outdoor teak

People generally buy patio umbrellas in the beginning of summer, to protect themselves from the harsh rays of the sun. To be truthful, that is the primary function of such umbrellas. However, they can also protect you from light precipitation and so if you buy them to enjoy the winter more, we cannot really call you crazy. Besides, you may get a hefty discount now because not many people buy such umbrellas in winter.

Traditionally, patio umbrellas fit through a hole in the centre of the patio table. They are then secured at the base. You can use them without the tables too. They are also known as market umbrella because even few years ago they were used more in the market place or for marketing certain products than in people's homes. However, the main problem with these umbrellas is that they have their posts in the middle, which often come in the way of close conversation. Many people prefer side post umbrellas, more popularly known as offset umbrellas or cantilever umbrellas because of this one reason.
The side post umbrellas have their own disadvantage though. In the market umbrella, the weight of the umbrella is equally distributed on all sides and so if it is properly secured at the base, it has little chance of tipping. In the side post umbrella, the weight falls entirely on one side and so unless it is structurally perfect you cannot totally rule out accidents.

You can also try freestanding awnings, if you have a large area to shade. These, unlike the traditional awnings, which must be attached to the house, can be placed anywhere in the yard. If on the other hand, you own too small a patio and cannot really open a traditional patio umbrella without making it look clumsy, look for off-the-wall half- canopy umbrella. Really, the choice is not only endless, but somewhat daunting too.

One way to make matter simple is to see what kind of furniture you have or would like to buy and choose your umbrella accordingly. In fact, it will be wrong to look at patio umbrellas in isolation. You should look at it as a part of bigger set up. Suppose your patio furniture is made out of teak wood, you should have market umbrella with teak stand. It may not be out of context to say that teak wood is arguably the best material for your outdoor furniture. Buy teak for durability, strength and beauty.

Outdoor teak, be it teak furniture or teak umbrella stand or teak fire pits, needs very little maintenance. The timber has a natural honey color. If you leave it untreated, it will slowly turn into a silvery grey with an appeal of its own. Water cannot decay it; termites cannot attack it. It will say as it is for centuries. However, if you want to preserve its honey color, you may apply a sealing, but never anything like paint, varnish or any kind of chemical coating. They will harm the wood instead.

Teak sealers on the other hand provide not only protection from the UV rays, but they also act as fungicide and prevent growth of fungus. Applying them is easy and you can do it yourself.

Leave the furniture or the wood in the sun for a week or two to allow the grains to open up.
Now spray a coat of teak sealers and rub it in with a rug all over the surface.
Leave it like this for few days.
Spray the teak sealer a second time and rub it in the same way.
Each year, clean the teak with little soap and water before applying the sealer in the same way, but only on the surface that gets the sun.

Teak sealers leave stains on concrete, so it is better to spread something underneath while you are applying the sealer on your outdoor teak in the patio. Let me repeat once again, do not use products like varnish, water sealer or any kind of protective oil to protect your outdoor teak. Leave that to the natural oil it contains. Applying anything other than teak sealer will result in peeling, chipping or even in the growth of mildew or moulds on the furniture. Incidentally, if you see black dots and patches on your outdoor teak, be sure that they are nothing but moulds and mildew.

If that happens, wash your teak furniture