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How to oil a wooden garden table without trapping mould

Updated: October 2026

You have come in from a wet British patio with one tin marked teak oil, and the table might be teak, acacia, meranti or bamboo. This is how to oil a wooden garden table: feed acacia, leave untreated teak to turn silver, and cover only once the wood is dry, so a sealed sheet does not grow mould. The Products Compared editorial team read the seven amazon.co.uk care lines in our [wooden garden table comparison](/hub/garden-furniture/wooden-garden-table), plus the Royal Horticultural Society and Garden Trading's acacia sheet, on 15 October 2026. We did not oil a table in a lab. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have come in from a wet British patio with one tin marked teak oil, and the table might be teak, acacia, meranti or bamboo.

Our top picks

Furinno Furinno Tioman square

Best overall

Furinno Furinno Tioman square
6.1/10about £45.75
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GiantexUK GiantexUK 170 cm dining table

Rank 2

GiantexUK GiantexUK 170 cm dining table
3.9/10about £120.99
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Utoplike Utoplike two-tier side table

Rank 3

Utoplike Utoplike two-tier side table
5.9/10about £46.90
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On this page
  1. 1.Clean it, and wait until it is dry
  2. 2.Teak: wash it, or protect the colour on purpose
  3. 3.Acacia: oil once or twice a year
  4. 4.Covers, mould, and feet in water

Clean it, and wait until it is dry

Garden Trading's acacia sheet says wash with warm soapy water, rinse, wipe, and air-dry for at least 24 hours before oil. Holloways, on their teak, say water, with no detergent, no oil and no pressure washer. A care line printed on the amazon.co.uk listing wins over any blend of the three. On a Saturday in October the top can look pale by evening while the joints are still wet, so wait until the next day. Oil on that damp grain traps moisture. A cover on the same damp wood grows mould. An opened joint is not a hairline crack, and oil will not close it.

Teak: wash it, or protect the colour on purpose

Only once the wood is dry do you decide on untreated teak. The RHS says good teak can last with no treatment, that silvery grey is normal weathering, and that a protector replaces the patina if you want the original colour. Jati advises against teak oil, linseed, tung oil and Danish oil, because surface oil can feed mildew. Gloster says oil adds no protection and can blacken the surface, and Bramblecrest also says no teak oil. A care card supplied with your table still wins. Silvering is for untreated teak, not for the varnished Utoplike side table, whose listing says a damp cloth. Do not sand that film off and oil it unless an instruction for this finish says so. Which timber to buy is on the teak vs acacia garden table page.
Furinno Furinno Tioman square

Testsieger

Furinno Furinno Tioman square
6.1/10about £45.75
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Acacia: oil once or twice a year

On acacia, Garden Trading's schedule is once or twice a year after a factory coat they put at about three to six months. Once the wood is dry, use fine sandpaper on rough patches only, then clear hardwood oil or teak oil, and a second coat after about one hour if the first looks thirsty. A spring coat, then an early-autumn coat if the top has dulled, suits a UK year. The GiantexUK dining table recommends wax oil and says avoid prolonged rain, which does not make the top waterproof. The folding bistro wants a maintenance oil that is not in the box. Oil the wood, and keep the tin off the metal frame. The Furinno tables are meranti with a teak-oil finish. If you oil them you are maintaining meranti, not making teak. Momleix is bamboo, and the care line is a damp cloth.

Covers, mould, and feet in water

A cover goes on dry wood only. Harbour Lifestyle want a breathable sheet that is not PVC-backed, held off the top and checked at least monthly. Bramblecrest say no cover on their own teak, so the maker's card still wins. The RHS says tilt the furniture and keep the feet out of standing water. Stop if a joint has opened, if a parasol base is concreted in, or if you cannot say what the balcony will carry. Oil will not clamp the joint. BS EN 581-3:2026 does not test ageing or moisture, and none of these listings states it.

Common questions

Should I oil a teak garden table or let it turn silver?
Leave untreated teak to silver if you accept the grey. The RHS says good teak lasts untreated, and a protector keeps the original colour only by replacing the patina. Jati says teak oil, linseed, tung and Danish oil can feed mildew, and offers a water-based protector instead. A care card wins. Teak oil is a finish, not a species of wood, and a varnish is not raw teak.
How often should I oil acacia?
Oil acacia once or twice a year, after a wash and at least 24 hours of drying. Garden Trading put their own factory coat at about three to six months, which is not the age of an amazon.co.uk finish. The GiantexUK dining table names wax oil and says avoid prolonged rain, which does not make the top waterproof.
Can I oil the table while it is still damp?
No. Garden Trading want at least 24 hours of air-drying after the rinse and wipe, because joints stay wet when the top looks pale. Oil on that moisture traps it. A cover on the same damp wood grows mould, so shelter the table without sealing it.
How do I cover a wooden garden table without growing mould?
Dry the wood, then use a breathable cover that is not PVC-backed, held off the top and checked monthly. Harbour Lifestyle, who sell covers, also want cushions stored dry and feet raised in winter. Garden Trading say a long-term cover grows mould. Keep the feet out of standing water, and do not seal a damp top.
When should I stop and call someone about a split joint?
Stop if a joint has opened, if a parasol base is concreted in, or if you cannot say what the balcony will carry. Oil will not close that joint. BS EN 581-3:2026 does not test ageing or moisture, and these listings do not state it, so a contract report is a professional job. Hairline seasonal cracks are the movement Garden Trading call natural.

Related pages

Wooden garden table buying guide

Wooden garden table for a balcony

Wooden garden table

Best Wooden Garden Table: Who Should Buy or Skip It

Teak vs Acacia Garden Table for Wet British Winters

Sources

Public UK sources used for standards, care and consumer rights. amazon.co.uk listings supply prices, stars and review counts. Prices checked 15 October 2026.

  1. BS EN 581-3:2026 outdoor tables (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (Great Britain) (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK product safety advice for businesses (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 19 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. RHS: maintaining garden seats and tables (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. Ideal Home: wooden garden furniture (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Garden Trading: acacia wood care (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Plia: choosing a garden parasol base (retrieved 15 October 2026)