Furniture Care Advice
FURNITURE CARE ADVICE
Teak Furniture
Do I need to oil my teak furniture?
Treating with teak oil or other preservatives is not necessary; it will not extend the life of your furniture and is purely cosmetic. We do not recommend oiling your furniture as it creates unnecessary maintenance. However, if you wish to preserve the 'just bought' look of your furniture you should apply teak oil or wood stain when the furniture is new. Follow the manufacturer's recommended application, taking care with oil-soaked rags as they are highly combustible.
How do you clean teak?
Once teakwood has weathered the colour will be enhanced by an annual scrub, in the Spring, with soapy water to remove accumulated dirt. Alternatively you may use a pressure hose with a fan or multi-nozzle jet. However, great care should be used since failure to abide by recommended procedures may result in permanent damage to the furniture. Where a gauge is fitted it should be set to a pressure of 60-80 bar (900-1200 psi). A distance of 15-20cm (6-8") should be maintained between the nozzle and the surface to be cleaned. Care should be taken not to direct the water jet directly into joints.
How do you remove grease spots?
To remove grease spots we recommend a degreasing agent and gentle scrubbing brush, rinsing off with clean water.
Will the metal fittings on my furniture last as long as the teak?
We only use the best marine quality solid brass and stainless steel on our furniture. Neither of these will rust or deteriorate with age.
Do I need to store my furniture during the winter?
No, Dekkers and Darling teak furniture can be left outdoors, uncovered, all year round. If you choose to cover your furniture outdoors during the winter then you should use a material that allows the wood to breathe.
Hardwood Furniture
Like Teak wood, the natural appearance of hardwood will change when left outdoors, so to ensure it stays in good condition you will need to look after it.
Left on its own, your hardwood furniture will naturally change colour to a silver greyish tone, the exact colour dependant on the environment conditions. For example, dark spots may occur if the furniture is place in the shady spot under a tree.
During long dry spells, small cracks may appear in the untreated wood, especially on the end grain. These cracks are a perfectly normal characteristic and will not affect the strength of durability of the furniture. The cracks should disappear once the conditions become damp again.
It is usual for small amounts of sap resin to appear on the surface of the wood in certain climatic conditions. If the resin has crystallised, it can be removed using a stiff brush. If it is sticky to the touch, use a sharp knife to remove the majority of the resin and use white spirit to wipe clean the surface affected.
If, however, you would like to preserve the original colour of your furniture, Teak Oil should be applied every three to six weeks. Regular treatments will slow down the weathering process and will minimise surface cracks.
Before re-applying, it is essential that any dirt that may have accumulated be removed by scrubbing with a stiff brush and soapy warm water. When the furniture is completely dry, any rough areas should be lightly sanded. If the dirt and any excess oil are not removed before re-treatment black areas will appear on the surface where the oil and dirt have mixed.
Finally, apply the oil giving particular care to the end grain, hidden surface areas and any joints or services, any excess oil can be wiped off with a clean cloth.
It goes without saying that you should ensure that the Teak Oil is fully dry before using the furniture.
Granite care advice
General information
Granite is a natural material with naturally occurring variations in colour, tone, granularity, pattern etc. these variations are expected and are the source of its natural beauty. All our granite arrives with a polished honed finish.
Granite, which is crystalline in structure, always has tiny bits – spaces between the various mineral crystals. Granite sometimes has natural fissures as well, which may look like cracks but are actually seams of colour. These are not structural defects and are a naturally occurring result of the immense heat and pressure which formed the granite eons ago.
These characteristics are part of the natural beauty of stone and will not impair the function or durability of the material. A product of nature cannot be expected to look as uniform as a manmade item.
Granite care
Contrary to popular belief, granite is slightly porous which means that it can absorb small quantities of liquids and oils. Because of this we recommend the use of coasters and mats when placing anything on the tabletop. This particularly applies to cold items which might have condensation on them.
Any spillages should be mopped up immediately. Should this not be possible for any reason you may notice a darker patch appear on the table. If left over time (particularly in hot direct sunlight) this will dry out and the table will return to normal. We would recommend scrubbing the area with a sponge and non-acidic detergent to try to draw any colour from the spillage. Citric-based detergents should not be used.
To maintain the colour of the granite over time we recommend the application of olive oil over the table top – a method which has been used for decades in Italy. This should be done sparingly at first, rubbing the oil into the entire tabletop using a lint free cloth until a smooth and smear-free finish is achieved. This should be done approximately once a fortnight when in use to prevent any fading caused by daylight.
Alternatively, proprietary stone care kits and cleaners can be used. Please seek advise from the manufacturer before using. Our suppliers accept no responsibility or liability with regard to the use of such products.
IMPORTANT NOTE
All our granite products are very heavy and should be handled with care. All of the stone products should be lifted and placed in position rather than dragging to prevent any damage to your property and the stone product itself.
Wrought Iron care advice
All Wrought Iron should be lifted and moved rather than dragged to prevent any damage to the product or the area in which you are using them.
All of the frames of our Wrought Iron products have undergone a 4 stage rust protection process:
1. Pre-treatment:
The furniture is treated in an acid bath which acts as a primer for the later stafges.
2. Galvanising
The furniture is diped into a tnak of zinc which amalagamates with the base material to creat e virtually impenetrable finish.
3. Primer
This is followed by a primer coat to ensure a good paint adhesion.
4. Finish
Finally a powdercoated finish is applied to the surface of the furniture.
Aftercare Metal:
Galvanised products are renowned for being difficult to paint and due to this, even with a primer coat, we cannot guarantee against flaking or small chips becoming apparent in the finish during use. If this does occur, then a metal finish will be exposed. Please be assured that this is the galvanised layer which will not rust if exposed. A small touch up paint pot is included in each box to use if necessary. VERY large knocks could expose the base metal. We cannot accept responsibility for any rusting which occurs because of this.
Meanwhile any small stains and spillages can simply be wiped from the surfaces using household detergents.
Aftercare Textylene:
Textylene can simply be cleaned using a non-abrasive household detergent.
