Teak and the salt spray

Salt, sand and wind: why solid teak holds up on the shores of Arcachon Bay, and the four simple steps that are all it takes to look after it properly.

On the shores of Arcachon Bay, garden furniture lives a life of its own. Salt settles on everything left outdoors, sand works its way into the joints, the west wind flattens the parasols and, in winter, the damp never leaves the terraces. An ordinary wood blackens, swells, then rots. Poorly protected metal rusts within a season.

Solid teak is the exception, for a simple reason: it is saturated with a natural oil, oleoresin, which runs through its fibres. It makes the wood waterproof, protects it from fungi and insects, and stops it from rotting. That is why ships’ decks were once made of it. The closer the wood comes from the heart of the tree, the denser and richer in oil it is: this is what is known as Grade A teak, the teak of our daybeds.

What salt really changes. Salt does not damage teak, but it dulls it and leaves the surface slightly rough. It also settles in the weaves. A rinse with fresh water after a gale is enough to remove it.

What sand changes. It builds up between the slats and in the weaves, and wears the cushions. A sweep with a soft brush takes care of it, along with removable cushion covers that you wash at the end of the season.

What the sun changes. Within a few months it turns teak grey: this is a patina, not deterioration. You are free to keep it or to feed the wood to bring back its golden tone (see our article on the patina).

The four steps that are all it takes

Rinse with fresh water after storms and at the end of summer.
Clean once or twice a year with soapy water and a soft brush, never with a pressure washer, which tears out the soft fibres of the wood.
Let it dry before covering it, and choose a breathable cover for the winter.
Bring the cushions in during long spells of rain.

For woven seats, we use Olefin rope (Sunproof), solution-dyed: it does not fade in the sun and withstands salt water. It is this pairing, solid teak and olefin, that lets a lounge set stay on a Cap Ferret terrace all year round.

Come and see how the teak on our display pieces has aged, at the showroom in La Teste-de-Buch.