20 Best Sealer For Teak Wood (2023 Updated)

There’s an old park bench in the backyard of our house – it’s under a massive tree so it stays pretty wet and shady – the 10 wood planks were gray and covered in lichen. I thought the boards were made of oak – but once I had removed them from the cast iron base and begun sanding off the layer of rotten surface wood, my friend pointed out they looked to be teak – turns out he was right! I changed my plans for refinishing them, figured I’d use up this big ol can of Teak Oil I’ve had laying around forever – but some additional research suggested not to use Teak Oil for an outdoor piece – that u should use a teal sealer instead! The Star Brite Teak Sealer was at the very top of several lists of Teak Sealers to use – and Wholesale Marine had it for the right price.

The 16 Oz can ended up being JUST enough for me to give all 10 boards a good coat and I couldn’t be happier with the result! The primary benefit of using a teal sealer like this one vs a varnish of any kind is that because outdoor pieces need their finish retouched on a yearly basis (maybe 2 depending on conditions) – an oil based sealer like this one does not have to be removed – all you need is a light scuff and you can apply a new coat – no heavy sanding or stripping each time the finish begins to fade.

I sanded these boards pretty heavily, there was a lot of decayed wood hiding the gorgeous teak grain beneath, with 60 grit and then 80 grit with my 5” Ryobi corded orbital sander that’s still going strong after a few years of abuse (it only cost my $40 at HD) Hope you like it! The ‘Classic Teak’ color is, well, you know, pretty darn classic!.

This is the second time I have used this product on my teak table. Last year I used it on a newly sanded table , it went on easily , was a bit more orange than I wanted but it looked good. This year the table had a couple of peeled spots that I scraped and lightly sanded.

I am not able to level out the finish and need to re-sand table and reapply a finish. This time I will use Interlux Sikkens Cetol Marine Natural Teak Finish that has better coverage and durability for this use.

Cant attest to durability yet (hence 4 stars) but it went on easily and left a nice satin look! Like the color. I didn’t know how much I’d need so I bought a quart. Wished I bought a gallon since I’m going to need at least 3 qts to do 4 chairs and a table.

I used 1/2 quart on the chair pictured, covering it completely -undersides included. I included a picture before cleaning, after cleaning and sanding -ready for sealer and the finished product. Really pleased with how it looks with the Classic Teak finish! A word of caution.

I initially bought a qt. of clear and its NOTHING like the colored version. Very thin like pure solvent. When I tried a small test spot it went on, soaked it up, and dried like there was nothing on it.

I imagine it protects but it wont give a “finished” look. Anyhow- so far , so good!.

I have been refitting an old catboat. I was looking for something that would sink into the teak rather than place a glossy coat on top of the wood. To be sure, I could thin cetol, but I find cetol leaves a residue that creates on odd plastic feel to the wood.

I was not interested in exaggerated glossiness, which looks fine on a newly built boat, but shows off every crevice on more worn wood, and sanding down to take out every imperfection takes off too much wood.

This product did the job. It preserved the character of the more worn woodwork, giving it the “antiqued” but still clean and serviceable look that I was looking for. The only downside is that it does seem to soften a bit with humidity but overall I am satisfied.

What I’ve learned (IMO) after using this product for 2 seasons is the following: – Your teaks age, and prior (prior owner lack of) maintenance is critical. Your teak preparation and cleanup – secret number 1; If you want the teak to be ‘lighter’ in color you MUST use a Teak A-B with sodium hydroxide (lye) and sodium hypochlorite (bleach).

The ECO cleaners do NOT bleach out the teak. Finally two coats seem to work nicely but for 22 I’m going to be doing more frequent cleaning with ECO friendly teak cleaners. -.

It’s only been a few weeks since I’ve used this product on my outdoor teak furniture which sits in full sun and gets hammered by rain. So far, I really like the product. It gives a beautiful color to teak and it dries fast.

It is a very low sheen finish and the two coats I applied did not build a film like a varnish would. It seems to be an oil tinted with a fine yellow pigment. It’s a very ‘close-to-the-wood’ finish. Ask me how I like it at the end of the summer.

I used traditional varnish for years and then cruised to Mexico where it burned off in 3 months. A boatyard in La Paz turned me in to Semco and I’ve used it ever since. Easy to apply. Easy to maintain.

Not slippery when I step in the rail. Perfect!.

This stuff is great! I was cautious at first but I’ve been using the honey color on the teak of my boat (caprail, coamings, hand rails, and companion way) for two years now and love it. It won’t give you that shiny, beautiful, dock queen look, but it WILL FREE YOU FROM YOUR TEAK, while keeping your teak healthy and protected from the sun.

Think of it like really uniformly colored light-grey teak that isn’t grey, but freshly-sanded looking instead. The teak doesn’t grey because it is protected from the sun, and algae and mold won’t grow on it either, so it doesn’t darken or get spots.

After a few base coats, you just need to apply a coat in the spring, and one in the fall to keep your teak looking healthy and nice. It is a really quick job that I don’t loathe anymore. You just brush on another coat.

No sanding or other prep. Don’t use tape, just follow with a rag and a little acetone if necessary. The truth is, most boats on the dock with varnish or cetol having peeling, worn, or chipped spots (you can verify this yourself very easily).

Varnish and cetol are difficult to do properly, so most boats end up with a blotchy look. If your’s doesn’t, congratulations, you should keep doing it! So, that said, while properly maintained varnish or cetol look fabulous, teak sealer does not look *fabulous*, but it looks *really good* and never looks spotty unless you aren’t even willing to spend a couple hours on it a year.

In that case, just let your teak go grey, or get rid of it. Even though I know this sounds like an advertisement or something, I have no relationship with Semco. My ONLY connection to this product is that I think it is great, so I’m doing my part to spread the word so that it stays around and I can keep using it.

I really like this product. I sanded down my teak deck, cleaned it up and applied two coats of the natural tone with a foam brush followed by a rag. A little bit of this goes a long way, you can apply the second coat immediately after the first and it turns a very pretty golden brown.

Overall a really great product. I am redoing a 5 piece teak outdoor dining set. This set had been exposed to Florida summers for many years and was in major need of tlc. I bought a bottle of this oil and a bottle of the cleaner/brightener combination.

I ended up running out of both bottles before completing the set, so if you have a bigger project I recommend the much larger bottles, or at least 2 of each. The first photo is the process. Untouched (left), cleaner/brightener (middle) then 2 coats of the Premium Gold oil (right).

I’m not sure if everyone will need two coats but mine most definitely did. There’s also photos comparing one coat of oil next to two coats, and also one of a before. It’s a long process but most definitely worth it in the end.

We have a 1963 Rybovich teak with fore deck & cockpit (motoryacht). Now I use Clear Color on my new deck (about 10 years old now) when I had the older deck (god knows how old) I used a combo of natural & clear to enhance the color.

if you really like color add some gold. often people use gold & complain about too much color. Give it a day or two before you see true finish. Deck always looks like there is no product on it and never gets black and is not slippery.

It is easy to put on with a rag like water. It can be re-coated immediately. Can be cleaned & re-coated mid year or just let it go to a light gray which is also nice ( My husband like grey & I tan so it is a good compromise through the season.

I do sand each season to reduce the hard wood & prevent trapping water. I don’t find it damaging the black caulking.

The finish left by the product is very soft. After three days of drying I flipped the wood panel over to finish the back side. When I moved the board again I found the finish had slightly stuck to the board it was sitting on and I now have a distinct line across the part.

Even worse after leaving for a week I installed the part in the boat. Sitting on the board caused the finish to shift and created wrinkles. I don’t know if I did something wrong in the application or if it needs multiple weeks to full cure.

In either case I regret the decision on this product and will likely end up pulling off the boat next off-season to strip and re-do with a different product.

I bought a quart of the Marine Wood Finish to seal and finish a weathered solid mahogany bench after a great deal of sanding prep. A couple of points for purchasers. As another reviewer pointed out this is not like a clear varnish or satin varnish.

There is an orange yellow color out of the can. On very dark wood like end grain the yellowish tone shows up. On the reddish brown grain it did not. The can was labeled SATIN finish but after three coats: first two thinned with mineral spirits then a light sanding with 220 sandpaper and full strength final coat,the finish was very good and pretty deep, but if it were any glossier you could see your face in it.

It also does a pretty good job of filling the open pores in Mahogany, but not as well as a pore sealer. But for an outdoor bench, the extra work and expense of filling pores was not necessary. That’s a plus.

The directions on the can are different than the directions on the website as far as thinning the initial coat. The label does not say mineral spirits is a suitable thinner – just says to use the Total Boat 100 proprietary thinner.

I followed the web directions which said mineral spirits and that worked fine. Yes, I would recommend this product with the caveats above but NOT if you are looking for a satin finish.

This is our second purchase of the TotalBoat Marine Wood Finish as we’ve had success with it on the brightwork of our backyard built 20′ LOA, 8′ Beam, Ply on Frame Pacific Northwest Dory. We started using it when we first mounted the White Oak Rubrails when the hull was on the strongback.

We also used it on our White Oak Sole and the AshToerail. White Oak is a bear to finish and keep clean, but this material, after a year, has held up to the harsh Sun and Environment of the Sun Coast of Florida.

We highly recommend it!.

This company has the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. Incredibly knowledgeable employees who are willing to spend the timefully understanding the customers concerns and goals and even though I had some self-inflicted issues, they continued to support and coach me through the process with their product.

I’m a fan. Buy direct with them!.

I used the sealer after using Wessex cleaner and brightener. I keep a cover on my table so I expect it stay looking like new for a long time. Very easy to apply. I used a cotton cloth.

Really good stuff. Goes in easily and changes the appearance naturally without looking varnished!

Very good product easy to apply. Have used this for past 7years.

I have antiques and older furniture. I used to do all of my furniture once a year with teak oil. I highly recommend it for all wood furniture. I wasnt able to for 5 years because of some health issues.

My ac in my apt ,as the temps were 98 and 107 with the heat index and high humidity and rain, went out and by the time it was fixed, I had mold. I used mild remediation products, and was able to get that taken care of but my furniture needed some tlc.

This works so well and you wont believe how great your furniture will look!! Antiques can mold easily in high temps and humidity, just because its old. This keeps a good oil barrier against moisture.

I will be going back to doing it at least once a year as able. Just use a soft cloth, I imused an old soft towel,or a sponge. Another benefit, it smells good. I hope this helps someone. Its mindblowing the difference it akes to any wood item, and furniture, doors, etc.

I think you too would be very pleased with this product. Im giving it 5 stars.

A1 Service! Comparable prices. Not necessary to shop the big box stores. I much prefer the old fashioned customer service Aubuchon delivers.

My father made me some cedar outdoor furniture about 15 years ago, he’d told me to clean it each spring and use some Thompson water seal. I didn’t do this every year and the furniture was in dire need if more care, he passed away 7 years ago.

Did a search, found that rosewood oil was the best, did another search and found teak oil would work and was available. I’m getting ready to put the pieces back together and I’m so happy with the beautiful wood finish.

This is a definite must have.

Product went on very smoothly, dried quickly. Only complaint is that it’s not truly clear, leaves a little of a yellowish tint. Not a big deal since I’m painting over it. Would use again.

All I can rate so far is the application and initial result. Very pleased so far with results on my teak patio furniture. The color is a bit darker than “natural” on my teak, but looks good without unpleasant orange cast.

Somewhat shiny without the optional clear coat additional product. Cetol product doesn’t appear to separate much (if at all) in the can so stirring is minimal. Applies easily and seems forgiving in terms of brush strokes, wind blown debris, etc.

If you don’t keep a good “wet edge” there can be blobs and streaks, so it seems you need to go start-to-finish on a particular piece of furniture. Must avoid temptation to rush ahead with additional coat before allowing complete 24 hours of drying time.

But subsequent coats definitely improve the look without deepening the color noticeably. Certainly this is way more work than a quick power washing and a wipe of teak oil, but hopefully the durability will make it worth it.

Boat owners say it should last,a and I have my fingers crossed.

This is one of those products that I just love to use. I have a Catalina 30 docked in an ocean harbor and the ease of use and durability of Cetol Marine is a prime factor in my giving it 5 stars. There are several schools of thought when it comes to marine varnish and 20 yrs ago, I evaluated them all and went with this very product.

I like the tint it adds to teak, makes it a striking dark amber color which also serves to hide any blemishes or minor gray grain. I find it important to remove all of the old varnish using a paint scraper and heat gun if necessary.

I sand down from 80 to 150 to 220, then clean the surface and put on 3 coats as instructed on the can. Smart sailors will lightly recoat annually or as needed. I wasn’t that smart before, however, with this application, I promise never to have to completely sand down all the brightwork again.

Smarter and happy makes a Sailor’s day go better. Thank you Sikkens.

Been using this stuff for years and am way over the illusion that Cetol is durable in the Florida sun. It lasts one year before it fails and leaves you facing another nasty sanding and finishing job.

It looks fine for the the first three months before the dark and black spots appear and from there it’s just a few months until your Cetol finish begins to wear away and splotchy patches of grey teak appear and it’s time to get out the sandpaper Anyone who tells you Cetol is easy to apply is kidding themselves.

The stuff is thin and runny and leaves nasty, hard to remove stains on fiberglass. I applied Cetol in every recommended way using expensive brushes, and applying several coats and topping them with coats of clear Cetol, but still the finish lasts one year.

I am going to try some wood patio deck coatings this year. they aren’t any cheaper, cause you must buy a gallon but maybe they will last a few seasons. Have had it with Cetol’s unspectacular performance.

For me it seems it’s reputation is mostly hype and advertising dollars doing their work.

These products really work well to protect and keep your teak furniture in its original color and keeps it clean. Unfortunately the surface to be treated must be lightly sanded beforehand. And the sealant should be put on your teak furniture several times throughout the year!.

I have used the KB cleaner, Shield and Protector this year and this review is 3 months after application. Cleaner is a must if your furniture has been outside for a few years. Does good job if you have the arms to scrub with the pad provided.

After scrubbing tried shield on a table and bench and protector on some chairs. Shield provides waterproofing and keeps clean but weathered nice light color. Protector stains the wood a nice color. Color is not identical to original in my memory but nice.

Both are nice depends on your taste. I think next year we will try to use protector on the pieces currently with shield to match the chairs color. Hope the protective shield will weaken by then and take the color, might need to sand table top if needed.

Will probably reapply shield to table top after protector colors it, to protect from stains as we entertain around the table.

This is a great product to restrain and protect your teak furniture. I have used this for the past 5 years and my furniture looks beautiful and wears well outside. It is easy to use.

This product is very easy to use and it dries very fast. I applied to an outdoor teak wood day bed not previously treated with a brush and it was dried within a couple of hours. The wood absorbed the oil quickly and didn’t have to whipped off any excess.

Very happy with results and I’ll continue to use this product! Highly recommend!.

We bought some Teak rockers from Sam’s Club, and I put this on straightaway. It did change the color to a warm golden color, which looks fantastic. And, water beads up on it now. I did quite a bit of research.

None of the teak oil products are actually Teak Oil. They are basically linseed oil with a few other ingredients. Looks like I’ll need to sand and redo at least annually, but that is just the nature of Teak.

Some folks use Tung oil, which is a multi-step process, and then seal it. I’m happy with this so far, and it’s very easy to use. I just used a rag. CAUTION. Just like Linseed oil, if you throw the rag into your garage after using it, it CAN and most probably WILL.

spontaneously catch on fire. It’s best to just soak it down in water, and throw away in the garbage. I leave the rag outside until I put the garbage out, soak it in water, and then put in the garbage.

Hello I am not sure how to comment on this. , VALUE yes OK QUAITY yes OK But the colour is a long way from TEAK/ Its RED. I bought this for a simple job I had made an extra top for my Workmate. Fortunately i painted the underside first.

I will NOT use it on the Top surface. I will need to purchase some clear varnish I think. Take care Mr J Melvin.

Rather thick and much darker than I would have called teak. Lid is hard to get off too so be careful, when eventually I got it open it went all over my utility room so had to clean that before I could varnish.

Covers quite well and cheap so not bad.

Because it is exactly the right shade I was looking for an each coat covers very well; better than a lot of stains.

I was very disappointed with this product. After spending many hours restoring a genuine teak garden bench seat and having a lovely finish on it, I was determined to treat it with a natural product that would not spoil its looks.

As the tin had the words “original” written on it, I assumed that it would be like the teak oil I used to buy some 25 years ago. I did still have some of the older product left but not enough to do the job.

I now realise that, from the difference in the smell, it is clearly not the same. Genuine teak oil has a smell of linseed and this product is clearly thinned with some form of hydrocarbon. The result is a rather sticky finish that is far too dark.

Also, the stain used cannot be removed from patio slabs if you are unfortunate enough to have the container slip from your hand! If there is a solvent or cleaner that will remove it, I have yet, to find one.

I have tried detergents, several household cleaners, white spirit, petrol and phosphoric acid.

Having tried many different makes of teak oil in the past, this really is the best. Don’t waste money, time and effort on cheaper brands or even more expensive as this product fits the bill perfectly.

It it important to prepare your furniture properly, we have two teak park style benches, now almost 10 years old, first they are pressure washed which removes all old oil and dirt and brings the colour of the wood up to a bright, almost new look, then a good sand down to smooth the raised grain.

This is followed by two coats of Rustin’s teak oil, and the benches look great, not brand new but we’ll look after condition. This treatment we find lasts for up to 4 years depending on the weather, we don’t cover them over winter, if we did I expect they would last even longer.

I have to admit , that I am a little dissapointed with this , I was expecting an oil , rather than a varnish type covering , I bought to oil some teak outdoor benches , I followed instructions , and should have realised when it said to clean brushes in solvent , that this was not just oil.

I dont mind the sheen , but turned the teak quite orange in appearance which was not what the other half wanted. Luckily only did 3 bits , so ended up scraping off with a blade and then sanding back to original untreated teak.

It came off like a varnish. If you want just an oil , this isnt the product for you , but if you dont mind glossy varnish looking finsih, the. I have almost a full can available. Obviously unable to return it , so it will sit on a shelf in my shed forever more1 star from me as a personal choice only , but plenty of reviewers seem to like it ,Pictures of untreated and treated with this product to show the difference.