Weather covers are a relatively recent thing for us. We only started selling them in last three or four years, as we got asked so often if this is something we supply.
It’s not necessary to use a weather cover on your teak garden furniture because teak is an extremely durable hardwood. It was highly prized for ship building years ago, and it is still used on boat decks to this day. Teak can withstand virtually all weather conditions, and its structural integrity pretty much remains unchanged. We should point out that teak wood will naturally weather over time, changing from its initial golden honey colour to a silvery grey, as it ages.
Teak will happily withstand the British weather and the seasons, and a big factor in helping it do this are the natural oils within the wood, which give it amazing protection against the elements. However, these same oils can encourage a surface mould to grow during the damp winter months. This is not a problem for the wood at all, and to remove it, you will simply need to brush off any leaf litter and bird droppings (don’t use a wire brush for this!) and then wash the furniture down with a mild soapy water.
Using a weather cover can limit the surface mould (it may not necessarily prevent it) but it will protect your furniture from tree and bird deposits and other debris accumulating on it, during the winter months. This can save you having to wash the furniture down in the Spring. Using a weather cover when your furniture is not in use can slow down the weathering process, meaning your furniture will hold its initial golden-brown colouring for longer.
Do’s and Don’ts when choosing/using a weather cover
- Don’t cover the furniture when it’s wet as this can trap damp and causing a surface mould to develop. If you do get this on your furniture it will easily wash off using warm water and mild soap solution.
- Do choose a breathable weather cover as this allows the furniture to breathe.
- Do use the shedding pole that we recommend – or an alternative. This will raise the weather cover off the surface of the table allowing air to circulate.
- Don’t use plastics or tarpaulin to cover the furniture. They are not ‘breathable’ coverings and so will cause the wood to sweat, creating mould and something called ‘black spotting’.
- Do remove any water that pools on the weather cover. You’ll typically get this with any weather cover and it’s not something that can be avoided, as water always finds the lowest point.
We hope this has given you a little more understanding about weather covers. In our view, for teak garden furniture, weather covers are a preference and not a necessity.
If you have any questions at all regarding weather covers, or any of our products or services, please contact us. We’d be delighted to hear from you.
