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As Teak is a natural material it can be that small cracks or splits sometimes appear as a result of changes in humidity and temperature. Although slowly kiln drying teak furniture helps to significantly limit checking, teak is natural and will expand and contract, particularly in the variable climate of the UK and absorb moisture in the air which makes it swell a little.

A process called checking may occur as your outdoor furniture adjusts to its surroundings. This can result in small hairline cracks developing, usually on the end grain sections. The cracks come and go, and will eventually settle. Most importantly, they do not affect the strength and performance of the teak furniture in the long term.

You may even have larger cracks which again do not cause any structural issues to the furniture and will close again as the moisture escapes and the furniture adapts to its new environment.

If you wish, for larger cracks to prevent water ingress and to improve its appearance you can brush a small amount of pva glue into the crack and whilst drying gentlys and the area with 120 grit sandpaper.  This will help to seal the crack and in most cases, will ensure the crack is no longer visible.  This is optional though as in most cases the cracks will close up and settle.

Secure fixings (or bench anchors) vary depending upon the ground that you need to fix your bench into. The typical fixings available are for soft ground, concrete or paving surfaces.

Field & Hawken will be adding bench anchors for purchase directly from our website but in the meantime anchor kits are widely available from Amazon, hardware or DIY stores for around £60.

We have worked with our supplier to create strong solid teak benches that can still be easily assembled by customers if preferred. Each bench will arrive with only 4 core components that will be required to be assembled to create your bench.

Left arm side

Right arm side

Back

Seat

A fixings pack is provided containing all required dowels (14-16 depending upon Bench), screws (not required for oval back bench).

 Tools Required

All you need to provide is a hammer (to tap the dowels in), a screwdriver (to fix in the screws for added strength for the seat), a small saw (to cut off any dowel ends) and some sandpaper to smooth over the dowels and gently remove the small fixing labels.

Assembly overview  

• The joints that fit together are clearly marked using small labels that are easily removed once assembled. It is recommended that assembly is completed by 2 persons.

• Start by placing one of the side arms flat on the floor and slot the back section into the arm.

• Slot the seat section into the same arm so that now both back and seat section are vertical from the floor.

• Slot the remaining side arm section into the back and seat joints.

• Carefully turn the bench from resting on one side to resting on its feet in the correct ‘bench position’.

• Fix the joints together by gently tapping in a dowel into the available holes. Please tap the dowels in firmly but without splitting them to leave approx. 10mm showing. Cut off approx. 5mm of the dowel and tap in the remainder of the dowel.

• Repeat this step for both dowels in each joint and once completed lightly sand the area around the dowel to a smooth finish.

The size can vary dependant on font and curve in the bench. It is roughly 35-45mm for upper case letters and 25-30mm for lower case letters.

The software used to create the mock up’s gives the best possible representation of how it will look.  When it’s newly engraved it is lighter and the teak wood is at its freshest.  Once it has weathered the lettering will become more prominent.

Once your bench order and requested engraving message has been received, our engraving team will create a mock-up of the requested engraving for you to approve. Once an email approval of a mock-up has been received then the order will proceed to the despatch process.

Field & Hawken are pleased to offer an engraving service for our teak benches and small coffee tables. If you have any other requirements then please do get in contact.

Yes, we can offer a bench engraving service from just £35 (£45 for a plaque).

Simply select the engraving option when adding the bench to your cart and proceed to checkout. Within 24 hours or your order, a member of the Field & Hawken team will be in contact via email to request your chosen engraving message and font.

Teak furniture is a fantastic investment that we hope will provide you many years of use and joy. All of our teak furniture has been kiln dried to a stable moisture content for furniture at time of manufacture and before transportation to the UK. Once in the UK the teak furniture is stored in our warehouses to begin acclimatisation to the UK environment.

As it is crafted from a natural (and previously living tree) changes may continue to occur whilst the furniture acclimatises to its UK location and each piece of furniture will adapt slightly differently. Movement in the wood through the acclimatisation process may result in cracks appearing but these rarely affect the structural integrity of the furniture. Indeed, as the air moisture content changes, these movements will also close any grains that have opened and therefore is nothing to be concerned about.

Teak has greater naturally weather-resistant properties than just about any other type of wood, however it is still a natural product and each bench will have its own characteristics and reactions to the UK climate. All our teak furniture is stored in a warehouse in the UK upon arrival and has a temporary treatment applied which is primarily for protection during transportation. This is not a long-term treatment, therefore the question of how to provide after care for teak is really one of personal preference so here are some of the options.

Do not treat it – As already mentioned teak is one of the best woods to use for outdoor furniture. It’s natural properties will enable the furniture to last for many more years than comparative non teak products. The teak will go a beautiful silver/grey over time, and you can clean off most markings and algae using a power washer or using light sandpaper. The wood will move, open and close grains as it reacts to its environment so do not worry if a few of these natural cracks appear.

Treat it – Treating your teak furniture will give the natural properties an extra protective boost, sealing grains, limiting natural movement / openings and provide a longer-term colour to your furniture. If you are going to treat it we would recommend using a breathable teak sealant 1-2 weeks after delivery according to the instructions from the treatment manufacture. If your teak has been purchased during a particular warm period of weather, then treatment within the first week of delivery is recommended.

We recommend the use of a breathable teak sealant such as Burgess oil (used on boats and available from fieldandhawken.co.uk) but there are many options available. We do not recommend the use of varnish on teak benches. Once treated you can maintain regular treatment (annually in the case of Burgess oil) or allow the teak to naturally develop its silver / grey colouring.

3. Cover it – Whichever option you choose from above, you can also cover your furniture. However similar with the choice of treatment ensure that you choose the right cover, such as a breathable cover. Plastic non breathable covers will trap moisture and increase the likelihood of blemishes and increase the rate of degradation of your teak. Breathable covers such as Aerocover are available from fieldandhawken.co.uk are ideal.

Factors to consider for Teak treatment.

How close are you to an environment that will provide additional weathering impact to the teak? E.g., near the sea.

How heavy do you expect the usage of the furniture to be?

Will the furniture be used in areas where food and drink may be split upon it and are you concerned about the potential for marks from that?

How frequently do I want to treat my teak?

All our teak garden furniture will arrive with a temporary treatment that will dissipate within 1-2 weeks so that you can choose whether to treat your furniture or not. Teak does not need to be treated and will naturally go a beautiful silver/grey over time. However, treating your furniture will give the natural properties an extra protective boost, limiting natural movement, and provide a longer-term colour to your garden furniture Should you decide to treat your garden furniture then a treatment with a breathable teak sealant is recommended.  You can clean off most markings and algae using a mild washing liquid solution or using light sandpaper.

It is not something we currently able to offer. We do however sell a Burgess teak treatment wood sealer which is an environmentally alternative to Teak Oil, gives a matt appearance and allows the wood to breathe. This is available to purchase on the Field & Hawken website.

All of our teak garden furniture will arrive with a temporary treatment that will dissipate within 1-2 weeks so that you can choose whether to treat your furniture or not. Teak does not need to be treated and will naturally go a beautiful silver/grey over time.

However, treating your furniture will give the natural properties an extra protective boost, sealing grains, limiting natural movement, and provide a longer-term colour to your garden furniture Should you decide to treat your garden furniture then a treatment with a breathable teak sealant is recommended.

You can clean off most markings and algae using a mild washing liquid solution or using light sandpaper.

Yes. Under Indonesian law, SVLK certification and related documents constitute proof of legality for Indonesian timber products. Since FLEGT licensing commenced in Indonesia, FLEGT-licensed products from the SVLK will be considered compliant with the EU Timber Regulation requirements.

SVLK (Sistem Verificasi Legalitas Kayu) is the acronym of Indonesia’s national timber legality assurance system, which is a mandatory legality and sustainability certification system built on a national multistakeholder consensus.

FLEGT stands for “Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade”. This EU initiative aims to reduce illegal logging by strengthening sustainable and legal forest management, improving governance and promoting trade in legally produced timber. Countries around the world are acting to combat illegal logging and foster good forest governance.

More details can be found via this linkhttp://www.euflegt.efi.int/what-is-flegt

All timber that we import to create our furniture comes with FLEGT certification, which guarantees that the timber is from sustainably sourced plantations, is harvested legally and ethically.

All the garden furniture on fieldandhawken.co.uk is made from FLEGT certified Indonesian teak. We have worked with our main supplier of teak for over 7 years and are constantly refining and seeking improvements to our already excellent range.

All wood has natural oils which protect the tree. Teak, however, can retain these oils and its rubber even after being felled and processed. Because of this, teak has greater naturally weather-resistant properties than just about any other type of wood.

The oils also protect the wood from dry rot, which is a common problem in older wooden furniture. All of this makes teak a perfect material for outdoor furniture which as it weathers over time means the teak wood goes from a honey brown colour to a slivery grey.