being an expert.
Teak & Deck Professionals are ready to help you with regular maintenance for your outdoor deck, whether you choose teak, ipe, ironwood, managaris, redwood, or cedar for your decking material. We perform spot deck sanding after lightly cleaning the deck, then apply the right sealing methods to ensure that your wood is protected. We can offer you the best deck sealers available that will penetrate and protect your investment in your fine deck wood.
You can be assured that teak furniture is extremely durable and may well possibly be the last set of furniture you buy! That makes it a great investment for years to come. Regardless of what material it is made of, you will have to dedicate some time and effort to its care and maintenance.
Teak is an extremely popular choice for furniture and things around the house such as your decks and fences. Usually, the reason for staining fences is that it is starting to look faded and used after years of exposure to the outdoors. Re-staining your fence can be a tedious and cumbersome process to deal with yourself, so hiring a professional is a much better option.
Dryness of the winter (more specifically the sunniness!) that has the greatest impact on the duration of your current sealer’s protection. If you find that your teak furniture pieces or hardwood deck may be fading more quickly than you are accustomed to, our sunny winter may be the culprit. Luckily, a March maintenance service can both remedy this lighter look while readying yours outdoors for the coming season.
By checking on your teak furniture or hardwood deck each month, especially after its been a year since your last maintenance service, you can correctly time your next maintenance service and avoid the more expensive and time consuming process of a complete teak furniture or hardwood deck restoration.
If you want to preserve the natural look of a new teak deck and protect the wood from “graying”, sealing a new wood deck is the best option.
Teak is naturally oily. This oil that is present in teak allows it to be highly slip resistant. That’s why it is frequently used to make the decks of ships. If you add oil, it saturates the wood and collects dirt and grime. At that point, you’ll have to get a teak cleaning service in to clean it.
Sealing newly purchased teak correctly is the best way to ensure that it stays in top form and stays protected from our harsh California sun and salty coastal air. In fact, we highly recommend sealing your outdoor furniture immediately, before you ever use it the first time!
Teak is a close-grained hardwood with high natural oil content. This makes it suitable for outdoor use and resistant to environmental damages. In fact, people worldwide have been using it to craft outdoor furniture, decks, and even boats for more than 2,000 years.
Yes, you can safely keep your teak wood furniture out during every season here in San Diego. However, continuous use and exposure will increase the need for ongoing cleaning and maintenance.
When properly maintained, teak furniture and decks can last for many decades. The best way to extend the life of your teak pieces is to use high-quality sealants. If it’s been years since you last refinished your furniture, give us a call.
San Diego’s humidity levels and sunny days can cause teak furniture to crack over the years. Although this is normal, the cracks can be repaired through restoration services. Our team will heal the cracks and re-seal the teak to ensure it withstands weather-related damages.
Our experts recommend touching up and re-sealing your teak furniture (and deck) every one to two years. The more exposure your pieces have to heat, sun, rain, and wind, the more often you may need to schedule teak maintenance.
Most teak furniture turns gray over time if not properly cared for, as do other exotic woods. The good news is that you can restore teak to its original color with proper restoration and refinishing techniques. Talk to us about restoring your furniture today.
Teak Maintenance
The best way to keep outdoor teak furniture looking its best is to periodically clean with a stiff brush to remove and dirt from the surface without using cleaning agents or water. Sealing the teak when new with a high-quality, fully penetrating teak sealer, will allow the teak to keep its natural color for the longest period possible.
Teak furniture should be oiled, or sealed, every 6-12 months, depending on exposure to direct sunlight and other weather conditions. Never use teak oil to treat teak furniture as it is not fully penetrating and will accumulate on the surface as well as only providing a fraction of the protection as a quality sealer.
Teak furniture is relativey easy to maintain, especially if you use a professional company to do the work for you? If you choose to do it yourself, a light cleaning every 6-12 months and a re-application of penetrating sealer will keep your teak looking its best.
Older teak furniture can definitely be restored. Depending on what was used on the furniture previously, a process of cleaning, sanding, and sealing can make any piece of older teak furniture look brand new again.
High quality teak furniture can last for 25-30 years if properly taken care of.
Teak Refinishing
Outdoor teak, when weathered, should be cleaned, brightened, sanded and then sealed to achieve a full refinishing.
Prices can vary widely depending on the type of teak piece and the maintenance history involved. Roughly, you can expect to pay 25% of the cost of a new piece of teak furniture in order to restore an older one - not a bad deal!
It is always worth it to refinish teak furniture, as you are getting a like new look and feel for a fraction of the cost.
Yes, you always must fully remove and older sealer or stain via stripping, sanding and/or cleaning as the first step in the teak refinishing process.
You can restain certain types of wood without sanding, and sometimes it is preferable. The surface does have to be clear of any previous sealers or contaminants before resealing.
Deck Maintenance
A wood deck will periodically need to be cleaned and resealed if the natural color of the wood is to be preserved. To avoid heavy graying, a periodic cleaning is a minimum.
Wood decking willgo gray when exposed to the sun but can keep its natural color by a regular cleaning and sealing schedule.
Neither. It is best to clean a deck using appropriate wood cleaners and brighteners, mixed to the correct strength. A powerwasher can/should be used for rinsing the cleaning agents as the flow rate of a pressure washer can be advanteageous when compared to a normal hose and nozzle. Sanding can close the pores of the wood, inhibiting the wood from absorbing a penetrating sealer.
Not without proper cleaners and brighteners. A pressure washer can cause damage to the wood and should only be used by a professional.
A deck should be cleaned every 6-12 months, depending on exposure to the elements and foot traffic.
You should properly clean and brighten your deck before sealing; a pressure washer is simply a good way to rinse cleaners from the deck's surface.
Deck Refinishing
You do not need to be home while we are working on your deck. In fact, many of our customers prefer to be away! All we need is access to a water source within 100 feet of your deck.
Depending on the time of year, our lead times vary from 1-6 weeks. We do our best to accommodate all scheduling requests and do our best to ensure that your work is completed on time.
We fully clean and brighten your deck to ensure that it is free of all previous sealers and stains as well as any airborne contaminants. Once it is fully dry, we are ready to seal!
We do not repair decks or fences and ask that you use a handyman or repair service to take care of those items before we refinish your deck or fence.
Our warranty is your satisfaction with our services. We cannot provide a time-based warranty with any of our outdoor refinishing and maintenance services as weather is completely variable and impossible to predict. We do know that our processes and materials are the best available.
Deck Restoration
Deck restoration costs can vary widely depending on the condition, size, and history of the deck being restored. That said, most deck restoration jobs will fall within a $2.50 - $5.00 per square foot range.
Yes, old decking can definitely be restored. Most of our customers are simply amazed at how good we can make their old, neglected wood decking look.
A deck's lifespan is much more dependent on build quality than care and maintenance. That said, a properly cared for deck can/should last as long as the house itself!