Refinishing Teak Outdoor Furniture: Sanding & Oil Guide

Teak outdoor furniture is famously durable, but sun, rain, and sunscreen leave it gray, patchy, and rough over time. The cure isn’t to blast it with a sander until it looks new—over-sanding rounds edges, thins corners, and makes color uneven. This guide shows you how to clean, de-grease, and sand teak so it returns to a warm, even glow that lasts, without losing crisp lines or opening the grain too much.

Why sanding matters with teak

Teak is dense and oily. Weather drives surface fibers rough and pushes extractives to the top. If you start too fine, paper skates and polishes; too coarse and you cut deep scratches that collect dirt. The sweet spot is a measured sequence that removes silvering, levels fuzz, and leaves a uniform scratch for oil or sealer to bond. Block-backed strokes keep flats flat so light reads smooth after finishing.

Tools & materials

• Rigid sanding blocks (hardwood or aluminum); thin cork pad for slight conformity
• Detail/profile blocks or sticks for slats, corners, and sculpted arms
• 9×11 in wet/dry silicon-carbide sandpaper sheets (see grits below)
• Deck/wood cleaner and a nylon brush (avoid wire)
• Solvent wipe compatible with your finish (mineral spirits or naphtha)
• Vacuum with brush, microfiber cloths, and a light tack cloth
• Exterior oil (teak oil or polymerized outdoor oil) or marine sealer/topcoat
• Drop cloths, nitrile gloves, eye/ear protection, and raking light

Recommended grit sequence

• 100 grit: Level weathered fiber and silvering; restore flatness without gouging.
• 180 grit: Refine the scratch and harmonize color across flat and sculpted parts.
• 320 grit: Final pre-finish kiss on touch zones; also ideal for between-coat de-nibbing.

Step-by-step refinishing process

1. Wash & brighten. Rinse dust and grit. Scrub with a wood cleaner using a nylon brush along the grain. If the piece is severely gray, use a brightener per instructions, then rinse and let dry fully. Clean wood requires less sanding and keeps edges crisp.
2. Solvent wipe. Wipe surfaces with a compatible solvent to reduce surface oil before sanding. This keeps paper cutting instead of skating and helps avoid heat glazing.
3. Flatten with 100 grit (block-first). Wrap a rigid block with 100 Grit (25-pack). Make long, overlapping strokes with the grain on arms, seat rails, and table tops. Use light pressure; you’re shaving gray fiber, not sculpting. For slats and tight areas, switch to narrow hard blocks so you don’t round over edges.
4. Refine and unify with 180 grit. Move to 180 Grit (50-pack). Repeat the same block-backed pattern to erase 100-grit tracks and even out color. On sculpted arms or backrests, use profile blocks and short strokes that follow the curve. Stop the instant the scratch pattern looks uniform under raking light.
5. Finish-prep with 320 (touch zones only). For tabletops and armrests, give a whisper-light pass with 320 Grit (100-pack) to improve hand feel. Keep it brief—over-polishing can reduce oil uptake and create lighter patches.
6. Dust control. Vacuum thoroughly (especially between slats), wipe with a clean microfiber, then do a light tack just before finishing. Any leftover powder becomes nibs in the first coat.
7. First coat: oil or sealer. Flood oil evenly and allow it to penetrate, re-wetting dry spots for 10–20 minutes, then wipe bone-dry with fresh cloths. If using a marine sealer, apply a thin, even coat per spec. Avoid heavy film; thin coats move better with outdoor expansion and contraction.
8. De-nib & second coat. After full dry-to-sand, lightly kiss touch zones with 320 by hand to remove tiny nibs. Vacuum, tack, and apply a second light coat. Stop as soon as the surface feels uniformly silky and evenly colored.

Special cases

• Deep black water marks: Oxalic brightener before sanding often reduces them. If faint ghosts remain after 100 → 180, adjust color with toner or pigmented oil rather than over-sanding.
• Greasy sunscreen patches: Solvent-wipe, then start at 180 on those spots to avoid pushing contamination deeper. If color mismatch appears, feather the surrounding field lightly at 180.
• Machine-sculpted arms: Use firm profile blocks—sponges round crisp transitions. Keep stroke counts symmetric left-to-right to avoid asymmetry.
• Hardware staining: Pull hardware if possible; spot-treat iron stains with brightener before sanding.

Pro tips

• Let fresh paper do the cutting. Dull sheets skate on teak’s natural oils and tempt you to press—exactly how edges get rounded.
• Sand edges before big flats so stray grit from corners can’t scratch finished surfaces later.
• Work under raking light. Stop the instant witness marks fade evenly—extra passes rarely improve anything outdoors.
• Block, not fingertips. Fingertips create shiny dishes that read as dark blotches once oiled.
• Thin coats win. Outdoors, thin films flex and weather better than heavy build. Wipe excess thoroughly.

Aftercare

• Clean seasonally with mild soap and water. Avoid harsh bleach that strips color unevenly.
• Refresh with a quick 320 de-nib and a light maintenance coat when surfaces look dry—usually once or twice a year depending on exposure.
• Use breathable covers. Trapped moisture encourages mildew and blotchy weathering.
• Lift, don’t drag, furniture to prevent edge dents that collect grime.

FAQs

• Can I start at 80 grit to go faster? Not recommended on teak—80 leaves deep scratches that telegraph under oil and collect dirt. 100 removes silvering safely.
• Should I sand everything to 320? No. Reserve 320 for touch zones; most surfaces should stop at 180 for better oil uptake and color uniformity.
• My paper clogs quickly—normal? Teak’s oils can load paper. Solvent-wipe first and change sheets early. If heat builds, you’re pressing too hard.
• Oil or sealer? Penetrating oils are easy to maintain; sealers offer longer intervals but require stricter prep for recoats. Either benefits from the same sanding discipline.

Video: Teak sanding & oiling workflow

Bottom line: For teak that looks rich and even, think clean → 100 → 180 → 320 (touch zones) → thin coats. Keep blocks flat, pressure light, and dust under control. You’ll revive color and feel without rounding profiles or creating patchy absorption—and maintenance stays simple season after season.