Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy Jo Alexander Furniture?

You can purchase Jo Alexander furniture through our website, by phone or by visiting one of our exhibitions that take place throughout the year.

Does my furniture require assembly?

All our furniture is supplied either fully assembled or flat-packed in sub-assemblies to minimise the amount of final assembly required. All flat-packed items are dispatched with a pack of fittings and assembly instructions. No glue is required to assemble our products. Most of our furniture, can be assembled within a few minutes by a single person with only a minimum of tools.

Can my furniture be kept outside all year round?

Yes, Jo Alexander furniture can be kept outside all year round. It will get dirtier than furniture that is just used in the summer, but the long-term performance and durability of the furniture is exactly the same. If you would prefer to store furniture over the winter, we advise that you do so in a garden shed or garage. It is not advisable to store the furniture in a heated indoor room as the differences in temperature and humidity will cause the wood to split.

Why does my teak furniture sometimes looks patchy and dark in areas?

Teak is a natural material, which will change colour with time and exposure to the climate surrounding it. The occasional dark patches are found as a result of the natural, biological process in the starches, moistures and natural oils present in the timber. These patches gradually disappear as the teak matures with age.

Why has a crack appeared on my furniture?

It is normal to have fine cracks on the furniture as teakwood is a natural material which expands and contracts with weather changes. Consequently, cracks can appear and disappear with time. This will not affect the life of your furniture.

Do I need to oil my furniture?

Jo Alexander would recommend that you don’t oil your furniture. Firstly teak is a close grained hardwood with a high natural oil content, which naturally protects the wood. Secondly the oiling process must be maintained annually. Thirdly the wood will absorb a lot of heat from the sun, which puts the wood through more stress. However if you would like your furniture to remain the colour it is when purchased a product such as Alfresco Protector can be used. This can be purchased from Jo Alexander. See ‘Treatment’ section of the Jo Alexander website.

What is teak?

Teak is a close grained hardwood with a high natural oil content. This makes it hard wearing, highly resistant to rotting and almost impervious to the effects of sun, rain, frost or snow. These characteristics combine to make it the ideal timber for all outdoor furniture. Other hardwoods are often used for outdoor furniture, but they do not perform to the high standards of teak.

Teak Care

We are often asked about the best ways to care for teak furniture. Because of the hard and yet forgiving nature of the timber it will withstand a great deal of abuse. But will also repay a little tender loving care.

Jo Alexander furniture comes fine sanded it will have only the natural colour of the wood coupled with the raw natural texture of the teak grain. The untreated timber is a very pleasant yellowy-brown olive colour when still fresh.

If your furniture is to be used indoors, and away from a lot of natural sunlight, over a period of time – perhaps six months to a year – the wood will gradually become a darker shade of brown.

If the furniture is left outside, the effects of the suns rays will bleach out the timbers natural colour, gradually turning it a soft silvery grey colour. This silver grey ‘patina’ which develops over time gives teak furniture a distinctive appearance. The silver grey colour resulting from this natural ageing process is considered to be very attractive, and allows the furniture to blend in well with any outdoor environment. Teak furniture left in this state is easily maintained, and needs no treatment whatsoever to give many years of service.

What grade of teak does Jo Alexander use?

Jo Alexander uses grade A teak in all our wooden products.

Where does Jo Alexander source their timber?

Jo Alexander garden furniture is mainly produced from plantation teak crops from government controlled forests in Java, Indonesia.

All furniture manufactured in Indonesia is produced from plantation teak crops from the island of Java.

Our indoor collection is manufactured using reclaimed teak from old buildings such as floorboards and beams, which gives the wood its aged character.

How do I clean my teak furniture?

You can clean your furniture with a normal household bristle brush (not too hard) and some warm mildly soapy water. Wash down afterwards with clean water. There are also proprietary cleaners on the market which can also be used to clean off various deposits and accumulated dirt and stains. A specialist product such as Alfresco Restorer can be purchased from Jo Alexander Ltd.

We do not recommend the use of high pressure hoses, steel wool or steel wire brushed as any residue left in the grain will rust and discolour the wood.

If the furniture has some stubborn and heavily ingrained stains these can be removed by sanding with a fine grade of sandpaper, being sure to work only with the direction of the timber grain. After sanding stains away like this, if the furniture was previously teak oiled you may wish to re-oil, or if it had previously been left natural, the fresh colour exposed by sanding will soon mellow in with the existing silver grey patina.

What quality of stainless steel does Jo Alexander use?

The stainless steel is made from 304 grade steel, which has a minimum of 8% nickel and a minimum of 18% chrome.

Cleaning Stainless Furniture?

To remove small marks and dirt simply use warm water and a clean cloth. Do not use cleaners containing chlorine. Stainless steel cleaner can be used to maintain or restore the polished look.

What is batyline?

Batyline™ is a vinyl coated polyester yarn that is durable, easy to clean and fade resistant.

Cleaning Batyline Products?

Batyline™ can simply be cleaned using a non-abrasive household detergent taking care not to touch the surrounding material (teak or stainless steel).

What is Wicker?

The wicker is made from ecolene ™ which is a polyethylene synthetic wicker that has been developed to meet all standard specifications for outdoor furniture. It has specifically been designed to prevent cracking, peeling, breaking and fading.

Cleaning Wicker Furniture?

When cleaning it is important to use a non-foaming cleaner on woven furniture, as a foaming product will leave residues in the gaps in-between the weave which will then attract dirt. A pressure hose on a low setting is acceptable to use on wicker furniture.