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Strange aging spots...
 

Strange aging spots on teak wood  

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Browkin
(@browkin)
Famed Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 335
09/10/2024 6:10 pm  

Hello everyone,

I have a question from a customer. He purchased some Niels Koefoed chairs from me this summer. Now, one chair is showing more aging spots in the form of black dots. Does anyone know about this? Could it be a type of mold? Is there anything that can be done about it?

Grateful for any advice.

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This topic was modified 1 month ago 3 times by Browkin

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Herringbone
(@herringbone)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 2026 years ago
Posts: 1221
10/10/2024 12:13 pm  

Hmmm, teak is usually pretty resistant, so I don't really believe in mold. But black spots on teak furniture - although mostly outdoor - seem to be a thing and people recommend teak cleaner or a treatment with oxalic acid.   

"People buy a chair, and they don't really care who designed it." (Arne Jacobsen)


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tktoo
(@tktoo)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 2287
10/10/2024 3:29 pm  

@browkin

Strange, yes. Do you know what type of finish is on the chairs? In the first photo, the unaffected chair looks a bit glossy for oil?

Odd pattern to the discoloration. Appears almost as if damp or wet material may have been pressed against the back of the chair for a period. Too-thick application(s) of oil could, in theory, provide food for fungal growth under certain conditions.

In the closer photos, some of the spots look almost like they could be accretions on the surface rather than stains penetrating the wood fibers. I'd probably try scraping at the worst spots will a thumbnail to see if anything comes off the surface. Next would be a thorough cleaning by scrubbing with white spirits and old towels or fine steel wool. After, if the staining remains, treatment(s) with oxalic acid, as @herringbone mentioned, would seem appropriate, though any remaining finish should be removed prior.


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Browkin
(@browkin)
Famed Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 335
16/10/2024 11:02 pm  

Many thanks @herringbone and @tktoo. I usually treat all the chairs the same way: cleaning with white spirits, then oiling, and later applying wood wax. The wax gives the surface a shiny appearance. It might have happened that I forgot to apply wood wax on the chair that isn’t shiny. I will pass on the recommendation to the customer to try thoroughly cleaning the wood with white spirits if simpler methods don't work.


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