Preserving The Exterior Of A Traditional Teak House

[alanp]

My wife and I have just bought a traditonal teak house near Chiang Mai which is in need of some restoration. In the past I built my own wooden house which was clad with Cedar and used Texnap oil (I think) on the outside walls every few years in order to preserve the natural colour of the wood. Without the oil the wood turned a grey colour.

Does anyone know of a similar oil that can be used on teak that can be bought in bulk?

[arby]

My wife and I have just bought a traditonal teak house near Chiang Mai which is in need of some restoration. In the past I built my own wooden house which was clad with Cedar and used Texnap oil (I think) on the outside walls every few years in order to preserve the natural colour of the wood. Without the oil the wood turned a grey colour.

Does anyone know of a similar oil that can be used on teak that can be bought in bulk?

I am an architect/builder and have developed my own oil formula to use exactly for your purpose. I have also researched and came up with a cleaning agent that will clean teak wood with very minimum scrubbing and make it look brand new. I have a factory (temporarily closed) in San Kamphaeng that I build knockdown teak wood homes at and I had to search around for years until I found the products that I needed to work with and maintain the new look of teak and bamboo products. If you can't find these products on your own, pm me and I will call up a friend in Chiang Mai and get the address or at least telephone number of the store to purchase these items. First of all you will need to buy 2 or 3 kilos of trisodiumphosphate to clean the teak wood or/and all of the home;inside and out if you want. It comes in crystal form and is mixed in a bucket of water. Wet the wood thoroughly with the solution , let sit for a minute or two and lightly scrub the surface with either a soft bristle brush or a scotch pad. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and let dry. You will see the results immediately. Repeat if not clean enough. After drying (a day or two) apply an oil mixture made from #30 -40 clear diesel engine oil mixed 1 part diesel fuel with 3 parts engine oil. Paint it on with a brush or a rag. Be liberal with the oil. During the day check out the areas that you oiled and reoil and dry spots. The next day you can reoil where necessary and wipe off any areas that are not absorbing any more. The smell will dissipate in a couple of days or add eucalyptus oil to your mix if it is to be used indoors while you are living in the house. I have used this method for nearly 20 years and the wood looks like it was milled yesterday. Most of the homes I have used this on are located on beaches in the tropics so they not only suffer from the exposure to the suns rays but from the salt air. Whenever the wood starts getting gray or dirty looking, wash it again with TSP or just soap and water if not to dirty and reapply the oil mixture. I usually tell my clients to do it 2 or 3 times a years depending on how much exposure it gets.

[patklang]

wow man,that sounds some formula.When i was in the paint trade the main product for exterior wood was sikkens hls/thb,which protected the woodwork for 10 years min and also allowed the wood to breath,much like our own skin.My training was always to allow the wood to breath,ie do not seal it,then you will allow the moisture out without it flaking.

The op said 2/3 times a year,jesus you would be at it all year round,this product is a wipe down and one more coat after approx 10 years.the uva rays from the sun will not penetrate the stain so no worries there.I know there are similar products on the market but the response sounds very scary to me,especialy on teak.

My advise is to see an expert and take it from there,as Thailands sun can be vicious on wood/stain.

[arby]

wow man,that sounds some formula.When i was in the paint trade the main product for exterior wood was sikkens hls/thb,which protected the woodwork for 10 years min and also allowed the wood to breath,much like our own skin.My training was always to allow the wood to breath,ie do not seal it,then you will allow the moisture out without it flaking.

The op said 2/3 times a year,jesus you would be at it all year round,this product is a wipe down and one more coat after approx 10 years.the uva rays from the sun will not penetrate the stain so no worries there.I know there are similar products on the market but the response sounds very scary to me,especialy on teak.

My advise is to see an expert and take it from there,as Thailands sun can be vicious on wood/stain.

I have tried just about every product available during the time I was a builder in southern California and sikkens was one of them. None of them lasts more than 2 - 3 years without another application. Most need an application every year and most of them recommend that you sand the surface before applying additional coats. At least in my experience in Southern California, Tahiti and Mexico, where I have used available products, my formula beat them all , hands down. If you were to research what the ingredients in "teak oil" is and were able to finally find out (it took me years, literally), you would find out it is basically some type of mineral oil mixed with a vehicle to penetrate the wood and sometimes carnuba wax or another additive to give it a sheen. You say that the uv rays will not penetrate the stain........that only holds true if the stain has uv reflectors in it such as the paint products now manufactured in Germany with nano particles . TCM Asia is a company in Thailand that sells these products. In my first reply I said that you would need to apply 2 - 3 times a year depending on exposure and weather conditions (salt air). The west facing side of the home,if not protected by an overhang or trees, would need the 2 to 3 applications where the north and south facing sides would need it once a year after the rains to maintain a new look. I know of no product that will hold up for 10 years without recoating, not even solid paint !

[patklang]

I actualy meant that the sikkens stain has uva reflectors in the product.Google sikkens thb and also Sadolin do similar products as akzo nobel own both,and check what guarantees they make,especialy to customers like yourself,who are responsible for paint contracts.

[alanp]

Many thanks for the replies so far, They have been useful.

[grego75]

Many thanks for the replies so far, They have been useful.

dear all

my company is importing high quality coatings from USA which are particularly suitable to withstand Thai harsh climate.We are working with many resorts here in Phuket and supplying few resorts in ChiangMai.

Here are the key benefits using our products :

100 % Acrylic wood finish

Non topical, non film forming

Water based formula, eco friendly, odourless

Bonds in and on the wood for superior adhesion

No cracking, peeling or blistering

No more sanding down is required for future maintenance

Superior UV and moisture protection

100% flexible, will follow the natural movements of the wood

Let the wood breath thus moisture can vaporize out

Let me know your email and i will forward you an ebrochure of the system.

Cheers

Edited July 22, 2009 by grego75

[thatguy]

arby

what do you mean by "clear diesel engine oil" ?