Ipe Deck Refinishing Is Not As Easy As You May Think!

Ipe deck refinishing is not as easy as you think.  There are many factors to consider when restoring an Ipe deck.  How old is the Ipe deck?  Is there a previous coating currently on the deck that needs to be removed?  The aforementioned factors are what you may deal with when perfroming Ipe deck refinishing.  The best way to restore an Ipe deck is to clean it to remove the layer of filth that lays on the top.  Sanding is the next step because it will eliminate all outside filth.  Why is Ipe hard to deal with?  It is a really dense hardwood from Bolivia, Brazil, and South America.  Many people compare it to teak, but it may be in fact a lot more difficult to deal with than teak because of its hardness and oil content.  Most coatings to no have the power to dig deep down in the Ipe wood and add oils to protect it.  Finding the best product takes years of trial and error and may be best left to a Ipe deck restoration or specialist. Make sure you do thorough research before performing Ipe deck refinishing yourself. 



Ipe Wood & Wood Deck Maintenance

There is a misperception in the wood decking industry that when it comes to wood deck care the guy who builds your wood deck is going to maintain your wood deck. When a contractor builds a wood deck it is usually assumed that he knows how to care for it. But most often this is not the case. There are many different types of woods that are used for outdoor decking these days. From Ipe wood to Teak wood and Mahogany wood.

Many contractors and deck builders may know how to build a great wood deck but most of the time they have little to no knowledge about properly caring for your deck. When it comes to deck care and deck care products you need an expert that knows how to maintain deck woods. You need someone with a lot of knowledge with deck care products and deck refinishing. Someone with many years of experience working with exotic hardwoods and who knows the weathering characteristics of each wood. When a deck is new it needs to be finished as soon as possible. This will eliminate the need for deck refinishing in the future. An expert will work with your contractor to provide you the best care for your deck and help you maintain the beautiful texture and color of your wood deck for its entire life.

Ipe wood or Brazilian Ironwood as it is sometimes called is a very dense exotic hardwood. The wood is very high in natural oil content which makes it resistant to the harmful effects of the sun and weather. However, keeping its natural color is an art form in itself. That is why it is very important for you to hire a specialist to maintain your wood deck and protect your investment.

There are many products on the market that claim they are the best for Brazilian Ironwood. Some of them are actually very good in preserving the color and texture of the wood, but great products a far and few. An expert can narrow down the best products on the market to keep it in its original beauty. Most deck care products say how easy it is to apply their products to your wood deck and how their products will restore your wood deck to new again.

This is not as easy as some claim. There are many factors to consider before you apply a finish on a wood surface. If the wood is weathered, has it properly been prepped? If the surface is new has it properly been prepped? What is the best way to apply the product? What temperature is best for application? What kind of clean up does the product require? And the list goes on and on. All of these questions need to be answered before you apply any products to your wood deck. An expert will take the headache out of you becoming a slave to your Ipe wood surface or any other exterior wood surface. Let an expert maintain your wood deck surface and it will last you for your entire life.

Teak Furniture Restoration

There are many do it yourself articles on the internet on how to do teak refinishing. It seems every article has a different way on how to restore your teak furniture from the weathered look back to a new appearance. One article says to sandblast your furniture, another says to sand your teak with 250 grit sandpaper, and another says to water blast your teak furniture.

The internet is definitely a great resource for many do it yourself projects however most posts about teak refinishing are either misleading or entirely wrong. The bottom line is that teak furniture restoration is not as easy as it may seem. There are several different ways to do it depending on weathering patterns, how old it is, if it has an existing deteriorating finish, and how intricate the design of the furniture is.

Teak Master is an exterior wood refinishing company located in Pasadena California that has mastered teak restoration. They have taken the headache out of trying to restore your teak furniture yourself by providing a service to bring your teak back to its original showroom appearance. Essentially, Teak Master has taken the guessing out of teak refinishing. They have many different techniques on how to bring you furniture back to life. Once the furniture is restored you have an option of sealing your furniture with different sealers that have a wide assortment of colors.

A key element in keeping your furniture in showroom condition is annual maintenance. Teak Master will set up a maintenance schedule to reseal your teak once or twice a year depending on use and exposure to the elements. Give Teak Master a call for a consultation.

Smith & Hawken Closure

Smith & Hawken was an upscale garden retail outlet with 56 stores in the United States. On July 10, 2009, it was announced that all Smith & Hawken stores would cease operation. Smith & Hawken stores were located in upscale retail locations in 22 states.

Smith & Hawken was founded in 1979 originally as a garden tool supplier. The company was acquired by Scotts Miracle-Gro company in 2004 for $70 million dollars. When Smith & Hawken closed, it had approximately 700 employees in the United States.

Scotts Miracle-Gro chairman and CEO, Jim Hagedorn, cited the continuing weak economy and "lack of scale" as the primary drivers behind Smith Hawken's closure. According to Scotts' May 2009 quarterly report, Smith & Hawkens net sales were down 22.4% for the first half of fiscal 2009. Smith & Hawken's founders were reportedly not upset to learn the company they founded 30 years earlier was closing. The San Jose Mercury News reported that Dave Smith and Paul Hawken were relieved by the announcement, stating that "Scotts couldn't have been a worse corporate owner."

Smith said he asked friends not to shop there after Scotts purchased the company in 2004.

RESTORING TEAK FURNITURE

If your teak furniture has been allowed to weather, damaged by pressure washing, or by cheap products sold as “teak oil”, it can be restored back to showroom quality.

We start our process by sanding the furniture down to bare wood. All visible areas are sanded including in between slats. Sanding ensures all oxidation and dirt is removed while restoring a smooth texture back to the wood. The teak is then cleaned with a custom biodegradable cleaning and bleaching agent to remove any dust or pollution that may remain. An exclusive custom formulated teak sealer is then applied to the furniture. A clear coat protector is applied to table tops to help with food stains.

Teak Furniture

Teak furniture is a beautiful natural alternative to aluminum and wrought iron furniture. Most manufacturers of teak furniture prefer to distribute their teak furniture to high end stores in raw form and unfinished.  We can handle all teak restoration including - commercial teak restoration, pergola wood restoration and play sets restoration.

This gives the customer two choices. The first is to let the furniture weather and turn grey. Natural oils in the teak wood will eventually oxidize when it’s exposed to the sun. Only under perfect circumstances will the wood turn grey evenly without any assistance.

Teak Master has perfected the art of natural graying with our oxidation cleaning techniques which cleans and maintains the furniture without stripping off the oxidation while eliminating mold and dirt. Option number two is to have the furniture finished to keep its color. Teak Master is the foremost experts in maintaining the natural color of outdoor teak wood in Southern California. We offer a wide range of finishes to suit your needs.